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Rhett Butler's People
The Authorized Novel based on Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
March 10, 2018 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781501986277
- File size: 521340 KB
- Duration: 18:06:07
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Publisher's Weekly
Starred review from December 24, 2007
Read with eloquence, charisma and a bit of spontaneity tossed in by John Bedford Lloyd, McCaig's interpretation of the classic Margaret Mitchell tale is the perfect platform for narration. Lloyd's reading is well paced, never rushing to cover the abundance of material in the lengthy text. With a cast as large as the sprawling settings and landscapes of the story, the opportunity for improvisation is abundant. Lloyd navigates through the personality stew with an expansive tonal pallet crammed with a variety of accents that range from distressed Southern belle to tough-nosed Confederate major, clearly evoking the grim melancholy and tainted triumph of the legendary tale. Channeling the rugged masculinity of Clark Gable when portraying Butler, Lloyd has fun with the story, creating a memorable experience for the listener. With a profusion of drama, action, romance and tragedy, Lloyd gets it right every time and never fails to convey the underlying tension throughout. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's Press hardcover (reviewed online). -
AudioFile Magazine
The characters of Scarlett, Rhett, Ashley, and others are so much a part of American literary and cinematic history that anything that tries to expand on them or their stories might be listened to with skepticism. Rhett's people include his tyrannical father; his loyal sister, Rosemary; his friend, the Confederate hero Andrew Ravenel; and Belle Watling, the Butler overseer's daughter, all of whom are given voices by John Bedford Lloyd. Different points of view (for example, those of Bonnie Blue and Melanie) illuminate familiar scenes. Long after the war is over, old resentments catch up with Rhett and threaten to ruin his newfound happiness with Scarlett, who seems chastened. Lloyd excels at accents and emotions; only the narrative parts seem a bit forced at times. Curiosity alone should recommend this "piggyback" audio. J.B.G. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine -
Publisher's Weekly
December 31, 2007
Was it strictly necessary to our understanding of Gone With the Wind
's dashing hero to flesh out his backstory, replay famous GWTW
scenes from his perspective, and crank the plot past the original's astringent denouement? Perhaps not, but it's still a fun ride. In this authorized reimagining, Rhett, disowned son of a cruel South Carolina planter, is still a jaunty worldly-wise charmer, roguish but kind; Scarlett is still feisty, manipulative and neurotic; and the air of besieged decorum is slightly racier. (Rhett: “My dear, you have jam at the corner of your mouth.†Scarlett: “Lick it off.â€) But it says much about the author's sure feel for Margaret Mitchell's magnetic protagonists that they still beguile us. McCaig (Jacob's Ladder
) broadens the canvas, giving Rhett new dueling and blockade-running adventures, and adding intriguing characters like Confederate cavalier-turned-Klansman Andrew Ravanel, a rancid version of Ashley Wilkes who romances Rhett's sister, Rosemary. He paints a richer, darker panorama of a Civil War–era South, where poor whites seethe with resentment, and slavery and racism are brutal facts of life that an instinctive gentleman like Rhett can work around but not openly challenge. McCaig thus imparts a Faulknerian tone to the saga that sharpens Mitchell's critique of Southern nostalgia without losing the epic sweep and romantic pathos. The result is an engrossing update of GWTW
that fans of the original will definitely give a damn about.
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