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Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil

By John Berendt

(59)

| Paperback | 9780099521013

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Book Description

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 obsContinue

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 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: A Savannah Story is a sublime and seductive reading experience.  Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city is certain to become a modern classic.

Critics

  • Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story By John Berendt

    A title wave of beach paperbacksWhether you're contemplating a trip to an exotic beach, or planning to spend the warm weather months in the back yard, you'll want to bring along that most necessary of seasonal accouterments. No, not sunscreen. We're ... (read full critics)

    bookpage published on Tue, 14 Sep 2010

8 Reviews

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  • 1 person find this helpful

    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    After I finished this I noticed it was classified as non-fiction. I would have rated this book 5 stars as a fictional read since it is wildly entertaining with an endearing cast of characters. However classifying a book as non-fiction brings all kinds of questions of authenticity and accuracy into ... (continue)

    After I finished this I noticed it was classified as non-fiction. I would have rated this book 5 stars as a fictional read since it is wildly entertaining with an endearing cast of characters. However classifying a book as non-fiction brings all kinds of questions of authenticity and accuracy into consideration that a fictional book just doesn't have, and that's just where this book falls short.

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    Readingrat said on Sep 20, 2009 | Add your feedback

  • 1 person find this helpful

    LOVED this book, especialy once I saw the movie and saw the actual Lady Chablis on screen.. Fell asleep during the film though, so I guess the book is better.

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    annemarie said on Sep 22, 2006 | Add your feedback

  • I read the synopsis on the back cover and thought, wow, this looks good. The book is written in two parts, the first setting the scene and the second getting more into the story. I felt it took far to long to set the scene and introduce the characters. I got to the end of part 1 and said "enough ... (continue)

    I read the synopsis on the back cover and thought, wow, this looks good. The book is written in two parts, the first setting the scene and the second getting more into the story. I felt it took far to long to set the scene and introduce the characters. I got to the end of part 1 and said "enough is enough". But I have yet to give up on a book, and I thought how can I review it when I have not even bothered to plough through to the end. I dutifully picked it up again and ploughed into part two. Yes, it picked up a little but I was bored and could not wait to reach the end to get it over and done with. There was not enough humour, despite the description on the cover. The writing style came across as too factual without 'personality'.

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    Booketta said on May 25, 2011 | Add your feedback

  • My thoughts

    I liked this book about Savannah and what happened there in 1981 and afterwards. Just learning about the city's history and its inhabitants was worth the read. I look forward to seeing the movie.

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    krin5292 said on Mar 12, 2011 | Add your feedback

  • Very interesting characters, good read

    I enjoyed reading this book because of the various and interesting characters the author shares.

    However, it did get me a little confused as to the point of the book, and towards the end (the last 20 pages) I was just anxious and ready to find the outcome of the tale.

    It was a good read ... (continue)

    I enjoyed reading this book because of the various and interesting characters the author shares.

    However, it did get me a little confused as to the point of the book, and towards the end (the last 20 pages) I was just anxious and ready to find the outcome of the tale.

    It was a good read, and I am curious to see Clint Eastwood's interpretation of the book in his film of the same title that was released in 1997.

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    Running Fox said on Oct 6, 2008 | Add your feedback

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