Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
by John Berendt
by John Berendt
Synopsis
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 is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.
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 is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.
Review
This was one of those books that I couldn't believe I hadn't read by the time I picked it up. It was on the NYT Bestseller's List for quite a long time (albeit quite a few years ago) and was a favorite by many of my friends. It seems like a million people had told me I should read it.
I had mixed emotions on this book. I see its appeal as a "tell all" when it was written in the 90's (nearly 20 years ago!). However, the entire time I had this feeling that I was on the outside of an "inside joke" or when someone is telling you a story and then they give up and say "you just had to have been there". I feel like I needed to know Savannah in person to really 'get' the popularity of this book.
Part I of the book was dreadfully slow for me, but by Part II I will admit that I couldn't put the book down. Having the book take place in the South was definitely a bonus, I am always enamored by the way of life in The South (so different and 'romantic' compared to the mid-west). I will say I liked this book and it does bring up a desire to visit Savannah for sure!
I had mixed emotions on this book. I see its appeal as a "tell all" when it was written in the 90's (nearly 20 years ago!). However, the entire time I had this feeling that I was on the outside of an "inside joke" or when someone is telling you a story and then they give up and say "you just had to have been there". I feel like I needed to know Savannah in person to really 'get' the popularity of this book.
Part I of the book was dreadfully slow for me, but by Part II I will admit that I couldn't put the book down. Having the book take place in the South was definitely a bonus, I am always enamored by the way of life in The South (so different and 'romantic' compared to the mid-west). I will say I liked this book and it does bring up a desire to visit Savannah for sure!
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