Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig

[Misfit]

The Margaret Mitchell Estate should have left well enough alone. I'm not even sure where to start in putting my feelings about this book into words. Gone With the Wind is one of my all time favorite books, and Rhett is right up there in my favorite, fascinating male characters in fiction and I was looking forward to a good meaty look into Rhett's life before Scarlett. Boy was I ever wrong. This book is called Rhett Butler's People for a reason - it's not just about Rhett, it's about all the people in his life and there are WAY too many of them.

I totally agree with other reviewers on Amazon US that the story seemed to be told as snapshots in a person's life instead of true story telling, and the way he jumped back and forth from one person's point of view to another was very distracting to this reader, and I admit to giving up at 150 pages and from looking at some of the other one and two star reviews on Amazon US I am very glad I did so. I was quite irritated at the way the author used scenes and characters from the original book and wrote his own version of them, and worse yet worked his new characters into those scenes. This author even managed to ruin Prissy and Aunt Pitty Pat, and from reading the other reviews I see that he managed to rewrite "history" as Ashley, Melanie and even Scarlett are not what they were in GWTW.

For me, the mistake made was telling the story of Rhett and his "people". Rhett is a fascinating character who had a colorful past before he met Scarlett. He traveled to burgeoning San Francisco and the California Gold fields - a colorful period in U.S. history - and it's barely touched upon and only via letters Rhett wrote to his sister. Letters, I might add that were destroyed by their father so she never read them, yet they are recreated in the book as if they were? What's up with that? I think if the MM Estate and taken the tact of writing Rhett's story totally from his viewpoint and given me a good strong meaty story about Rhett and his life before Scarlett, and not rewritten moments from GWTW they might have had a winner here instead of a bomb.

IMO, this book is not worth wasting time or money on, there are too many good books to be read and too little time in this world. If you're dead set on reading the rest of the story, get it from the library and then if you love it, buy it.

[Divia]

I still have this one on my shelf. I borrowed it from the library i work at. I've had it for 2 summers now. :eek:

[EC2]

I did get this one from the library Misfit and I thought it was 'okay'. Nothing to write home about, but not utterly dire either. There were times when it just seemed to be marching on the spot and it doesn't hold a candle to Margaret Mitchell. In my imaginary library it wouldn't go through the wall and it wouldn't stay on the keeper shelf. It would just fade away in a gentle grey mist.:)

[diamondlil]

That is probably how I would explain my feelings about it as well.

There were some parts of the book that were good, and I do think he captured Rhett's spirit pretty well, but there were other parts that were just boring and over written.

[Misfit]

If it hadn't been for the fact that I'd reread GWTW reasonably recent prior to this book I probably wouldn't have been so PO'd as I was. It's too bad, a little effort and they might have had a darn good story - Rhett is a fascinating character.

[Divia]

I just saw this at B&N the other day and it was out in paperback.

[Spitfire]

Yeah, I was reading the back of this in paperback at the store just this afternoon. Wasn't sure I wanted to buy it. I am really leery of sequel/prequel novels not written by the same author. Thanks for posting your opinions! I think I will leave it on the store shelf, for now anyways!

[Leyland]

I almost bought it a couple days ago at a Walgreen's (a chemist's chain, for the Brit members) and decided against it based on reviews from the old HF. I've got waaayy too many TBR's, so RBP will have to wait for another day.

[Misfit]

Library book, trust me. Then if you love it buy it.

[Misfit]

I almost bought it a couple days ago at a Walgreen's (a chemist's chain, for the Brit members)

LOL, thinking of Walgreens as a "chemist's chain"

[enchantingdragon]

I just bought this. I finished GWTW this weekend and have to say Rhett is the soul of the book to me so I wanted to read anything more on him. My 2 friends both love GWTW and both said that this book wasn't up to snuff but I guess I just wanted to see for myself. Its next on my list so will let you know when Im done.

[Miss Moppet]

Enchantingdragon, I'd be interested to know what you think. I noticed RBP on the shelf at the local library last week but I've passed it over so far.

Yes, Rhett is fascinating. There are so many tantalising hints in GWTW about his backstory...the knife fight in a California goldfield, the ward in New Orleans - just makes you want to know more!

Reading GWTW at 14, I thought he was the greatest hero of all time. Don't quite take that attitude now as I think he is too idealised (alpha male who is capable of monogamy, reads his partner like a book, likes shopping etc) and also he is unfair to Scarlett in that he encourages her to break with convention then blames her for the isolation from polite society he helped to bring about. In one sense, he ruins her life, then walks away.

But still, one of the most attractive and complex characters ever written.

[robinbird79]

I hated this book. Absolutely hated it.

The author did indeed rewrite Mitchell's wonderful story. He butchered the characters, changed scenes...it was horrible. I too was hoping this would be a story full of things about Rhett's life before Scarlett but its mainly just "letters" to and from different people in Rhett's life and you never really get into Rhett's head. You never know what he's really thinking or feeling - a big let down.

I think one of the things that really got me was Melanie's letter to Rosemary Butler (how in the world Melly met Rhett's sister is beyond me) which included her mentioning that "she really wanted to have intimate relations" with Ashley. I'm sorry...Melly would NEVER have written anything like that to a family member, let alone someone she can barely know.

There also is NO MENTION of little Bonnie's death except a sentence or two in a letter from Melly to Rosemary. This death was a HUGE impact on Rhett and there was nothing about it or how he really felt.

This book was such a disappointment. I could go on and on and on about it but I won't. I wish the MM people would leave well enough alone. I love GWTW and I'd love more beyond it but if the two sequels that have come out are any indication of the authors they'll get to do this, they need to just stop.

[EC2]

I rather enjoyed RBP. I'd give it three and a half stars rounded up to four. But then it's a while since I've read Gone with The Wind. It hasn't stayed with me particularly, but I thought it was an okay read - nothing to write home about, but not a wall banger.

[Vanessa]

I have it on my TBR pile. I also have Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley. Has anyone read that one?

[Miss Moppet]

I also have Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley. Has anyone read that one?

Not me. About ten years ago, when doing a temp receptionist job, I didn't take a book with me and thus had nothing to read when the phone wasn't ringing. But there was a book left behind by the person I was covering for: Alexandra Ripley's Charleston. I took a look, but didn't like it much. As I remember it was overwritten and full of very unlikely stuff. So I've given Scarlett a wide berth. Scarlett sold hugely though, so I guess someone enjoyed it.

[Misfit]

I would definitely not recommend reading RBP too close on the heels of GWTW. If it's fresh in your mind you will most likely get very ticked off at what he does with those famous scenes and sticking "his" people in them. I didn't let myself get far enough to see what he did with Melly.

After reading through critical reviews on Amazon I decided to leave well enough alone and pass on Scarlett. I did read Charlston, if I recall I gave it a three.

[Miss Moppet]

I would definitely not recommend reading RBP too close on the heels of GWTW. If it's fresh in your mind you will most likely get very ticked off at what he does with those famous scenes and sticking "his" people in them. I didn't let myself get far enough to see what he did with Melly.


This is the thing. GWTW is always fresh in my mind. I've re-read it probably every year for the past 20 years. I just did this quiz (http://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/Literature/Minor-Characters-in-Gone-With-the-Wind-316333.html) to check how good my knowledge really was and I got full marks. So if RBP does indeed mess with canon facts, I am going to be chuntering all the way through it.

Still, I'm curious now.

[Misfit]

As much as people carry on about not posting negative reviews and the proverbial "if you can't say anything nice" attitude, the negative review/opinion really doesn't stop you does it? It just sends you in with your eyes wide open.

[robinbird79]

I have it on my TBR pile. I also have Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley. Has anyone read that one?

I actually liked it much better than RBP. Probably because the author didn't mess with characters and scenes from the original. The actual story IS a bit far fetched but I enjoyed reading it.

[Miss Moppet]

As much as people carry on about not posting negative reviews and the proverbial "if you can't say anything nice" attitude, the negative review/opinion really doesn't stop you does it? It just sends you in with your eyes wide open.

Exactly. I often find negative reviews more helpful than rave reviews: they tend to be more detailed and often I can tell that what has annoyed the reviewer won't necessarily bother me. If I do decide to read the book in spite of bad reviews my expectations are lowered and sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised.

The whole "if you can't say anything nice" thing is ridiculous. If I paid £7.99 for a book, or even if I got it out the library but invested several hours of my life reading it, I'm going to say whatever I want.

[EC2]

This is the thing. GWTW is always fresh in my mind. I've re-read it probably every year for the past 20 years. I just did this quiz (http://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/Literature/Minor-Characters-in-Gone-With-the-Wind-316333.html) to check how good my knowledge really was and I got full marks. So if RBP does indeed mess with canon facts, I am going to be chuntering all the way through it.

Still, I'm curious now.

I think from the opinions of other GWTW hardcore fans and from the essence I recall of the novel, you probably will chunter then. I'd say you need some distance from the original and it certainly isn't as engaging as GWTW.
Re negative reviews. I like informative well thought out reviews. Gushing positive ones I ignore, the same as I ignore snide negative ones that are plain sour grapes or mean. What I want is honesty and useful information.

[Sheramy]

Fiddle-dee-dee. I'll never read either of those 'sequels.' Blasphemy, I tell you.

(She said in her Atlannnna accent.) :)

[Telynor]

I've read Scarlett and found it interesting, if not GWTW (I don't think anything could ever match that). Did see the miniseries that was made with it, and found it entertaining and at least interesting with the costumes and Irish settings. Not to mention Timothy Dalton as RB. I haven't RBP, as I've heard so many unhappy things, so I doubt that I'll ever take it on.