April 2011 BOTM: Gone with the Wind

[princess garnet]

I mentioned this earlier in the thread. Has anyone here read Lost Laysen? At age 16, MM wrote the story as a gift for a boyfriend, Henry Love Angel. (He's not as well known as the other men Mitchell knew in her life)
It was rediscovered in 1995 by Angel's grandson. The library copy I read had an introduction about the MM and Angel as well as reproduced notes and photos. If possible you may able to get it at your local library. No, it's not like her famous novel, but it gives you a early glimpse of her writing style.

[MLE (Emily Cotton)]

I saw Lost Laysen once on a used bookstore shelf and flipped through the intro. But if I remember correctly, the 'boy'friend was at least fifteen years older than the teenaged Margaret, and that rather creeped me out.

[LoveHistory]

Well age differences don't bother me a bit. I'll see if I can find Lost Laysen locally.

[Michy]

I remember when Lost Laysen was published several years ago, and I'm pretty certain I read it. Although I can't remember a thing about it, so it obviously didn't make much of an impression.

[Ludmilla]

I have fairly conservative views about posthumously published material, especially if it something that's been hidden away that the author never intended to publish. Unless I have a special interest in the subject or have been given good reasons for reading, I usually steer clear of them.

Re Belle's son... it is in the book somewhere, I think when Belle and Melanie are talking, that her son is in New Orleans. I did think he was Rhett's ward, but I did not think Rhett was the father.

Re Will Benteen, I agree it's too bad he wasn't in the film, but understand why they chose to leave him out. He was an interesting character. I did have the fleeting thought that if Rhett, Ashley and Suellen were out of the picture, Will and Scarlett might have made a good partnership in a marriage of convenience sort of way. Both of them loved Tara and Will's personality would not have been a threat to Scarlett. He also had a quiet strength about him, similar to Melanie in a way.

[Michy]

[quote=""Ludmilla""]Re Belle's son... it is in the book somewhere, I think when Belle and Melanie are talking, that her son is in New Orleans. I did think he was Rhett's ward, but I did not think Rhett was the father. [/quote] I went back and re-checked the passage where Belle is talking to Melanie after she returns to Atlanta, and Belle doesn't mention NO; she just says that her son is away at school somewhere. So I don't know how I assumed it was NO, if my mind just jumped to that conclusion, or if it's mentioned in some other passage.

I did have the fleeting thought that if Rhett, Ashley and Suellen were out of the picture, Will and Scarlett might have made a good partnership in a marriage of convenience sort of way. Both of them loved Tara and Will's personality would not have been a threat to Scarlett. He also had a quiet strength about him, similar to Melanie in a way.

And Will had an uncanny understanding of Scarlett, equal to Rhett's I think.

[Ludmilla]

I went back and re-checked the passage where Belle is talking to Melanie after she returns to Atlanta, and Belle doesn't mention NO

Hmm... I guess my mind was just filling in the blank there by what it implied. You're right, she doesn't mention the city.

[Michy]

[quote=""Ludmilla""]Hmm... I guess my mind was just filling in the blank there by what it implied. [/quote] My brain did the same thing. So we are proof that great minds think alike.

[Miss Moppet]

...a day late and a dollar short, as usual. I did plan on reading the Book of the Month in the right month this time but life got in the way, as it has a lot this year, and I am just now starting volume 2 of GWTW. So, I have a lot to say about the book but as it is now definitely May, I want to check first that it is okay with everyone to prolong the discussion on this thread into the new month.

[MLE (Emily Cotton)]

Of course! Discussion is discussion is discussion. Good to see you back, Moppet.