Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind"

This book was true to Scarlett and Rhett’s story. It flowed seamlessly. Margaret Mitchell would be proud. I highly recommend it.

Unless you are fan of Margaret Mitchell and read her book, you can ignore the low reviews. My review is for those who only saw the movie GONE WITH THE WIND. After seeing the movie for the umpteenth time and once again being disappointed there was no happy ending (sorry you classic lovers, but the ending where Scarlett says she'll find a way to win Rhett back just begs for the rest of the story!), I was glad there was a sequel where I'd get my happy ending even if it had to be written by someone other than Margaret Mitchell.SCARLETT satisfies the romance lover's need for the ending we crave. It tells us what happened to Scarlett and Rhett after he left her, after she declared her love for him and he told her he didn't give a damn.The story begins in 1873, as Melanie, Scarlett's lifelong friend, is buried and the mourners standing around gossip about Scarlett, saying she's "all business, and no heart." When Atlanta society cuts her, Scarlett is left very much alone. It's the bane of a strong woman's existence, that people think she doesn't care and hate her for it when, in fact, she cares very much though she doesn't allow herself to show it. Of course, in Gone With The Wind Scarlett was selfish and spurned Rhett's love when offered. And when she finally realized she loved him, it was too late. He believes she only wants him because he doesn't want her. But stay tuned...Scarlett is about to grow up. Where you wanted to slap her in the movie, now you will want to hug her as she triumphs over many trials on the way to learning how to love.For much of the 823 pages, the story is told through Scarlett's perspective. Though Scarlett shows great kindness to others and pursues Rhett because she genuinely loves him, her motives are often misunderstood and others, quick to judge, reject her. Society snubs her and Rhett is cold, even cruel. His only aim is to get out of the marriage, describing her as a drug that will destroy him. (It was easy to see Clark Gable saying those lines.)The book is divided into four sections, each finding Scarlett in new place:Lost in the Dark (Atlanta)High Stakes (Charleston)New Life (Savannah)The Tower (Ireland)Ripley paints a compelling picture of Ireland, its people and their struggles, with wonderful characters, rich dialog and emotional scenes. We mourn the lost history of the O'Hara family as Scarlett seeks to regain her family's land. And we cheer Scarlett as her incredible intelligence and courage rebuild, at least in part, what was lost.If you are used to the pace of a normal historical romance, this story may seem a bit meandering. (There are whole chapters where Scarlett and Rhett never encounter each other.) Still, I found it a very satisfying love story and it kept me reading late into the night (two nights in a row!). When the "black moment " came, it was the blackest I've ever experienced. But the ending is a sweet reward. The book is a treasure. I recommend it!

First of all I apologise in advance for the length of this review. I am from the South and I grew up less than 2 hours away from Atlanta Georgia, in my house there were always two books on our coffee table at all times, The Bible and Gone With The Wind. I've read Margaret Mitchell's classic so many times I know it cover to cover. I've known about this sequel for quite a few years now, but I never felt inclined to read it partly bc for a long time I wanted to leave Rhett Scarlett and their world where the creator Margaret left them. As I've gotten older, I've returned to Gone With the Wind periodically and i finally decided to give this book a try. I told myself if I wasn't into the story by the end of the first chapter I would put it down and in all honesty, I didn't expect to like it at all. I didn't think anyone else could continue such a legendary story other than the original writer. I was pleasantly surprised and glad to have been proved wrong Ms. Ripley does a fantastic job of curbing her own writing style to match Margaret's and she perfectly captures the spirit of Scarlett and of Rhett. It did not feel like a book written by someone else. It simply felt like a continuation of the story.I cried. I laughed. I bit my nail to the quick and I truly could not put it down. I personally got an immense amount of satisfaction in seeing these characters I hold so near and dear to my heart evolve and become deeper and more layered and I appreciate that she chose to pick up the story's timeline right where the original book left off, it helped close the gap between the two books and made you really feel as though one person had written both. I won't ruin the story with spoilers but I will say that the story takes Scarlett and Rhett to places physically and emotionally that you'd never expect and although the old south will always be a huge part of this story no matter who is writing it, Ms. Ripley also manages to take these characters you love so much to new heights and better places. It will never be the original and it isn't meant to be, it's meant to continue the story as if Margaret Mitchell was writing it herself and she accomplished that and so much more.This is a fantastic read, easily the best book I've read in years. I'm only sorry it took me so long to finally give it a chance.I find that my deep love for the world of Gone with the Wind is shared with tons of people and many people grew up with it on their coffee tables just as I did. If that's the case and you too don't believe this sequel will do it justice I'm here to tell you, it goes above and beyond expectations. If you've ever wished the story of Scarlett and Rhett had continued, please read this. It's absolutely wonderful. Happy Reading!

Very happy

I know that you can't improve on a classic but it was nice to put an end to the questions we all had about what happened to Rhett and Scarlet. It was well written; didn't intrude on the characters from the original novel. I enjoyed this book !

Loved this book. Scarlett and Rhett finally together! I want more of the story. I'm reading Rhett Butler's people now.

Alexandre Ripley's attention to detall, GWTW, and historical facts are spot on. She channels Scarlett perfectly. Margaret Mitchell would be proud.

I admire Ms. Ripley's attempt to continue the epic story of Scarlett and Rhett, and I give her credit for coming up with a really imaginative plot line, but I found myself slogging through the first half of the book and then speed-reading through the second half.Scarlett makes so many trips to and fro between different cities, it makes your head spin. I also tired of her inner thoughts jumping from "Yes, I"m this," to "No, I'm that," or "Maybe I'm something different altogether," all in the space of a paragraph. I just found the character to be inconsistent.Rhett Butler seems like almost a peripheral character in this book. Where Scarlett's motivations are made very clear, Rhett's are one-dimensional. He's not as fleshed out as I would have liked.I could go on, but in the interest of not repeating Ripley's repetitive style, I will just say that you might want to read this just to see how the author imagined the lives of the GWTW characters playing out in the years following the ending of Mitchell's book. But if you're looking for an enjoyable read that includes great writing style and cohesive plot moves, this is not for you.

I have read and re read.its just a companion on a rainy day.binding is nice.

Buena calidad de papel, agradable al tacto, bien imprimido.

I just read this because I heard it gave us the end we were waiting for.The beginning was a little slow, and sad. But past the middle I couldn’t put it down. Spent whole woke. nights saying “one more page, one more page”.

Great book. I like to reread it from time to time. It’s about Scarlett growing up, being more mature and learning from her mistakes. It’s no more running and it’s more embracing her inner self. Rhett? Always a pleasure when he appears between the lines. :)))

Cannot wait to purchase a hardcover or paperback as well. Amazing book, I bought the kindle version first. If you loved Gone With The Wind you will adore this sequel!