Scarlett, Alexandra Ripley (1990)

I know many people are against "Scarlett" since it wasn't written by Margaret Mitchell and it's obviously not of the same literary quality, however I think it's a good read anyway! We finally get closure, which is very important for me because I've always wanted to find out what happened to Scarlett and Rhett and if she managed to win him back or not. 

One of the biggest criticisms of the novel is that Scarlett didn't stay in Atlanta, that Ripley made her leave because it was just too difficult to deal with the reconstruction of the city/society and with the previous foes. Nonetheless, I think it was perfectly plausible that Scarlett didn't remain because she wasn't accepted by ANYONE anymore, the only person who had made her be part of it all was Melanie and she had died - not to mention that Rhett had left her too, which in the people's eyes was all her fault (and in a way it was). Scarlett had no one to turn to, no help nor emotional support, so it made sense she went on looking for it in Charleston where Rhett was. Actually, her journey to Charleston was brilliantly handled and it was very Scarlett-like how she tried to 'fit in' in with the 'creme de la creme' of the Charlestonians, but utterly failed.

Scarlett is one of those people who cannot conform to society and it was consistent here too. 

What I didn't like about this was the deep development of the Sally Brewton character, it didn't really fit in with the rest of the story; but then I found out that Ripley had used this same character in one of her previous novels, so it made more sense why she focused on her at all; which still doesn't take away the weakness nor the awkwardness of it. 

Her discovery of her O'Hara relatives in Savannah after she left Charleston because of Rhett's humiliation, was also very interesting and it became a key point in Scarlett's growth and change; she finally felt more identified with them (with anyone for that matter) than with her Robillard branch. Scarlett was never a 'proper' lady and she didn't need to be any different with this unpretentious lot. Up to this point, Scarlett continues to be as selfish as always and believes she can dominate anything and anyone in her path, until after she decides to vacation to Ireland to visit her grandmother, the original Katie Scarlett.

Rhett's divorce of her and consequent marriage to Anne are the turning points in Scarlett's life. This is the moment where she admits defeat for the first time in her life; however she not only admits, she admits that her defeat is due to the many mistakes that could have been avoided had she been less self-absorbing. And this is when she finally begins to grow up. 

I think this rings very true and people often are forced to grow up when faced with these types of situations. In GWTW Scarlett developed her strong personality, her ability to conquer and conquest no matter the consequences; to survive. Therefore, she didn't - couldn't - develop humane feelings, the two don't often go together. In Scarlett, she didn't need to survive anymore, at least not economically, she needed to go beyond that, and developing her emotions in terms of other people's needs were very difficult for her. Thus her journey of self-discovery and growth.

I salute Ripley for giving us a great story and continuation to our beloved saga. Her writing is by no means flawless, however it does bring on that certain feeling of satisfaction that everything did end well with Scarlett and Rhett. It's as it should be.

Originally posted on Goodreads on November, 2011 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/73062.Scarlett

Scarlett
Reviewed by Romina on Apr 17 2012
Rating: 4