Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
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Difficult reading
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Kathy
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rated it 1 star
May 16, 2013 08:46AM
I may try ONCE AGAIN..(third time) to get through this book that everyone loves so much ........and I find tres boring. I am an avid reader and this book is just a sketch of different unpleasant characters found in a sleepy Southern burg.
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My son bought me this book when i was sick. I loved it. I didn't think it was boring. It was very interesting. It does have a large cast of characters. They added flavor to the story.
Hmm...well, if you didn't like it, you didn't like it. I loved it.
I gave up in reading tihs the first time but went back to it. I did find it difficult but finished it. Wouldn't say I really loved it.
If you have difficulty with it, why not watch the movie first and then you can decide if its worth the time to read and will be much easier to do so.
Not everybody likes every book. I've picked up and put down "Wuthering heights" at least a 1/2 dozen times. One day I'll finally get around to reading it, but it just wasn't able to grab my attention the times I've tried. A Clockwork Orange was another one that took me forever to read. I started it and stopped several times before I finally got into it. I appreciated the work that went into inventing the Nadsat slang used by Alex and his droogs in the novel, but it made for a heavy slog at 1st. I disliked Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49 and forced myself to get through it.
This book is not difficult and as soon as you see the movie you see how simple it is.
The same is true of so many books.....the cast of characters in War and Peace are overwhelming until you see them in a movie...then it all falls into place and work of the book takes over.
Kathy wrote: "I may try ONCE AGAIN..(third time) to get through this book that everyone loves so much ........and I find tres boring. I am an avid reader and this book is just a sketch of different unpleasant c..."Try or not as you wish but the same is true for many books and not just Southern novels. Many of the books you list also seem tedious or boring at first blush. There is a story behind the story obviously in this book.
This book is non fiction. If you are trying to read it like a novel that could be the problem.
Never read Clockwork Orange but I may try. I think my point with Midnight is I really expected to like this book but it bored me and I can't get through it. Yet most everyone I know loved this book and/or movie. I have so many other things to read now and so once again, Midnight sits gathering dust in my bookshelf.
Kathy wrote: "Never read Clockwork Orange but I may try. I think my point with Midnight is I really expected to like this book but it bored me and I can't get through it. Yet most everyone I know loved this bo..."In Clockwork Orange, Burgess invented a dialect for his near future gang bangers that is heavily influenced by Russian words and phrases. I found it diffilcult, at 1st, to follow and it was somewhat of a distraction. I remember reading Midnight years ago and liked it, but, like I said, not everybody likes every book. James Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man" is one of my favorite books, but I know people who have been bored to tears by it.
I've come across books like that.... hard to read even when the general public seems to love it. This book wasn't one of them though. Loved the book and the movie. As others have mentioned, watch the movie and the book (and characters) comes to life.
How far did you get before giving up? The first time I tried I couldn't get into it, and the second time it did take me two or three chapters, but once I got that far I was totally hooked. Maybe shelve it and try it another time? It's worth the read. :)
I was also told to try the movie first and then the book (Midnight). I think I got about 30% through the book before putting it down and moving on. As for Portrait of the Artist...I LOVED that book!
I loved this read. Did you know this is a true story. The southern aspect of the setting just sucked me in. Of course the book is much better than the movie.
Connie wrote: "I loved this read. Did you know this is a true story. The southern aspect of the setting just sucked me in. Of course the book is much better than the movie."You're right, Connie, I think the southern aspect did have something to do with it. You're also right about the book being better than the movie. The movie left out so much.
I did not care for this book. It was a lot of detail with very little story. And I really could have done without the foul-mouthed drag queen!!
What originally pulled ME in to the book was the setting...Savanah, Georgia...in the heat of mid-summer. I thought it was romantic and I loved the cover of the book which was a statute of an angel or something....can't quite recall.....and the title also drew me...I thought it would be a lazy romantic book, not a violent one about unpleasant crazy people.
I loved this book so much that I read it twice, and then actually went to Savanna and to the Mercer House, and Mercers Grave!
Well, Jackballoon ...you ARE inspiring me!
Jackballoon wrote: "I loved this book so much that I read it twice, and then actually went to Savanna and to the Mercer House, and Mercers Grave!"Jackballoon,
Although I didn't go for that purpose, I too visited the Mercer house. I know from reading some of the posts that 'Midnight' is an acquired taste, but I fell in love with the eccentricities of the characters and to know that they were all real.... well, all I can say is that I would have loved to have been a part of the Savannah scene in the day :)
I loved this book...so much so I went to Savannah and subsequently bought property there...you can't ask for a better recco can that...can you???
did you meet any of the book's character's while down in Savannah?
Kathy wrote: "did you meet any of the book's character's while down in Savannah?"You know, I might have! The town has some wonderful eccentrics! Lady Chablis still performs, I understand!
I didn't find it "difficult reading" at all. More like indifferent-to-sloppy writing.
That's harsh, John!!!
I was a full-time, professional travel writer when I read this book. I spent 18 years essentially holidaying for a living, but have never wanted to go anywhere so much as I hankered to visit Savannah after I read 'Midnight' Managed to get my editor to send me and, like others here, visited the house, the graveyard and took The Book tour. I loved every minute.Very glad I read the book before I saw the movie which was - apart from the Mercer soundtrack - pretty run-of-the-mill fare.
I live in what was once Anthony Burgess's house, but wouldn't deny that A Clockwork Orange is a difficult read.
Right on, Anne! Are you familiar with The White Mary by Kira Salak, a fellow travel writer? A good read!
Hi HarrietNo I hadn't. Had a wee look on Amazon and ounds interesting - though very expensive for a paperback (at least in the UK - I'm assuming its a US import). May give it a go next year - I'm doing (and blogging about)a 'Howards End is on the Landing' - not buying any books (other than for my work or the selections made by my book group)in 2013.
I understand! It is a good read..her first work of fiction. Her other other work is all travelogue to exotic and very dangerous places!! She's braver than I will ever be!!!
I've read the book twice, once years ago when the book first came out, and then again this spring after a trip to Savannah. Thought the book was just as good the second time as the first, except I had a better frame of reference for some of the Savannah landmarks. It was really cool to see the Mercer house.
I myself enjoyed this book and then the movie....but that was me. If you are not enjoying it just put it down and read something you do. Life is too short to do anything you do not like. don't worry about what otherssay or do. there are many thousands of books out there and none of us will ever scratch the surface of all of them.
I liked this book a lot. It was the first book that really made me care about the setting as much as I cared about the plot and the characters. I thought Berendt really brought Savannah to life through the story and the characters. Don't feel bad about not loving it as much as everyone else. Everyone has different taste in movies, music, books, etc. The world would be a boring place if we all liked the same things.
I've read the book twice. This is one of my favorite. Great story. :-)
I love this book! I've read it about 4 times!
This is one of my favourites of all time. I am puzzled that anyone could find it difficult, though of course it may not be to everyone's taste. Fabulous.
I took difficult as in boring...there wasn't anything wrong with the writing style, it just went nowhere...at least for me...the trial was by far the best part of the story - I would have prefer the entire thing about that and cut out about 45% of the rest of it
Ok...I never even got to the trial.....just the meeting of the neighbors.
I enjoyed the book but that was partly due to the fact I had spent a couple vacations in Savannah. While there I was able to visit many of the places mentioned in the book and get a taste of "Savannah". I would love to live there someday. The book did a good job of describing the melting pot of people that make up Savannah! Enjoy it!
To those who don't like this book, I suggest them to try out Doug Preston's "Monster of Florence". I am not saying one is better than the other. These 2 are just true crime story but written in completely different style. Any reader likely should at least enjoy one of them. It is similar to "if you do not appreciate wagyu beef, you would at least enjoy Boston lobster"!
I would normally tell anyone to at least give a book about 100 pages into it before giving up, but at the same time, advise that life is too short to get stuck reading a book one doesn't enjoy; there are too many other great books out there, waiting! The OP has given it a fair shot, so don't feel bad about not wanting to finish it.Anyway, I personally loved it. I enjoy stories of true crime, history, eccentric characters, and southern culture, so this was a nice compendium of those things.
One of my favorites !! enjoyed the movie also. I have visited Savannah on several occasions and been in the house.
Theresahpir wrote: "I would normally tell anyone to at least give a book about 100 pages into it before giving up, but at the same time, advise that life is too short to get stuck reading a book one doesn't enjoy; the..."Yes, one should not give up too early. Come to think of that, it could be an interesting subject about "books that are given up". I can recall I have given only 3 books.
(1) Catch-22
I gave it up around half way. I think this book is not meant to be read by someone who is sober
(2) Floating Dragon (by Peter Straub)
I gave it up over 50%. The story is too chilly. I could not continue to read without affecting my daily mood.
(3)State of Fear (M. Crichton)
I think I gave it up before halfway (but stillmore than 100pages:)) I could not stand the writing style.
I READ THIS BOOK YEARS AGO AND THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT. I USUALLY DROP BOOKS WITH TOO MANY CHARACTERS TO KEEP TRACK OF BUT I DON´T REMEMBER THINKING THAT ABOUT THIS BOOK. FORGET THE MOVIE, THE DIRECTOR CHANGED IT SO MUCH IT WAS RIDICULOUS, LIKE ADDING A CHARACTER THAT DOES NOT EXIST IN THE BOOK. THAT IS SO WRONG.
I read this book years ago and loved it. The characters are deep and you have to know and love the Old South to truly understand this book. You are right to say "Forget the movie" because it was so horribly skewed that it lost all of its essence.
This grabbed me from the beginning--I certainly did not find it difficult. It read like a novel to me. I would like to plan a trip to Savannah because of this book.
I haven't seen the movie, but I read the book when I was twelve, and remember it being my favorite book for years. I picked it up in Savannah, on a Girl Scout trip when locals mentioned that it was the definitive Savannah novel. I don't recall ever being bored by it, so maybe it just isn't your kind of novel.I'm hoping to re-read it this year; it's been 15 years now between readings.
I loved this book! It is the essence of the Old South.. The characters ring true. Maybe you have to have an appreciation of the Old South to truly enjoy it.
Once you get through all the character descriptions for the first 1/4 of the book (which I thought was irrelevent because most of them were rarely talked about again or played very insignificant roles) it was an enjoyable book.
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