On Saturday, 17 October 2026, I joined the first edition of a book club gathering at Nori și Cafea in Bucharest. Our subject was Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, known to Romanian readers as Pe aripile vântului, and its film adaptation.
The books were on the table, the drinks menu had been given a thematic makeover, and there were trays of sweet and savoury biscuits within reach. We compared the novel and the film, discussed the characters, watched selected scenes and took a quiz to find out which character we resembled. My result was Rhett Butler. More on that in a moment.
📍 The Event at a Glance
- Date: 17 October 2026
- Edition: First
- Venue: Nori și Cafea, Strada Traian 202, Sector 2, Bucharest. norisicafea.ro
- Book: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
- Format: Book discussion, film clips and a character quiz
The café is a pet-friendly venue, with cats welcome as well as dogs.
☕ Setting the Scene
The café’s orange walls, blue accents and wooden tables gave us a colourful setting for the meeting. Copies of the book shared the table with cups, glasses and trays of biscuits, with different editions close at hand throughout the discussion.
There was a special Pe aripile vântului drinks menu, with references to the story’s characters and setting. Having the theme appear on the table as well as in the conversation was a lovely touch. The books, the menu and the refreshments all found their way into the photographs from the afternoon.
Valentina’s baking deserves a proper mention here. The Sweet Valentine treats included sweet oat cookies with cranberries and cinnamon, and savoury biscuits with Parmesan and basil. Both were absolutely delicious. Faced with those two options, I would find it difficult to make a case for choosing only one.
💬 Inside the Discussion
Our discussion covered the relationship between the novel and the film: the differences between them and the ways the same characters come across in each version. Reading a character’s thoughts and watching an actor convey something through a look or a line of dialogue are different experiences. Having both versions as our subject gave the conversation several directions to follow.
We talked about which characters we liked, which ones we disliked, and why. The reasons mattered as much as the choices. A character can be interesting to read about while being someone you would find difficult to spend time with; affection, sympathy and fascination do not always go together. Discussing those responses gives other readers something to consider, even when their own favourites remain unchanged.
Selected scenes from the film brought the performances into the discussion. We watched the clips and commented on the dialogue and the acting. With a scene in front of us, we could pay attention to the delivery of a line, an expression or an exchange between characters. It gave us something specific to return to as we talked about the adaptation.
We also debated whether Gone with the Wind is a racist book. The conclusion reached by our group was that we did not consider it racist, reading it instead as a portrayal of the world and attitudes of its historical setting. That was the interpretation reached in our discussion; other readers may approach the question differently.
There are two historical contexts to keep in mind here: the American Civil War and Reconstruction, during which the story is set, and the era of the novel’s publication in 1936. The Atlanta History Center’s exhibition on the book and American memory examines those contexts and the historical myths the story helped circulate. The discussion at our table belongs within that wider conversation about how the novel represents the past. atlantahistorycenter.com
✨ Highlights & Activities
The character quiz brought a lighter question into the afternoon: which Gone with the Wind character were we?
According to the HowStuffWorks quiz, I was Rhett Butler. The result described someone independent and determined, willing to question what they are told and make their voice heard. I have the screenshots as evidence, so there is no quietly changing that result later.
It was a playful way to return to the characters after discussing their behaviour and relationships. The result added a personal angle to the conversation, with Rhett Butler now attached to my answers.
Scarlett O’Hara also made an appearance in the form of a collector doll. The box identified the edition as Barbecue at Twelve Oaks, with Scarlett in a white dress patterned in green, a dark green sash and a broad-brimmed hat. Still displayed in her box, she was another detail that brought the film’s visual world into the room.
And then there was Nori.
She was the four-legged star of the afternoon, with her large upright ears and a wonderfully expressive face. Her photograph deserves its own place among the books, biscuits and film memorabilia. A café where pets are welcome was always going to have an extra point of interest for me, and Nori supplied a very photogenic one.
💭 Final Thoughts
For a first edition, we covered a considerable amount: the adaptation, our responses to the characters, the question of historical context, and the dialogue and performances in individual scenes. The quiz and the objects around the table gave us further ways to engage with the theme.
The photographs capture several sides of the meeting. There is the table with the books; the themed menu; Valentina’s biscuits; Scarlett in her collector’s box; and Nori looking directly at the camera. Together, they make a useful record of how this first gathering took shape.
Readers who enjoy discussing characters and comparing books with their screen adaptations would have plenty to talk about in a format like this. There is room to bring your reading of the novel into the conversation and then consider what happens when the same story is performed.
🗓️ What’s Next?
The next theme will be Breakfast at Tiffany’s, with Audrey Hepburn’s film as part of the conversation.
The date has not yet been announced, but I have already bought the book. The next gathering has therefore produced a book purchase before it has even acquired a date.
Now I just need to get reading.
Have you ever changed your mind about a character after discussing a book with other readers?
