Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 epic novel Gone with the Wind was an almost immediate success upon publication and continues to have notoriety to this day. Although perhaps most famous for the 1939 film adaptation starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, the novel continues to transport its readers to the plantations of Georgia during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era. however, Gone with the Wind certainly has some incredibly problematic elements and unabashedly glorifies the antebellum south and even paints organizations like the kkk as simply “political” organizations of men. Due to these aspects, there is a substantial debate about whether we should continue reading (and watching) Gone with the Wind. however, there are still many people who love the novel for its vision of a lost society and the harrowing journey of survival in a changing world and it has many people searching for books like Gone with the Wind.
Despite its many problems, Gone with the Wind remains a pinnacle of American literature and film and is a book that, despite its epic length, certainly wants that you read it Somehow, it will make you root for one of literature’s least sympathetic protagonists from one of America’s most shameful periods. Although there is much controversy surrounding the novel, it is undeniable that Gone with the Wind is a masterpiece. If you’re looking for more epic novels that very clearly define nostalgia and life from a bygone era, check out these suggestions.
You are reading: Books like gone with the wind
8 books like Gone with the Wind
the thorny birds, by colleen mcullough
colleen mccullough’s 1977 novel the thorny birds is often hailed as the australian book gone with the wind and no list of books like margaret mitchell’s iconic novel would be complete without include it.
The Thorny Birds follow the Cleary family as they navigate their lives in the early 20th century (the novel spans from 1915 to 1969) on an Australian outback sheep station called Drogheda. the novel specifically follows the protagonist meghann “meggie” clearly from when she was a child in new zealand, until her family moves to work for a wealthy relative in drogheda, australia and follows the trials and tribulations that life brought during that time in history.
The Thorn Birds remains the best-selling book in Australian history, having sold over 33 million copies since its publication. It was also adapted into an American television miniseries in 1983, which still stands as the second highest-rated miniseries in American television history. the nature epic about the beginnings and endings of a small town and the people who live in it are reminiscent of margaret mitchell’s novel and the thorn birds is a great book to read if you’re looking for something similar to what the wind took away.
roots, by alex haley
published in 1976 (america’s bicentennial year), the epic novel roots: the saga of an american family by alex haley is one of the most important works of american literature and an excellent choice If I’m looking for books like Gone with the Wind. Roots is especially important to read if you’re looking for an epic narrative similar to Margaret Mitchell’s novel that will take you away from the huge whitewash of history that prevails in Gone with the Wind.
roots follows the main character kunta kinte, a teenage boy in 18th century gambia who is sold into slavery and taken to the united states. Subsequently, it also tells the story of seven generations of Kinta Kinte’s family as they navigate slavery and race relations in the United States. The final part of the book follows the latest generation of Kunta Kinte’s line, author Alex Haley.
roots is an important American epic to read, especially if you’re looking for books like Gone with the Wind. where mitchell’s novel extols slavery and perpetuates the trope of the faithful and devoted slave, roots puts into perspective the real realities of slavery in the united states and how the country to this day is dealing directly with systemic racism as a result of this.
roots was adapted into a television miniseries in 1977 and was (and still is) the highest rated miniseries of all time.
east of eden, by john steinbeck
if you liked Gone with the Wind because of the themes of surviving as a family through numerous trials and tribulations, then john steinbeck’s 1952 east of eden is a great choice for you .
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This epic novel, which follows two families living in the Salinas Valley of central California, is considered Steinbeck’s magnum opus and is one of the most important works in American literature. Set after the first world war, east of eden is more or less a modern version of the book of genesis, concentrating mainly on the story of cain and abel. follows many similar themes to Gone with the Wind, including the struggle for survival and the struggle to build a new life in changing times.
while the books are inherently different and east of eden does not contain the problematic elements of the lost cause confederate mentality that is prevalent in margaret mitchell’s novel, there is no doubt that it is an excellent option for those looking for books like Gone with the Wind.
the sound and the fury, by william faulkner
Published in 1929, William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury is considered one of the best English-language novels ever published and is a particularly good choice for readers looking for books similar to Gone with the wind.
The Sound and the Fury, a groundbreaking novel for its time, follows the Compson family. They are former aristocrats in Jackson, Mississippi who have fallen from glory and come through harder times. the novel, told in four distinct parts, follows them (mostly) through the events that take place over the span of two days in April 1928, except for one part that takes place on one day in 1910.
Although the scope of this novel is certainly much smaller than Gone with the Wind, it follows similar themes, especially when it comes to the loss of the southern aristocracy and the decline of fortune.
the great gatsby, by f scott fitzgerald
f scot fitzgerald’s nominal 1925 novel the great gatsby may not be the first novel that comes to mind when thinking of books like Gone with the Wind, however, the The two novels follow incredibly similar themes and don’t have much of a focus on cultural excess in American society (though set in very different time periods).
While Gone with the Wind is always considered a civil war novel (although only a small part of the book takes place during the civil war), it is more a story of survival, of excess, of building something. out of nowhere, and an intense nostalgia for the past. The Great Gatsby is about the exact same things – it’s also 80% shorter! both are also known for having deeply egotistical, egotistical, and obnoxious protagonists despite both being lauded as literary greats.
So, if you’re looking to read something like Gone with the Wind because you enjoyed exploring the topics it covers, The Great Gatsby might be one of the best options!
Have you already read this? Then be sure to check out our list of books like the great gatsby!
to kill a mockingbird, by harper lee
If you liked Gone with the Wind because you like reading books set in the American South and you liked the coming-of-age aspect, then read To Kill a Mockingbird is an excellent option. for you.
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Published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird is told through the eyes of 6-year-old Jean Louise “Scout” Finch as she watches her father, Atticus, defend a black man. He has been accused of raping a white girl in his small Alabama town in the 1930s. The novel draws attention to themes such as loss of innocence and coming of age; however, it also examines the strained race relations, injustice, and systemic racism that have plagued the United States since before the era of Gone with the Wind.
Have you already read this? Then be sure to check out our list of How To Kill A Mockingbird books!
relatives, by octavia and butler
If you’re looking for books to read like Gone with the Wind and haven’t spent time reading any sort of slave narrative or depiction of what life was like for African Americans in the antebellum South, then be sure to check out that relative is your next option.
with the revisionist history and confederate lost cause apologetic mentality in which gone with the wind is written (especially with the way it describes slavery and kkk), it becomes especially important to read one book from another point of view to get a full picture of the horrors that occurred during the most shameful period in American history.
kingred by octavia e butler is a fascinating and compelling book that follows dana, a 26-year-old black woman living in 1976 los angeles, until she is inexplicably called back in time to a Maryland plantation. in 1815. Throughout the novel, Dana is called back and forth to the present day and has to confront what slavery was really like for her ancestors.
although it’s not comfortable to read, it’s also an important piece of literature when it comes to understanding the culture and attitudes towards black people in the antebellum south, something that isn’t even mentioned in Gone with the Wind took.
loved, by toni morrison
As stated in the previous post, if you’re looking for books like Gone with the Wind, then it’s incredibly important to read some narratives that tell the story of slavery from another perspective. And one of the best novels to read about that is the late Toni Morrison’s 1987 novel, beloved.
This novel follows protagonist Sethe and her daughter Denver as they build a life in Ohio after escaping slavery. Sethe is repeatedly haunted by a ghost whom they believe to be Sethe’s eldest daughter, who died when she was very young during her escape from slavery.
The novel is incredibly moving and unsettling, deftly examining not only strained mother-daughter relationships and modern ideals of masculinity, but also studying the psychological effects of slavery. again, while not an easy read, beloved is one of the best novels to read if you’re looking for books like Gone with the Wind.
Finding great books like Gone with the Wind can be tricky, especially if you’re looking to read something that examines slavery and the culture that surrounds it with more nuance than Margaret Mitchell’s titular work. however, there are numerous books that follow similar themes and ideas to Gone with the Wind and are worth adding to your reading list.
Are you looking for books like Gone with the Wind? do you have any additions? tell us in the comments!
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