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Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
by
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.
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 reverbera ...more
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 reverbera ...more
Paperback, 386 pages
Published
June 28th 1999
by Vintage
(first published January 13th 1994)
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Andrea
It's a little odd that you are more concerned about your 16-year-old reading about drag queens than about murder.
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
this book has a lot of fans. that makes some sense. magazines are certainly very popular, and this is magazine writing at its most polished. Berendt knows how to create an atmosphere. he knows how to describe things in a style that is careful, subtle, and enfused with a deadpan but rather mischievious irony. he can certainly describe the way a rich man's house looks - so well that you could then describe it to someone else as if you've been there. characters are sketched with an expert's hand -
...more
Note, February 2014: I was just rereading this review, and FUNNY STORY, I moved to a small town. Not so much a big city person as I had originally thought...
Original review, circa 2007: I love this book to the point where I don't even really know what to say about it, because nothing I can say about it will be good enough to explain just how incredible this book really is.
After reading this book, I had to restrain myself from booking a flight to Savannah. It makes you want to be there, it makes ...more
Original review, circa 2007: I love this book to the point where I don't even really know what to say about it, because nothing I can say about it will be good enough to explain just how incredible this book really is.
After reading this book, I had to restrain myself from booking a flight to Savannah. It makes you want to be there, it makes ...more
BkC7)Delicious, shimmering prose. Wonderful story. Savannah really should give Mr. Berendt a pension.
Well now, I have to dim my searchlight to a streetlight. Still think it's good but now, well, now I can't see past the one-hit-wonderness to the glories I once took for granted.
Rating: 3.75* of five
The Publisher Says: 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 rev ...more
Well now, I have to dim my searchlight to a streetlight. Still think it's good but now, well, now I can't see past the one-hit-wonderness to the glories I once took for granted.
Rating: 3.75* of five
The Publisher Says: 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 rev ...more
One of the best 'true crime' book I have ever read. Every inch of the story is fascinating. It reads like a novel. I actually had to keep reminding myself that it was, in fact, a true crime book. From the very first chapter I felt drawn in. I immediately wanted to go to Savannah and see it for myself.
So often in true crime books the characters are a little flat. Berendt was really able to make them come to life. His writing made the whole city come to life. His ability to infiltrate the seemly ...more
So often in true crime books the characters are a little flat. Berendt was really able to make them come to life. His writing made the whole city come to life. His ability to infiltrate the seemly ...more
Extraordinary story and characters, slow read, some parts for me were a bit hard to get through, that's why four stars and not five. A classic though. Loved it. Now I want to go to Savannah too....
Another early review of mine coming up... how times flies.
Oh my, I loved this book!
Another early review of mine coming up... how times flies.
Oh my, I loved this book!
There was a lot of hype around this book a few years back, but in this case I think it is actually deserved. For one, Berendt is a skilled writer who understands how to tease a compelling story out of the material he’s working with. And, oh, what material! The true-crime mystery at the center of the book—whether the social-climbing, closeted gay antiques dealer shot his lover in cold blood or self-defense—is interesting enough, but Berendt decorates that story with outrageous character portraits
...more
May 07, 2007
Adam
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of the film
This was a decent book. There was a lot of mood, of which I'm a big fan. The characters all had the potential to be very interesting, but unfortuately, they weren't developed. That's not to say you don't spend a lot of time with them, or find out anything about them, it's just that you don't really give a damn.
The book is written by a magazine journalist who ends up living on and off in Savanah, GA for eight years to investigate and chronicle a murder and it's trials. This book is more or less ...more
The book is written by a magazine journalist who ends up living on and off in Savanah, GA for eight years to investigate and chronicle a murder and it's trials. This book is more or less ...more
The writing was great, the story was led into in an interesting way, but the trial was trivial and so were many characters that were introduced in the first half of the book. But, I liked reading about them anyway and, while the book came together well in the end, the whole thing wasn’t cohesive. That said, I feel like I should have more good things to say about a book I enjoyed reading so much.
May 01, 2013
Tea Jovanović
rated it
it was amazing
· (Review from the author)
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-have-translated
Ova knjiga je jedan od meni najdražih prevoda, i žao mi je što film nije pomogao knjizi... Naime, knjiga obiluje živopisnim likovima, a Klint Istvud je u svom filmu samo načeo te likove, a nijednog nije u potpunosti prikazao... Ono što je posebno interesantno u vezi s ovom knjigom jeste to da je ona potpuno promenila život učmale Savane u Džordžiji... Gradić koji ne voli promene, koji ne voli savremene tekovine, odjednom se našao pod najezdom turista koji su se tu sjatili posle čitanja ove knjig
...more
Jul 11, 2008
Amanda
rated it
really liked it
Recommended to Amanda by:
Chris Brewer
Shelves:
book-club-made-me-do-it,
blog
Murder, gullah, drag queens (these are a few of my favorite things . . .) There's probably not much I can say about this book that hasn't already been said, but that won't stop me. I saw the movie when it first came out and loved it, but just never got around to reading the book. I thought that the entire book would be about the murder trial of Jim Williams, the prominent Savannah antiques dealer accused of murdering Danny Hansford (with whom it was rumored he was having a sexual relationship).
...more
One advantage of bringing fresh eyes to an old town like Savannah, Georgia, is that the newcomer can cross social, racial, religious and economic lines with relative ease, and reporter John Berendt made the most of it in this bestseller. Midnight is a penetrating look at Coastal South culture that is zestily written and a hell of a lot of fun to read.
While I enjoyed the ensuing movie very much, I like the book even more because it can take more time doing its job -- basically following a very b ...more
While I enjoyed the ensuing movie very much, I like the book even more because it can take more time doing its job -- basically following a very b ...more
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt is a weird story about even weirder people! I would be gone from that town soooo fast. What creepy people! With the strange people you knew the murder mystery would be just as creepy, but not good. Easy to figure out that Jim and Danny were lovers right away. Why hide it in this town? You have a man that only puts make up on one eye, a man who walks an invisible dog, a man that hordes enough poison so he can at sometime k
...more
I found this one a struggle. Several times I stopped and looked the title up again on Goodreads to make sure it really is non fiction. Surely all those weird characters could not really have existed in one place. Surely there must have been a huge amount of artistic licence going on. The court cases themselves rang true but ended up not being a major part of the book. Two stars because the author writes well. My struggle to read it was based purely on disbelief and not at all on the quality of t
...more
Mar 13, 2018
Fuchsia Groan
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
negra-misterio,
no-ficción
Desde que John Berendt publicó Medianoche en el jardín del bien y del mal en 1994 el libro se situó durante años en la lista de best sellers de no ficción del New York Times. Además, el aumento de los visitantes de la ciudad de Savannah (Georgia) fue notable desde ese momento, y no es para menos: en la primera parte de la obra tenemos una crónica social brillante de esa pintoresca ciudad sureña, atractiva por su historia, su arquitectura y sus habitantes, plagada de cotilleos, de pequeñas histor
...more
The perfect mix of character study and courtroom drama, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil paints a fascinating picture of Savannah, Georgia. It's a moody, atmospheric novel that draws you in with its exquisite descriptions and eccentric cast. There are aristocratic snobs and drag queens, punk rock teens and possibly murderous millionaires. It all sounds a bit too good to be true--based on a series of real events from the 1980's-- and maybe it is. But nonetheless, it's wildly entertaining a
...more
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
B is for Berendt
Read a book with antonyms in the title
So I just realized that I totally forgot to review this one.....idiot moment #85749
B is for Berendt
Read a book with antonyms in the title
So I just realized that I totally forgot to review this one.....idiot moment #85749
For me, Savannah's resistance to change was its saving grace. The city looked inward, sealed of from the noises and distractions of the world at large. It grew inward, too, and in such a way that its people flourished like hothouse plants tended by an indulgent gardner. The ordinary became extraordinary. Eccentrics thrived. Every nuanc...more
We are going South, Deep South … and here we like to keep them things as they always were, when our fathers fathers fathers build Savannah. After all this are the 80-ties and we may have heard of the outside world, but were not gonna go there!
Yearh, there may be an alarmingly high murder rate, but its nothing to do with us decent people, we have our country clubs, our yacht clubs and our good ol money in the bank.
So, getting into the social life of Savannah is no easy job.
Either you are ol mon ...more
Yearh, there may be an alarmingly high murder rate, but its nothing to do with us decent people, we have our country clubs, our yacht clubs and our good ol money in the bank.
So, getting into the social life of Savannah is no easy job.
Either you are ol mon ...more
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is ostensibly about the macabre truths that lie behind Savannah's gentile facade. As you might expect, these are of a distinctly Gothic nature. Imagine a travel guide written by Tennessee Williams. We are invited to marvel at some familiar grotesques: the homosexual in a smoking jacket, the socialite drunk at noon, the young hustler with a Red Camaro, the outrageous trannie, the witch doctor. All of this is presented with a light touch, even as the parad
...more
Jun 12, 2010
Laura
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Bettie, Chrissie
Recommended to Laura by:
Dawn
Just arrived from Finland through BM.
What a pity this book ended. I must find a way to visit this beautiful city of Savannah.
The story is about the trial of Jim Williams, a Savannah's socialite and an international antiques dealer, crazy by the famous Faberge eggs, which was accused of the murder of Danny Handsford.
After had discovered that a super-saver fare to Savannah cost the same as an entree in a Manhattan restaurant, the author spent eight years fitting between these two cities. In this ...more
What a pity this book ended. I must find a way to visit this beautiful city of Savannah.
The story is about the trial of Jim Williams, a Savannah's socialite and an international antiques dealer, crazy by the famous Faberge eggs, which was accused of the murder of Danny Handsford.
After had discovered that a super-saver fare to Savannah cost the same as an entree in a Manhattan restaurant, the author spent eight years fitting between these two cities. In this ...more
4.5 stars
I was psyched to read this, and I'm so glad I wasn't disappointed! The writing is atmospheric and cinematic, and the author does such a great job capturing the voices of the various characters he encounters, with all their quirks and eccentricities. The whole book is perfectly enjoyable and fascinating, but the second half definitely feels a bit stronger than the first, simply because it becomes more focused rather than each chapter centering around a different character the author enco ...more
I was psyched to read this, and I'm so glad I wasn't disappointed! The writing is atmospheric and cinematic, and the author does such a great job capturing the voices of the various characters he encounters, with all their quirks and eccentricities. The whole book is perfectly enjoyable and fascinating, but the second half definitely feels a bit stronger than the first, simply because it becomes more focused rather than each chapter centering around a different character the author enco ...more
Oct 05, 2016
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice*
rated it
it was amazing
I first read this book some 15 years ago, after being lent it by a friend.
I now have my own copy. It is a book I go to every few years for a visit. And I must be due for another visit sometime soon.
I now have my own copy. It is a book I go to every few years for a visit. And I must be due for another visit sometime soon.
"An idea was beginning to take shape in my mind, a variation of my city-hopping weekends. I would make Savannah my second home. I would spend perhaps a month at a time in Savannah, long enough to become more than a tourist if not quite a full-fledged resident. I would inquire, observe, and poke around wherever my curiosity led me or wherever I was invited. I would presume nothing. I would take notes.
Over a period of eight years I did just that, except that my stays in Savannah became longer and ...more
Over a period of eight years I did just that, except that my stays in Savannah became longer and ...more
Although I enjoyed it, I think this book could have been much better. The first half is largely a series of character studies, and the second half is essentially a true-life crime novel. Unfortunately I grew dangerously bored with the first half, and as the mystery unfolds, I grew annoyed that many of the characters introduced in the first half really have little play or impact on the rest of the book. The murder mystery itself is an interesting story but is very anticlimactic. While the book is
...more
This book is chalk full of eccentric and sometimes amusing people. Savanah's architecture and lifestyle are introduced. In all, Savanah sounds like a lovely city. I really enjoyed the martini ritual when visiting the grave of Conrad Aiken and his tombstone.
After the descriptions of Savanah and it's loveliness, though, the rest of the book fell a bit flat. The people mentioned were eccentric.....but not all of them were part of the crime or the investigation. They were added purely for entertainm ...more
After the descriptions of Savanah and it's loveliness, though, the rest of the book fell a bit flat. The people mentioned were eccentric.....but not all of them were part of the crime or the investigation. They were added purely for entertainm ...more
The embodiment of "Truth is stranger than fiction". Great read.
This book was worth a read for the sheer entertainment value. It's less of a story and more of a brilliant, hilarious--and mostly true, as I understand it--character study of a collection of Savannah residents between roughly the mid-70's and mid-80s. In it we meet an eccentric lawyer, a glamorous drag queen, a voodoo witch, a dodgy socialite-cum-antique dealer, & many others. At the heart of the book lies the mystery of what really happened to Danny Hansford, a young man with a rough reputa
...more
Jul 02, 2014
Thomas Strömquist
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
book-collection
John Berendt's well-known (non-)fiction work is the story of a murder. But it really isn't, it is actually more of a masterfully told story about a number of people in Savannah and the place itself. I just love this author's narrative and the first time I read the book I did it in a couple of long sittings, due to the fact that I couldn't bring myself to put it down. If you for some reason would not want to invest the time in this book, watch the great (and sadly underrated) movie! Then read the
...more
Savannah, Georgia is the oldest city in the Deep South; beautiful and unique it is full of neat squares, shaded cobblestone streets, parks, and historic buildings. But in the 1980’s the city was gripped by the events that happened in Savannah's grandest mansion very late one night. Was the death of Danny Hansford, a male prostitute, murder or self-defence?
In this narrative, Berendt introduces us to the place that is Savannah, as well as the characters of the time that made this such an entertai ...more
In this narrative, Berendt introduces us to the place that is Savannah, as well as the characters of the time that made this such an entertai ...more
This is an addendum to a previous review.
I love this book!
I've been in love with the story ever since watching the movie, which is a stand alone version of this story. The enchanting consistency between them is the cornucopia of eccentric characters living in the story... and, according to the author, actually living in Savannah at the time he lived there. Yes, it's a true story, with only a few names and dates changed. Well, for me this makes it even more enchanting.
I've wanted to visit Savan ...more
I love this book!
I've been in love with the story ever since watching the movie, which is a stand alone version of this story. The enchanting consistency between them is the cornucopia of eccentric characters living in the story... and, according to the author, actually living in Savannah at the time he lived there. Yes, it's a true story, with only a few names and dates changed. Well, for me this makes it even more enchanting.
I've wanted to visit Savan ...more
If you can read this book and not want to immediately hop a plane to Savannah, Georgia, then I do not know what to say to you. I read this book several years ago (and even remember reading a huge chunk of it in the laundromat and another huge chunk of it outside the same laundromat, which had closed up but I could not stop reading), because it was pretty much surgically attached to my hand the entire time. Berendt brought these eccentrics to life in a way that made the entire culture mesmerizing
...more
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Crime, Mysteries ...:
COMING SOON: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt - December 2018
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1 | 3 | Nov 06, 2018 08:43PM | |
| Around the Year i...: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt | 6 | 71 | Sep 10, 2018 01:00PM | |
| Savannah Visit | 20 | 172 | Apr 14, 2018 12:39PM | |
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Obsessed with Tru...:
John Berendt's Smash Hit TC Book
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4 | 7 | Jul 20, 2017 10:13AM | |
| The Reading For P...: April - May 2017 Nonfiction Group Read - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt | 64 | 75 | May 31, 2017 12:59AM |
The son of two writers, John Berendt grew up in Syracuse, New York. He earned a B.A. in English from Harvard University, where he worked on the staff of The Harvard Lampoon. After graduating in 1961, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in publishing. He was editor of New York magazine from 1977 to 1979, and wrote a monthly column for Esquire from 1982 to 1994.
Berendt first traveled to Sav ...more
Berendt first traveled to Sav ...more
30 trivia questions
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“Rule number one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
—
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“If you go to Atlanta, the first question people ask you is, "What's your business?" In Macon they ask, "Where do you go to church?" In Augusta they ask your grandmother's maiden name. But in Savannah the first question people ask you is "What would you like to drink?”
—
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