The Wind Done Gone: A Novel
by Alice Randall
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Book Summary Information
Author: Alice RandallEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2002-04-08
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Mariner Books
Book Reviews of The Wind Done Gone: A Novel
Book Review: TWDG is actually a really good book
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading some of the other reviews, i felt compelled to defend this book...
Yes, you will be disappointed if you're expecting a hilarious novel that utterly pokes fun at the ridiculous portrayal of the slave and slave/master relationships described in GWTW.
Yes, you will be disappointed if you're expecting a book written with flawless grammar.
And you'll be disappointed if you're expecting all the Black characters to be presented in a pristine, "noble-minded" manner.
You're also sure to be disappointed if you're expecting a big book.
Maybe I enjoyed this book a lot because I did not have any expectations from it (I was just curious as to what the author would do with such promising material). And I believe that if you approach this book based on its premise (a brief glance in the life and mentality of a bi-racial woman growing up in her White half-sister's shadow during the reconstruction era) rather than that of GWTW (essentially, a love story), then you might not be as disappointed as some of the other readers.
Just to clear up a few things:
* The heroine's grammar is inconsistent as a reflection of her dual nature; she is both educated (her White side) and "cultural" (her Black side). She has consistently flowed in and out of both worlds and her writing style presents that duality perfectly. The same explanation goes for the title of the book as well: ebonics is how many Black people spoke back then and Randall's usage of it is another way to emphasize Cynara's odd relationship with Scarlett (as her sister, saying exactly the same thing, only from a different perspective and in a different manner of speech - basically a metaphor for the entire book).
* Slavery in the U.S. was so... harsh? (I'll just leave it at that word) It is ridiculous to think that slaves didn't develop some very tough psychological traits to deal with the inhumanity. That some slaves were mean? manipulative? brainwashed? maybe even evil? Yes! That is believable. And Randall does not cut her Black characters any more slack than she does her White ones. (And why should she? There are historical accounts of slaves snitching on those planning to run away! Stuff like that happened!)
* Finally, a parody can be humorous OR satirical - it does not have to be both and considering the content of the book, I for one am overjoyed Randall stuck with satirical. I feel that too much humor would have demeaned the book, presenting it merely as some sort of "joke".
As far as I'm concerned, the funniest part of the book is... well, the book itself, the concept that there is not only "another point of view" of Scarlett's life, but that this is in fact the more realistic one. What panache Randall! Bravo! This book had me thinking long after I'd put it down.
I do wish it'd been longer tho...
Summary of The Wind Done Gone: A Novel
In this daring and provocative literary parody which has captured the interest and imagination of a nation, Alice Randall explodes the world created in GONE WITH THE WIND, a work that more than any other has defined our image of the antebellum South. Taking sharp aim at the romanticized, whitewashed mythology perpetrated by this southern classic, Randall has ingeniously conceived a multilayered, emotionally complex tale of her own - that of Cynara, the mulatto half-sister, who, beautiful and brown and born into slavery, manages to break away from the damaging world of the Old South to emerge into full life as a daughter, a lover, a mother, a victor. THE WIND DONE GONE is a passionate love story, a wrenching portrait of a tangled mother-daughter relationship, and a book that "celebrates a people's emancipation not only from bondage but also from history and myth, custom and stereotype" (San Antonio Express-News).Historical Books
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