Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

What do a crooked party-animal lawyer, an African American drag queen, a wealthy homosexual antiques dealer, a piano player who knows 6000 songs, a Voodoo queen, and the Georgia bulldog mascot have in common? They are all characters in John Berendt's record setting bestseller, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Never has a work of nonfiction been so informative and so much fun. Not only are the characters eccentric, but the entire city of Savannah fits that description as well. This beautiful, antebellum hothouse of the Old South is more a state of mind than a destination. Savannahian's revere their history, worship their ancestors, are very status and race conscious, and love to party.

Berendt spent eight years in Savannah and the first part of this book is more of a travelogue-introducing us to the history of Savannah and the quirky characters that will play a big part in the story later on. I especially liked Berendt's comparisons of Savannah to her sister city, Charleston.

The bulk of Midnight deals with a murder "mystery." Jim Williams (the antique dealer) lives in the stunning Mercer Mansion, and kills an employee in the house. But was it murder or self-defense? How the story unfolds is as fascinating as it is entertaining. Midnight is definitely something that could only happen in Savannah.

Midnight is a huge book, and it has had a major impact on this small city. At first, many Savannahian's were aghast at "The Book" and especially, the way it portrayed their eccentricities. But many residents came around as tourism skyrocketed (and increase of over 46%) as readers flocked to Savannah. The Midnight Phenomenon has been a boon to the economy, and there are now tours, lectures, slide shows and even a gift shop based on The Book. Even the Bird Girl statue that graces the cover had to be moved to the museum for safekeeping.

I fell in love with Midnight when I first read it a number of years ago. My husband and I also listened to the unabridged book on a long drive to Savannah, which made it even more enjoyable. The movie version is an extremely poor and not very authentic adaptation of the book. But if you want to see shots of Savannah (especially the Mercer Mansion) or the real Lady Chablis (the drag queen who plays herself), it might be worth a look. Otherwise, stick to Berendt's wonderfully written book. Or at least, read the book first.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I had this book on my bookshelf for over three years before finally picking it up. Better late than never, right?! Now that I've finally read it, I must say how truly wonderful and exciting it is. The characters are so eccentric and bizarre, I had to keep reminding myself that these are REAL people. And John Berendt did an excellent job recreating this true-crime story into something so readable, humorous and delicious. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is fabulous...I couldn't get enough of it!

The main character in this novel is first and foremost, Savannah, Georgia. Such a glorious and mysterious backdrop for such an intriguing storyline -- and John Berendt fleshed it out so magnificantly, that Savannah breathes and lives as easily as those who live there. Mostly this book is about a rich antique dealer, Jim Williams, who was accused of murder. However, it is not an ordinary murder case -- all sorts of twists come out of the woodwork for this one, making this novel not only a true-crime story, but a mystery as well. Surrounding the murder aspect are the citizens of Savannah that the author comes in contact with: Luther Driggers, a former pesticide employee, who has a vial of poison potent enough to kill every one in the county; Chablis, the potty-mouthed drag queen and performer; Joe Odom, a modern vagrant who uses his home(s) as a tourist stop; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who uses roots, herbs, and graveyard dirt to weave her magic spells.

Excellent writing and amazing storytelling make Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and must-have book. One of the better novels I have read this year. I watched the movie afterwards, but the book, by far, tells the story better. I recommend this one to everyone -- southern fiction fans will delight in its eccentricities, true-crime lovers will enjoy the murder case, and armchair travelers will be booking trips to Savannah soon after the close of this book! Good job, John Berendt!

I have just read this book for the third, but not last, time. I just watched the movie again. Both are totally super, though different. But to the book....

The book is a total delight. While giving a rousing "travelogue" of the fascinating city of Savannah, GA, it also supplies a gripping plot--intense and fiction-like, though essentially a fact-based narrative.

You will come to love the eccentric, even strange, sometimes bizarre characters who inhabit Savannah--from the upper crust, to the fading beauty, to the African-American drag queen, to the squatter. Nobody here is perfect, but all are perfectly fascinating. While perhaps not trying to give a thorough analysis of all "types" who live in Savannah, I feel we come out of the book with a pretty well-rounded grasp if its various inhabitants.

If you know Savannah, you'll love this book. If you do NOT know Savannah, let this charming book introduce it to you. You'll want to visit.

If you've seen the movie, then read the book. If you've read the book, then certainly see the movie. This is one of those rare pairs where both the book and the film are wonderful and delicious!

I've never been to Savannah before, but after reading this book, I really want to go there! "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is a fantastic book about the leaders of Savannah society in the early 1980's. It's actually a work of non-fiction (although it reads very much like a novel), and it chronicles the events in author John Berendt's life when he ventures out of his New York City home and discovers the town of Savannah, Georgia. Berendt was instantly smitten with the town, and he decided to live there on a part-time basis. The book is peppered with stories about the dozens of interesting characters Berendt encountered, including Jim Williams, a charismatic yet mysterious antique dealer; Danny Hansford; a troubled young man with a dangerous streak; and Chablis, an extremely outgoing transsexual entertainer. At first the book appears to be just a series of colorful anecdotes about Savannah and its quirky residents. However, eventually a murder is committed, which results in multiple trials and chaos that spans almost an entire decade.

I really enjoyed this book. Berendt is an excellent writer, and his vivid descriptions of Savannah and its inhabitants made me feel like I was right there with these people when all these crazy events transpired. It was hard to remember that "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is actually based on a true story: All these characters are real and this murder mystery actually happened less than 30 years ago. If you're looking for a captivating murder mystery that is brilliantly written and will keep you up reading until the wee hours of the morning, this is definitely the book for you!

I must preface this review by saying I just returned from a week in Savannah...I did all the tourist things...even took "The Book" tour...

I've just re-read "The Book" for the third time and find it even more compelling, charming and utterly delightful than before.

As for its detractors, maybe this is a Southern thing, as we do celebrate our more colorful characters down here...my town's character doesn't collect insects, but he rides a bicycle, sits on Main Street all day, waves at everyone and knows their children...and yes, there are people who are one step ahead of their creditors, but I don't think they have tour buses stopping at their houses for lunch and the occasional hair cut. And no one I've ever known has taken a visitor to a cemetary, no matter how pretty is was, for chicken salad sandwiches and martinis.

I don't think the Married Women's Card Club could have survived for all these years if it were located say, in Chicago or St. Paul. It takes years of strict social standards to keep such rituals as when to serve water and when to "pass the linen" alive. The Olgelthorpe Club, Savannah Yacht Club (and its cousins) are still alive and well in the South, and have not yielded to outside pressures to become politically correct.

The charm and the underbelly of Savannah is real...Berendt captured it on paper and I saw it first hand.

I've never "fallen" for a city like I did for Savannah and, had it not been for "The Book," I would have never visited.

From what I read and what I learned on my trip, Jim Williams would have reveled in the spotlight of "The Book." I'm sure he's looking down (or up, depending on your point of view) and enjoying every snapshot the tourists take of Mercer House. In fact, I could have sworn I saw him looking out of the second story window....or it could have been the sun....

Enjoy!