‘Gone with the Wind’ reprints warn of racist depictions

KARAH RUCKER: “GONE WITH THE WIND” IS THE LATEST CLASSIC NOVEL TO GET AN UPDATE FOR MODERN READERS – WITH NEW PRINTS NOW INCLUDING A TRIGGER WARNING OFF THE TOP – BRANDING THE BOOK AS POTENTIALLY “HARMFUL” BECAUSE OF RACIST DEPICTIONS.

THE SOUTHERN CLASSIC – TURNED INTO A MOVIE IN 1936 – IS SET IN GEORGIA DURING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.

FOLLOWING THE LOVE STORY OF A WEALTHY PLANTATION OWNER’S DAUGHTER – THE BOOK OFTEN REFERS TO SLAVERY GIVEN IT’S 19TH CENTURY TIME PERIOD.

NOW – THE NEW EDITION OF GONE WITH THE WIND WILL COME WITH WARNINGS. THE PUBLISHER PAN MACMILLAN SAID READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THE BOOK ROMANTICIZES A SHOCKING ERA IN HISTORY. AND CALLS SOME OF THE LANGUAGE “HURTFUL” AND “RACIST”.

AN ESSAY EXPLAINING WHITE SUPREMACY AND IT’S HARMFUL IMPACTS WILL ALSO BEEN ADDED TO THE FRONT OF NEW EDITIONS.

THE PUBLISHER SAYS THE NOVEL ITSELF HAS NOT BEEN EDITED TO REMOVE OR CHANGE THE CONTENT – THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL PRINTS AND NEW COPIES WILL BE DISCLAIMERS OFF THE TOP.

SEVERAL OTHER AUTHORS – INCLUDING AGATHA CHRISTIE, ROALD DAHL, IAN FLEMING, AND R.L. STINE HAVE HAD THEIR BOOKS ALTERED IN RECENT MONTHS OVER SENSITIVE LANGUAGE.