Rating: 
Summary: A mah-velous read, indeed.
Review: A few friends and I took a drive down to Savannah two years ago. It was a quaint little city with delicate Victorian homes and Spanish moss hanging from tree limbs over each street. The squares at each intersection had gardens which I found odd. Going souvenir shopping, many stores had the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". Not being from the South, I never knew what the book was about, but this trip had perked my eyes to the novel.
The writing style of Berendt is remarkable in it's balance of putting you in the Victorian homes, having you walk those squares, and inviting you to the parties of Savannah's elite.
Berendt's deliverance of subtlety and character texture is one of the finest elements in the novel. Each idiosyncracy and quirk of character leaves the reader wanting to know more. For example, one character has a bottle of deadly poison. Berendt only gives a taste, tells you all you need to know then drops you off, leaving only you and your imagination with that person.
This book has more charm and style than most books I've read. The charm has everything to do with the "old" and "new" money of Savannah, each extravagence presented in a "this kind of stuff happens every day" tone.
The Lady Chablis and Jim William's belief in Minerva are two of my favorite aspects of the novel.
Rating:
Summary: ECCENTRIC WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT
Review: i have just completed reading the book for the second time and it is even better the second time around. if the reader did not know this was a true story the book could easily be passed off as a fiction story. the people of savannah are so unusually cool that you cant help but fall in love with them. for example who would have thought that there would actually be a man that ties bugs to his clothes because he likes them. i love the fact that there was a great number of people that go everywhere with guns and like to show them off to each other at parties. the most famous character to come out of the novel is the lady chablis. she is one of the funniest and up front people i have ever seen or read about. she even wrote her own story called hiding my candy that is also very funny and telling. the main story revolves around the three murder trials involving jim williams. there is a lot of drama in trying to get the man acqitted over the course of three trials. there is everything from petty dislikes to scientific evidence, and voodoo involved in the prosecution and defense of the case. the story travels the spectrum of high level literature. there are so many things to talk about in the book, but the only way to do them justice is to read the book and find out for yourself. you get to meet mandy, joe, luther, serena, chablis, jim, sonny, and the list goes on and on. personally i love the movie, there is no way to ever put everything form the book into the movie. there are many conversations from the book that are placed directly into the movie which i think is pretty cool. the lady chablis thankfully plays herself in the movie, which is a blessing because there is no one that could have pulled her character off and i seriously believe that. one day i will go to savannah and experience this little world for myself, but until then i will always have this book to remind me who interesting poeple can really be.
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: Delightful stroll down Oglethorpe Avenue
Review: I picked this book up initially because I am a lawyer, and I was interested to find out how it happened that Jim Williams was tried for one murder four different times. However, I soon found out that this is probably the least compelling aspect of this book. While the trials are indeed fascinating, the real meat of the story is in the characterization of Savannah!The author moved down to Savannah because he was enchanted by the tree lined streets and huge, graceful old homes, as well as its boast that it was the most hospitable city in the world. Soon he was enmeshed in both the best and worst Savannah has to offer. When you read this book, you feel as though you have met each of the characters. My favorites are Minerva, the voodoo priestess in whom Williams places all of his confidence for trial success, and Chablis, the flamboyant singer and transvestite. I especially enjoyed the description of Chablis's outlandish behavior at the black debutante ball. These are only two of a host of fascinating characters. The City of Savannah itself is the most major character of all in Berendt's story. Savannah lures visitors in with its boasts of hospitality, but it won't let them stay too long. It chooses to remain a mysterious Southern lady, isolated from the rest of the world by geography, history, and philosophy.
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 (...)
Rating:
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: A wonderful guilty pleasure
Review: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is just that. A snap shot into the lives of the wealthy and privileged of the South captured in the pages of this novel by the more than skilled and nimble fingers of John Berendet. I almost did not want to reach the end. I fell in love with Savanah, with the wild, wacky and wonderful people that fill this book to the brim with a richness that could only be true. There is a reason that Midnight was the longest running hardback on the New York Times Bestsellers list. It was only recently made into a paperback so that it could reach another audience. This is the story of wealthy and eccectric Jim Williams, who throws lavish parties, is the envy of all of Savannah and equally despised by the same people. During a wild party, one of many, the readers begin to glimpse the underbelly of Jim's world and then suddenly a shot rings out and a man is dead. Accident or murder? How does a transvestite, a vodoo priestess and UGA fit into the picture? You will have to read this fantastically crafted book to discover the truth. If you love the book as much as everyone else - you should rent the movie (which does not hold a candle to the book) just to see the REAL Lady Chablis as she plays herself in the movie. Enjoy this one - it is really worth the read!
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing Portrait of Savannah
Review: Non-fiction stories of a unique southern city are nicely interwoven by Esquire writer Berendt, who was lucky enough to live there. Basically, it is a true crime novel, but it is written with warmth, humor, and a remarkable eye for detail. Berendt takes the reader behind velvet curtains and antique walls into a society where pedigree is based as much on lineage, wealth, and power as on quirky southern traditions like knowing how to serve a fine platter of tomato sandwiches. Forget Eastwood's oddly disappointing film; this book is quite marvelous. True crime lover? You will enjoy the book's steamy setting and colorful characters, an almost poetic break from the repetitive and merely competant writings by the likes of Ann Rule. Aristocracy - watcher? You will savour the odd little schemes and intrigues exposed without any hint of malice. The tragic saga of one man's extraordinary ascent into high society is presented amidst many delicious (and often hilarious) vignettes of all levels of Savannah's class structure. The author beautifully describes Savannah's magic, mystery, and achingly sad decay. Really, it is a fine tribute to this historic city of likeable conmen, sexy ne'er-do-wells, conniving politicians, and obsessive hostesses. It's a real page-turner, a good companion if you are planning to visit Savannah.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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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