Shots rang out in Savannah’s grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt’s sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a … a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case.
It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman’s Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the “soul of pampered self-absorption”; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.
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This book made me go to Savannah!
Read it a long time ago….love Savannah and liked the book.
One of my all-time favorite books (and the movie was great, too)!
Makes you want to go to Savanna. Loved the story and the present day charm of the city as a backdrop.
A great non-fiction. Fact filled, entertaining, informative. Made me want to go to Savannah.
I read this book a long time ago. If you liked Devil in the White City, you will probably like this book; they have the same style. While there are definitely human characters, the location also has a place on that list. The book is very descriptive. I was not really into it when I read it, but I have never forgotten it. That says more about it …
A true story with a city full of very interesting history and residents. Written and researched really well.
i absolutely loved it and it brought me back to the 10 wonderful years we lived there. Very well written,in a manner easy to understand. It made me homesick , except for the murder. The
book told a true, sad story,and yet you wanted to go to the magical and beatiful place they call Savannah.
Interesting view of Savannah.
One of the rare books that cannot be put down
Beautiful storytelling .
Awesome!!!
If you have ever been to Savannah and want to go back & can’t – this is perfect.
Set in Savannah, GA, it tells the story of this amzing city along with the unusually characters who live there.
It has been a long time since I read this book, but I really enjoyed it!!
Liked this book very much
I have mixed feelings about this book. I wanted to read it for a while and I will say it wasn’t as good as I had expected. It had good parts and it was educational in many ways. But, too much time with certain people that weren’t even related to the story and then the voodoo stuff was just silly.
I would say it’s a good book and recommend a read …
A wonderful true crime book.
This is based on a true story and I found this to be such an interesting book and the characters are real! They also made a movie about this book.
Couldn’t get into it.