Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

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Summary: funny;entertaining; Berendt dishes out Savannah's dirt...
Review: If you like character analysis, you'll love "Midnight...". Berendt takes a character and shows his/her true colors. You wonder just how the folks in Savannah feel about having their lives displayed inside out. "Midnight..." brings out the true flavor of Savannah and all of its intrique. Berendt is open and honest in telling this true life story. He adds his opinions and reactions to the story, making you feel like you're experiencing Savannah right by his side. If you're curious about what life is like for a vodoo priestess, a transvestite, a gay antiques dealer, southern ladies and gentlemen, and Savanahans in general, you'll love "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil".

Rating:
Summary: Spellbinding.
Review: This book is too good to be non-fiction. If you read it, you will compare it to any gothic novel you have ever read and will find they all come out second best

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Summary: Berendt brought characters of Savannah to life in this book.
Review: I'm a Low-country native (Allendale,SC), so I love to read stories about the region. In addition, Berendt is an excellent storyteller. His style is so clear and engaging that he makes you feel like you are walking with him on the streets of Savannah. I loved Chablis. I know many of her sisters:-

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Summary: Yes, Savannah is that strange....
Review: This story is a good read about some of the wild and wealthy who lived and died in Savannah in the 1980's. My parents live in Savannah, if you have ever spent anytime in that area you would know that it is a dead on account of the people who live there... Everything from the kooky insect guy (Driggers) to the Voo Doo which goes on "religiously" just over the Savannah river in South Carolina. As usual the book and movie share the same name and thats about it (read: the movie stinks the book doesn't).

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Summary: Long confusing title but still a great book
Review: Some books just have that "It" - charm, humor, style and all the quirks that help make a story memorable. Non-fiction has never been more fun - in fact I had to contiously had to remind myself that this is actually a true story! You wonder how this cast of characters could all exist in one city!

The actual story revolves around a murder and if or if not it was committed. The accuses was prosecuted and convicted several times before he is finally freed. However, the true star of the story is the city of Savannah and all of the quirks that makes this city so unique.

I highly recommend "Midnight in Garden of Good and Evil" to anyone who enjoys well written books. This is not your typical drug store paper back written for the masses - so if that is what you are looking for you may want to skip this one.



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Summary: A spell-binding account of yet another injustice in America
Review: This book was a gift to me from an organization whose conference I spoke at in Savannah, GA. At first glance, I thought it was fiction. It wasn't. I had to keep reminding myself of this as I read. What a fascinating story! Imagine being tried for murder four times--for the same killing. That's what Jim Williams endured for nearly a decade--including eight years of prison until his final trial.

The characters in this account of a landmark murder case are real, but most are so eccentric that they seem like actors in a Monty Python skit. Berendt caught all the colorful details for the reader. As usual in America, justice is hard to get. In Williams' case, his personal proclivities made it impossible for him to get a fair trial in Savannah.

The personalities include a black pre-op transexual drag queen (who later went on to become a minor celebrity), a young redneck testosterone-soaked bisexual gigolo (who was murdered), a voodoo priestess, a piano-playing con artist attorney who doesn't pay his bills, a glory-seeking political schemer, a grossly incompetent and dishonest District Attorney, and other people who aren't exactly normal.

You can think of this book as a "true crime" story--with much of the crime actually being in the legal system. It's a riveting, and sometimes hilarious, page-turner. It takes you inside the various hidden agendas, secret attacks, oddball alliances, and crafty schemes that occupy the minds of people in a town where secrets are well-known and everyone knows everyone else's business.

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Summary: A Classic !
Review: This is one of those books that you read the first time and enjoy.Read it the second time and enjoy it even more!..I Loved this Story being a Southern Girl I could relate to these characters..This book has everything!True Crime,Humour,Lady Chablis makes the book a riot! Wonderful Job!Well Done!Keep em coming!

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Summary: Great Story - and true
Review: If you enjoy the southern charm of Savannah and the eccentricity of the people who live there, you will love this book. It contains the story of many people and institutions in this lovely city, told in a fascinating and riveting manner. It truly is one of those books that you can't put down.

Berendt spent time there and shares the extremely interesting facts of the architecture, culture, daily life in this amazing city. Though there are many stories told in the book, the main one is about Savannah antique dealer Jim Williams and the death of a young man in Williams home, Mercer House. It goes into detail about Williams life and the events that lead up to the murder.

If you have seen and enjoyed the film then that is great, but the book goes into much more detail and is better.

Rating:
Summary: Charming
Review: I originally bought this book in 1997. I was having a tough time with life then and couldn't get through the first 3 chapters. Then, in the fall of 2001, I picked it up again...and couldn't put it down.

In the same work, Berendt was able to show the corrupt underside of Savannah without sacrificing its undeniable charm. Odd that the 2 should co-exist so easily in a city.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting plot, even better characters
Review: I read this for school my junior year in high school, where we were assigned to pick a book of either poetry, short stories, or a biography. My teacher was reluctant to allow me to read "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" because of some of the themes (transsexualism, for instance), but I really enjoyed the novel. It may not be appropriate for some students my age, but for someone with a somewhat high maturity level, I find nothing wrong with letting him or her read this.

The novel has a much more interesting plot than I expected from a work of nonfiction. It follows a northern reporter (the narrator and author) as he learns about Savannah and its eclectic population, first on an assignment, and before long out of his own curiosity and enjoyment. He becomes friends with one of the prominent citizens of the city, Jim Williams, as well as many other eccentric characters. When Jim is accused murder, John gets a firsthand perspective of the trial and scandal associated with the case. The characters and events never cease to draw the reader in, as there is always something interesting going on, be it a voodoo ritual or the threat of poisoning the entire city's water supply with a single jar of powder.

The fact that this is a true story makes it much more riveting, although it would be a wonderful novel anyway. I recommend seeing the movie (AFTER reading the book)--the fact that the Lady Chablis plays herself made this especially interesting.

Despite a few more "mature" themes, I think that this is a wonderful book and highly recommend it to anyone not easily offended (...)