One Hit Wonders

There are not too many people who have not seen the film Gone With the Wind or even read the novel of the same name by Margaret Mitchell. But I'm not sure how many people know that Mitchell never wrote another novel in her life. She was a first time novelist with the publication of GWTW in 1936. The book was met with mostly positive reviews and record setting sales.

Mitchell was overwhelmed by the success and the intrusion of her and her husband's privacy. That success led to Mitchell's constant involvement in copyright issues, translations and piracy. Also, her and her husband's ill health meant she didn't have time to write another novel. And in 1949 Mitchell was struck by a car on her way to see a movie. She never regained consciousness and died five days later.

More than 30 million copies have been sold of Gone With The Wind in the more than 75 years since the book was first published. Not too many books can claim that stat!

Amazingly, there are many other very successful authors who never wrote more than one novel in their lifetime. Here are few of them:

Harper Lee -- The infamously reclusive author of To Kill A Mockingbird has not spoken about her only novel or why she has never written another. It's been reported that she was working on a second novel in the 1960s, but it was never publsihed.

Emily Bronte -- Wuthering Heights would be Bronte's only novel since she died in 1848, a year after its publication. The Bronte siblings, and fellow authors, (Charlotte, Anne, Emily and brother Branwell) lived a very sheltered life in Northern England, which led to their rich imaginations.

J.D. Salinger -- Another reclusive author, Salinger wrote many short stories and novellas. But after the publication of Catcher in the Rye, Salinger chose a life of anonymity over publishing any more of his writings.

Boris Pasternak -- After failing to find a publisher in the Soviet Union, Pasternak looked to the west to have his novel, Doctor Zhivago published in 1957. This caused quite a fury in his homeland. His health declined soon after and he passed away in 1960.

Anna Sewell -- One of the most beloved children books, Black Beauty, was the only novel written by Sewell. Not until she was in her late fifties did Sewell put her love of horses into this story which would be published only a short time before her death in 1878. It is still one of the most popular books of all time.

-- Post by Tracy