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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Read this years and years ago… and I loved it! Made me want to go to Savannah for a long weekend to explore the sights, sounds and tastes. Great writer!
One of my all time favorite books. Went to Savannah, met some of the characters, including Lady Chablis!
Descriptions of Savannah bring reader back again and again1
This is a true story about a murder in Savannah, GA.
well written
One of my favorite stories!
Spell-Binding storytelling of an old case of murder!
This book is destined to become a classic. The story of a city’s twisted nature brought to the surface by bigger-than-life people displaying their private side long enough to be seen and documented. The tale provides sufficient motivation to want to actually seek out and visit the grave sites of the principal characters!
A great read
A really good & interesting book that I enjoyed very much many years ago and, therefore, I’m unable to share details. The descriptives selected will give you a good idea of it. You will enjoy the very eccentric characters who populate this extraordinary world.
I read this unbelievably true story after a trip to Savannah. Much better than the movie.
I know that a lot of people really like this book – but I wasn’t a real fan. While I truly laughed out loud about some of the events as depicted in this book, and was thoughtful regarding others, it just didn’t connect with me somehow. Perhaps it will be netter for you.
One of my favorite movies as well…
Really interesting and non fiction at that!
Excellent read and advertisement for Savannah. Read the book then go there and live it.
This is Savannah at it’s most unpredictable… a romp through the town’s wealthiest, seamy and hidden sides. Drag queens, historical architecture, closet homosexuals, college mascots, taboo behaviors and a dash of Santeria make for an intriguing murder mystery that played out in headlines. Loved it!
truth is stranger than fiction. personalities can dictate many different behaviors.
Keeps you guessing until he end.
I’m not sure what took me so long to read this book. An absolute page turner that I couldn’t put down.
This is a true story for those that don’t know about it please read. It’s well written and really interesting. Truth is stranger than fiction!