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Books : Midnight in the Garden of Good and EvilIn association with Amazon.comby: John Berendt  List Price: $14.95 Amazon.com's Price: $10.17 You Save: $4.78 (32%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 975.8724 EAN: 9780679751526 ISBN: 0679751521 Label: Vintage Manufacturer: Vintage Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 400 Publication Date: June 28, 1999 Publisher: Vintage Release Date: June 28, 1999 Studio: Vintage Sales Rank: 6715 Related Items:
Editorial Review: Product 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 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 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. Amazon.com Review: John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil has been heralded as a "lyrical work of nonfiction," and the book's extremely graceful prose depictions of some of Savannah, Georgia's most colorful eccentrics--remarkable characters who could have once prospered in a William Faulkner novel or Eudora Welty short story--were certainly a critical factor in its tremendous success. (One resident into whose orbit Berendt fell, the Lady Chablis, went on to become a minor celebrity in her own right.) But equally important was Berendt's depiction of Savannah socialite Jim Williams as he stands trial for the murder of Danny Hansford, a moody, violence-prone hustler--and sometime companion to Williams--characterized by locals as a "walking streak of sex." So feel free to call it a "true crime classic" without a trace of shame. Average Rating:
 Rating: - Easily read page turnerI will admit, my reason for reading this book was based solely on the fact that I will be visiting Savannah in 2009 and judging by what I read online and was told by friends it seemed like a good idea if I had read the book before I went. The book is well written and very easy to read, although with the numerous characters you do find yourself flicking back to remind yourself who is who. You do get drawn very easily into the stories that unfold, and it's difficult to put ... Read More Rating:  - Read it & visit SavannahI visited Savannah this summer & then read the book. I had seen the movie when it first came out & remembered that is was a good one, but I forgot so much of it. After touring the Mercer House & confusing several timelines, I borrowed my sister's book & could hardly put it down, and I am a seldom reader. I only read Non-fiction, but this book seems so full of interesting subjects, that it is more like reading fiction. If you like southern history or if you like The southern style ... Read More Rating: - Great This is a great book. It's a truly engaging story. For all those who enjoyed it, I just read another book that is similar in certain ways and also very evocative and compelling - Saving Savannah. What I found particularly interesting was reading both and then thinking about some of the parallels and divergances that emerge. Savannah during the Civil War never ceases to be a fascinating topic...! Rating:  - DisappointedUnfortunately, I was disappointed with this book. I was really looking forward to reading it because of all the positive reviews I had read. The only reason I gave it two stars is for the authors descriptions of Savannah and its residents. The book was very slow moving and there were characters introduced that were extensively discussed in the beginning but never reappeared in the book near the end. I also purchased the City of Falling Angels for my husband and he said the same thing about it. Nice ... Read More Rating:  - Fine read, but what the fuss about?I enjoyed "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," John Berendt's 1999 blockbuster about the underside of Savannah's genteel lifestyle. But though I enjoyed the story and the characters, I'm not entirely sure why it took off as it did to top the NYT Bestseller list for 200 weeks. The story is lots of fun and kept me engaged till the end. The story is narrated by a New York journalist hoping to write a story about Savannah. In the first third of the book, he manages to stumble across just ... Read More Browse for similar items by category:
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