Margaret Mitchell's famous novel of the South, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, is one of the most popular books ever written. Gone With the Wind sold a million copies within six months of its release in 1936. It has been translated into 25 languages and has sold over 28 million copies worldwide. Rhett Butler, who is darkly attractive, and Scarlett O'Hara, who is flirty, are the characters who have become emblems of passion and desire. Ashley Wilkes and Melanie Hamilton, their softer opposites, stand behind them. Gone With the Wind reaches dramatic heights that have swept generations of admirers off their feet as the lives and affairs of these captivating characters play out against the upheaval of the Civil War.