Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

I loved this book! The chareacters and plot are very original and catching. I think that way the book is written draws you in and makes you want to keep reading and the way he describes Savannah makes you want to move there or at lease visit. The characters are all colorful and you love them. This is a good book for someone who likes mystery and comedy.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a splendid piece of nonfiction. Part true crime, part Savannah guidebook, it reaches beyond both of these to become a captivating character study. John Berendt effortlessly captures the voices of both the people he meets and the city of Savannah, itself. And yet, though his impressions and experiences shape the narrative, he remains an understated presence in the book, offering what he sees and hears with minimal commentary, and leaving us, the readers, with the sense that it is we who are in fact meeting these people and this place. As their new acquaintances, moreover, we're free and welcome to come to our own conclusions about the quality of their characters, and so we, too, become drawn into the book's singular series of events. Deftly rendered with elegant and evocative prose, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a funny, insightful, and often touching glimpse into Savannah's charming, mysterious heart.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

In the book every moment seems to lead up to main plot. The book is very organized and easy to read. The characters in the book are very different than normal characters and it is what captures your interest to start with. My favorite character would have to be Chablis, just because of her attitude and personality. In the town of Savannah, it would be very peaceful and I believe that the author portraid the town very well. It's easy to picture in your mind, even if you don't have a creative imagination. The ending was well rounded, but it possibly could have added what every one was doing in the end of the book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

BEWARE ABRIDGED AUDIO BOOKS

This audio version of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is an example of how a great paper book can be turned into a dreadful audiobook. Actor Anthony Heald performs well enough, but it's pretty funny when he tries to make his voice sound like a an elderly, southern, african-american voodoo priestess. It's a stretch for a white guy. My main beef with this dud is the abridgement. When I first picked it up and saw "Abridged" printed on the box I groaned. But then I noticed that it was three discs. Midnight is a pretty short book, the three disc length led me to believe that only a minimal amount of text was cut out. So I broke my usual rule with audiobooks - never buy an abridgement!

I popped it in the car and all was well until I got to the third disc. After only a few minutes of "Midnight", it was THE END! I was left wondering what was occupying the other hour of the disc. Well, to my horror, it was the author himself, John Berendt, in a long, boring ode to himself. He congratulates himself effusively for writing such a spectacular book. He is sure to let us know how famous he is. How many languages it's been translated into. How much he's done for the city of Savannah, how much the citizens love him..... bla, bla, bla, until I almost fell asleep at the wheel. I would have much preferred that the remainder of the disc was left to the continuation of the actual book. So in the end, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was abridged into only two discs. And then you're also paying for an extra disc of blather. Dont bother.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Hopefully the Movie Will Be Better

I found Midnight in the Garden of God and Evil to be somewhat of a good read. There were parts in the story that were very interesting but mostly it was a treatise of southern life which I already am aware of. This book may be more interesting to people who don't live in small southern cities like Savannah. I am looking forward to seeing how the movie by the same name is compared to the book. If you're looking for a good southern crime drama stick with John Grisham.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

There's a reason why this was on the Best Seller list for almost 4 years...

John Berendt has put together a series of anecdotes of quirky characters in Savannah, Georgia -- and the city basically becomes a character all on its own. As much as I loved "City of Falling Angels," there is a reason that "Midnight" was on the Best Seller list for almost 4 years -- it's amazing, hilarious, touchy, and quirky! I laughed out loud so many times throughout this, reading the anecdotes of characters that the author puts together over a series of 8 years that he lived between New York City and Savannah, Georgia -- the trial of Jim Williams, fascinating and hidden with secrets, is not the crux of the book, as the movie displayed it. The trial is a key part, however it truly is about 40% of the book, with the remainder about the life and the people of Savannah. And as much as I love Clint Eastwood's movies -- the movie did not do John Berendt's book justice at all. Read the book only -- it is absolutely amazing!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

More Exciting than the Movie

This is a great page-turning book - not necessarily stimulating or thought provoking, but very enthralling and well written. The approach is unique, similar to something out of the "true crime" genre, but more than mere reporting. The author's journalistic attention to detail is essential to the drama, with some added touch relating personal experiences and interactions with the principal characters. Again, the approach was very unique, well-written, and quite entertaining. The City of Savannah can thank this book's success for putting it back onto the tourists' map. The author's follow-up didn't do as well, partly because Savannah is much more accessible to the American audience than an aristocratic city in Europe. Lastly, I saw the movie after reading the book, and I found the movie to be boring compared to the book!! Read the book, skip the movie, and visit Savannah!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

You couldn't make this stuff up!

I became so engrossed with this tale, town, characters and plot and felt as though I was a part of it all. Berendt's rich descriptions of each character and their contrasts and intertwining is brilliant. It's a book you swear you can smell, taste, hear and have to peer out your window once in awhile to make sure you are not living on one of Savannah's beautiful squares.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

One of the best

I love this book. Have read it often. And even had a friend read a few chapters to me at bedtime. It helped me begin my love affair with Savannah, GA. I've read also a more recent book by this author and the writing style seemed so very different. I've also read small articles written by Jim Williams of Savannah, subject of this book. I find that the sound & tone of MIDNIGHT really seem more like Mr. Williams sound & tone. Either the author captured it perfectly or relied heavily on taped interviews with Jim Williams. Either way, the book is a delight and Mr. Williams a brilliant and charismatic person who was persecuted by jealous people, persecuted to death. Such a loss but beautifully documented here.

I enjoyed the book, but the movie more

He may have picked the more sensational aspects of his time in Savannah but John Berendt needed to focus on something. And focus he does. He depicts a Savannah both mysterious and genteel. Good read, great film.

Recommend if you plan to visit Savannah soon.

The descriptions of the characters and the Savannah area were thorough and interesting, but the plot seemed to drag. I had visited Savannah last summer and there were many references to this book from the tour guides and tourist information. I expected more to the story. I plan to watch the movie now and hope the screen play is better written than the book. The book may have had a bigger impact on me if I had read it when it first came out. Many of the social issues it dealt with are no longer as shocking as they might have been back then.

A must read

This is a fun read about the curious people in Savannah GA. I don't read many books but found this one an easy read. And it is a true story!

Historical Savannah

Visited Savannah this Fall so it was interesting to see all the places that were mentioned in this story. Bonaventure Cemetery was definitely my favorite place. As for this story, it was just O.K.

Great book

Great storyline. Loved the characters- looking forward to my next visit to Savannah!

Highly recommended!!

This book is soooooooo goood!! This book keeps you guessing! J-U-I-C-Y! Don't start this book unless its in the morning You wont wanna put it down.Its fantastic ! I would not recomnd this book for kids because Lafy Chablis is funny but foul mouth :( This mystery is soooooooooooooo just i cant even explain you gotta read it your self! The vocabulary is great I wouldnt reccomebd this for someone with a bad vocabulary. But if u would still choose it carry around a small pocket dictionary!!

Good

Good book

A good reading

I read this book a long time ago, so my review isn't perfect but what I can say is that this book is very mysterious. It's about the south, so it has the culture of the south. And the title of this book is what draw me to it. Overall, the characters were amazing with their attitudes. And if you like a good mystery plot, then this book is a good one.

Love it love it Can't get enough

Having been to Savannah many times I love this book 10x more. If you haven't been to Savannah then read this book and GO. Watch the movie before you do. THe movie brings it to life. Love love love this book. The characters are so real, and they are which is the best part. It's so crazy it has to be true.

Smile Smile Smile :)

John Berendt recreated a world that I wanted to fall into perfectly in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I started to read this book in Borders (I know, I'm a traitor for leaving Barnes and Noble), and could not put it down. Of course, I had to, to avoid being arrested for shoplifting, but that's not the point.
I downloaded the book later that day, and was once again amazed at how easy it was to slip into the historic town of Savannah, Georgia. The characters were people--real, living, breathing, people that took this book from good to great. Although at times the characters could get tiresome, you know that they have to be--it is based on a true story after all. The narrator of the story provides a detailed description of his surroundings without seeming neither too superfluous nor too clinical, and you can tell from each sentence that he is just as interested in this story as you, the reader, are.
All in all, this book is fantastic. Get it. Geeett it... Like, right now. :)

Highly reccommended

I loved this book. If you love historical fiction and a fun read, this is for you!