Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind" [Paperback]

I too succumbed to this novel, which promised a continuation of my absolute favorite book of all time, the book to which nothing ever compared. Well, I was let down. The time spent in Ireland is incredibly boring. It goes on and on and on and it's awful. As for the book itself, it's not bad. But it's got nothing on the original; absolutely NOTHING. It's easy to decide to read it, but if I could turn back time I never would have read it. Personally I think no sequel is necessary to the spectacular Gone With the Wind. It is a beautiful story that is complete the way it is. I'd rather dream sequels to the book myself than read Ms. Ripley's attempt to follow it. It's nothing against her. After all, it would've been hard for anyone to pick up, what with Melanie dead and Scarlett no longer in love with Ashley. I can almost see how it was necessary to change Scarlett beyond recognition. The first part of it, when Scarlett went to Charleston, was actually pretty interesting. But this is not a book that should have been written. As Rhett said in the last pages of GWTW, "Scarlett, I was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments and glue them together and tell myself that the mended whole was as good as new. What is broken is broken--and I'd rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken pieces as long as I lived." Gone With the Wind ended, whether the ending was the way we wanted things to turn out or not, and this continuation is nothing but an attempt to glue pieces back together.

I first read "Scarlett" in French, when it came out a few years ago, and now try it again in its original version... just in case something was lost in translation (!)
Once again my blood boiled after a few chapters, once again I am outraged by the way A. Ripley treated all my beloved characters from GWTW. How could she turn Scarlett into this "out of character" farmer? To me, the second part of this book (Ireland) is nothing but a slow, cruel process of character mutilation.
I remember reading about Margaret Mitchell's estate has spent years to carefully choose the author for GWTW's sequel. Sorry, but they have failed horribly.
To all GWTW fans, please, do yourself a favor: stay away from this book!

I have been a Gone with the Wind fan since I was tweleve years old. I worship the movie and the book. The original novel, however, left some unanswered questions. What happened to Rhett and Scarlet? What happened to Ashley, Mammy and the rest of the characters? What happens to Tara?
I have read the sequel by Alexandra Ripley four times and I have also seen the movie "Scarlett." I think the main point to remember is that Ripley is not Margaret Mitchell. They are two completely different authors with different experiences and writing styles. Let's face it writing a sequel to the "greatest love story ever told" is quite a challenge. Yes, there are quite a few surprises in the sequel. Ripley does kill off Mammy, Rhett only shows up for a fraction of the book, and Scarlett gives Tara away and moves to Ireland. This can seem far fetched, but it is plausable. Any GWTW fan has created their own ending to the sequel before Ripley wrote her version. This is where the problem occurs! When Rhett leaves Scarlett, we all want to know what happens next and many of us have created our own "sequel" prior to reading Ripley's version. Keep that in mind when you read this book!
I think Ripley,does her best to bring these characters to life, although Scarlett does not have the same vivacity,she is a more mature version of herself. I have always admired Scarlett for her strength, wit, courage and perserverance. In the sequel, Scarlett grows up and matures into womanhood. She learns how to really love and care for others. She learns that the best gift she can possible give is unconditional love. Mitchell's Scarlett is self-centered, egocentric, and lacks compassion for the world around her. Ripley's Scarlett is thirty-five and a woman who finally learns how to love and be loved in return. Although this book will never be GWTW, I recommend this book on the basis that it is Ripley's personal interpretation of the characters and how they continue their lives. To all those who hate this sequel, why do you hate it? Think about your ideal continuation to GWTW. I think the answer lies there.