First edition as new

I have mixed feelings about this book, which is why I only gave it three stars. I enjoyed learning about Rhett's past and felt that the author stayed true to the character and to GWTW. There were two things that ruined the book for me, however. First, McCaig's portrayal of the female characters. He portrayed Scarlett as a two-dimensional shrew, Rosemary as driven only by desire for a man she couldn't have, Elizabeth Butler as weak and crazy, and Belle as one of the biggest stereotypes in media, the whore-with-a-heart-of-gold. Second, he wrote one of the most ridiculous, unlikely endings imaginable, one so stupid it would be rejected by a soap-opera. Despite all that, I think this book is worth a read, if only for the first half. ( )

What I loved about this book is that it sticks to Margret Mitchell's take on [b:GONE WITH THE WIND|18405|Gone With The Wind|Margaret Mitchell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166913011s/18405.jpg|3358283](which the book SCARLETT did not,) and then gives you Rhett's views and what he was feeling about the relationship between him and Scarlett in GWTW.

Who knew he had a deeper character than what we fell in love with in GWTW?

I am going to re read GWTW and Scarlet and than this one again!


( )

Though it's been a while since I read, and so cannot give specifics, I remember feeling that this was too much of a rehash, not enough new material. In a word: pointless. ( )

Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCraig is an authorised sequel to Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, which is a personal favourite, as is another authorised sequel by Alexandra Ripley called Scarlett. So when I saw Rhett Butler’s People I instantly knew that I had to buy and read it!

For three reasons I was a little disappointed. Although the title is not misleading, which is a credit to the author, Rhett Butler’s People isn’t really about Rhett and Scarlett. Whilst it touches on the main events of their (well known) story, I thought it would be a retelling of the original story, but from Rhett’s perspective. This book is mainly about Rhett’s childhood and then the people in his life as an adult. A large portion of the book is told from their point of view and is about their lives. I wasn’t expecting that, but I managed to get over it fast.

The second reason I was disappointed was because the story concentrates on the American Civil War far too much for my liking. I wasn’t interested in that side of the story at all and found it dragged the story down. (I’ve never enjoyed reading about battles or wars of any kind.)

Putting those two disappointments to one side, the book was good. Once I accepted that the book isn’t really about Rhett and Scarlett, I became riveted with some of the storylines, especially those which tugged at the heart strings. And it did expand on the original story to some degree.

I found the writing to be readable and in parts, absorbing. The characters were well written and had depth. The settings were realistic. Overall, a good read, but I would have liked the war to be in the background. It would have made a huge difference to my review, which as it stands is quite puny. There isn’t a lot more to say, because the book didn’t “speak” to me as the previous two did, which is a shame.

But what about the third reason for my disappointment? Donald McCraig chose to ignore the other sequel called Scarlett, therefore making up a different sequence of events after the “I don’t give a damn” moment. As his book is an authorised sequel, as was the book written by Alexandra Ripley, I felt he made a bad move when he made that decision. For me, it was tragic and a complete let down and I’m afraid to say that Rhett’s Butler’s People will not be given a place on my “favourites shelf” as a result. ( )