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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Loved this true story set in Savannah. Rich In history.
quirky characters run amuck in the book based on actual people. You have to wonder how a group of strange people could congregate in one city. Money generates some odd behaviors.
It was too dark for me to really enjoy,
But I read every page.
Great read.
It isn’t just about the murder trial. It’s all about the quirky characters. Loved it!
One of the books that made me a southern lit fan.
Superb story, especially considering that it’s true! I had to keep reminding myself that it’s not fiction. Couldn’t put it down
This cult classic is one I return to for its perfect capture of life in the deep South and the depth of character development.
The best book on the underbelly of the South.
This is a real event, I knew some of the people in the book. I even sold a silver set to the killer right before this happened. Its strange when a book contains a situation with people you know in it. it is highly recommended by me.
I liked this book. It was a good peek into the city.
Few reading experiences get better than this story of Savannah secrets. This is nonfiction that tops almost any fictional mystery thriller. You just can’t invent characters like this and make in believable in fiction, but Savannah, like Miami and new Orleans is a setting in both reality and fiction that provides writers with better actual …
Realistic story about Savanna Georgia
I bought this book from a character in the book while visiting Savannah.
Very interesting book. Read it years ago, so not real clear on the details now.
Would read it again. The movie did not do it justice.
An interesting read of real life events in one of my favorite cities, Savannah, Georgia.
I’ve read this book twice — once back when it came out and very recently. I found the book a true-crime novel. After reading it the first time, I was in Savannah and decided to take the “book tour”. While enjoyable, it was even more so to listen in on the citizens of Savannah talk about what the book meant to the city and how they felt about …
Great story and character development.
Just a really good book