

Loading... Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1994)by John Berendt
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Southern Fiction (17) » 13 more No current Talk conversations about this book. If you are looking for a good murder mystery to sink your teeth into, then put this book down for another day. This book is more about the culture of Savannah then about the plot itself. If you would like to dive into the city, the people, and the history/culture then I would definitely recommend this book. I like stories that flow more than this story does, and I picked it up for the mystery more than the culture. I believe, had I picked up this book with a different mind-set I would have enjoyed it more. ( ![]() When I originally read this book way back when, I read no non-fiction at all. This was the one that changed that and made it possible for me to enjoy a story about real-life. John Berendt crafts an engaging novel surrounding the real world death of Danny Hansford at the hands of Jim Williams, a multi-millionaire antique dealers. More than a murder story, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a story of the isolated city and peoples that populate Savannah, Georgia in the 1980s. I am from the South, born and raised. I am very familiar with Georgia, have spent alot of time there. I loved this book! I enjoyed experiencing the area through the eyes of someone else. The people you meet are delightful, the descriptions of the locale are spot on, and the true crime story is interesting. This book is an entertaining, and at times humorous, look into the town and residents of an idealistic Southern town with loads of personality. Loved every minute of it! This book uses a celebrated murder trial as a vehicle to introduce the reader to Savannah, Georgia and some of it's more colourful inhabitants.[return][return]The fist half of the book is spent introducing us around the place, and helps set the scene for the second half of the book: the murder of Danny by his boss (lover?) Jim. [return][return]Such are things that I remember more about the town than I do about the trial (and the result).
Elegant and wicked.... Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime. Belongs to Publisher SeriesFlipback (19) Has the adaptationIs abridged inHas as a commentary on the text
"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 reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case." "It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else." "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling southern city is certain to become a modern classic."--Jacket. No library descriptions found. |
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![]() GenresNo genres Melvil Decimal System (DDC)975.8724 — History and Geography North America Southeastern U.S. Georgia Southeast Georgia Chatham/Effingham Counties Chatham County/Savannah (Georgia)LC ClassificationRatingAverage:![]()
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