The Wind Done Gone [Paperback]

Can I dislike this book just because it was really bad?

Sadly, this volume was not worth the highly-publicized legal battle that was waged over it. Though described as an unauthorized parody from the African-American POV of the time, this book is an utter failure. (Did I mention the title is also pretty bad?)

The book centers on the mulatto half-sister of GWTW lead Scarlett O'Hara, Cynara. Cynara is the daughter of Captain O'Hara ("Planter") and Mammy, Scarlett's strong-minded, down-to-earth nursemaid. "The Wind Done Gone" chronicles Cynara's life in Tara and in the post-Civil War Reconstruction, where she is raised alongside her glamorous half-sister but denied the same love, attention and privileges. Then "Planter" sells her, and she ends up in a brothel. Ironically, one frequenter of the brothel is Rhett Butler, the dashing handsome husband of Scarlett (who is constantly--and irritatingly--referred to as "Other"). She becomes his long-term lover, and naturally we are supposed to sympathize with Cynara and not with "Other..."

Where to begin?

Despite the red sticker on the cover, this is not a parody: a parody indicates humor or satire, of which this book has neither. It's too relentlessly self-conscious of Its Mission to be truly amusing, and too heavy-handed to be a successful satire. (Here's hoping that someone with the witty style of Dave Barry tries a satire of GWTW) The writing style is, like many pieces of literary fiction, rambling and present-tense, sometimes lapsing into stream of consciousness.

As a main character, Cynara fails. While "Other" is decidedly unlikeable in the original work, she has the rare quality of fascination that draws the reader in and makes them read about a character whether they like him/her or not. Sadly, Ms. Randall does not have the capability to do this with her characters; I felt that Cynara's only function in the story was to compare her to "Other." When Cynara got involved with dashing, handsome, virile Rhett Butler ("R") I began to wonder if Cynara was Randall's alter ego. She's annoying contemporary, as well as being delightfully PC; also, I saw little maturing and learning in her thoughts, as well as little of the touted intelligence that she is supposed to have.

Cynara, in fact, spends so much time comparing herself to "Other" that I found the description of "independent-minded woman" irrelevent. She frets constantly about Other's prettiness, her glamor, her relationship with "R"--and it rapidly becomes childish and tiresome.

And though this was touted as a viewpoint from the slaves, I was appalled to see how they were portrayed. This book gave Randall an opportunity to portray the slaves as being oppressed and maltreated, yet retaining inner dignity and will. Rather, she had them violent and aggressive toward others, including the infant sons of "Planter" (chop it down to simple terms "they were killing innocent babies" and it doesn't sound so fair, does it?). I was shocked. REALLY SHOCKED. Like "St. Louis" I was rather disgusted that the worst part of slavery was gleefully twisted around, thus negating its very horror.

I can only imagine why Ms. Randall was so determined that TWDG be a parody of GWTW -- either a deep-seated psychological fixation, or a determination to boost her first book sales. But I do know that had she not been so relentless in her pursuit of making this so-called parody, she could have produced an excellent novel. If you could strip away the preoccupation with GWTW, Scarlett O'Hara, and the PC-ness of it all she could have written a decent novel. (Minus the infanticide mentioned in the previous paragraph, of course)

Quite honestly, I'd have welcomed a witty parody of GWTW that could pointedly show the plight of the slaves and lampoon the "gallant South" (it is admittedly fun to read about). Sadly we'll have to wait for someone else to do so.

For almost seventy years, we have had Mitchell's view on the old South, the heroine Scarlett O'Hara and "Wind Done Gone" is an amazing work of fiction on the African-American point of view, its heroine, Cynara, Scarlett's half-sister.

The story is told in first person, stream of consciousness, which may be difficult for some to follow, as the author weaves back through Cynara's memories and revelations. Stream of consciousness isn't as straight-forward as a point by point, outlined presentation, but more realistic presents the human experience. I feel the author's style, presenting this as Cynara's diary is a wonderful way to tell this story.

There are some surprises along the way as Alice Randall gives detail to some of Mitchell's characters that were lesser characters to Scarlett and Rhett in GWTW. Not only the twists that change Mammy and Prissy from old derogitory stereotypes, but the detail she spins into the characters of Gerald and Ellen O'Hara, Scarlett's parents. Ellen, here called "Lady", is more interesting here than in the original, I think!

For those who are so affronted that a new frame of reference is given to a historical period, and a **work of fiction**-- well, no book is for "every one". However, look at any other real event in American history - in any country's history - in any one's life- and there is always more than one point of view!!! The original accounts of "Custer's Last Stand" from the Caucasian point of view were vastly different than the Native Americans' account of the battle. The American account of the final days of the defense of the Alamo are sharply contradicted by the Mexican accounts!

If anything, Alice Randall's book adds a richness to Mitchell's classic. And it means I can read GWTW and watch the movie without cringing when it comes to the depiction of the slaves.

I read the reviews on Amazon before I bought this book and have to say I enjoyed this book much more than I expected. Don't get so wrapped up in the mythos of GWTW that you forget that **it is a work of fiction, as is The Wind Done Gone** or that you forget that in art, as well as life, there is always more than one point of view, and the world is not just as it is seen by yourself and your culture!