Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: Amazon.ca: John Berendt, Anthony Heald: Books

Product Description

From Amazon.com

John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil has been heralded as a "lyrical work of nonfiction," and the book's extremely graceful prose depictions of some of Savannah, Georgia's most colorful eccentrics--remarkable characters who could have once prospered in a William Faulkner novel or Eudora Welty short story--were certainly a critical factor in its tremendous success. (One resident into whose orbit Berendt fell, the Lady Chablis, went on to become a minor celebrity in her own right.) But equally important was Berendt's depiction of Savannah socialite Jim Williams as he stands trial for the murder of Danny Hansford, a moody, violence-prone hustler--and sometime companion to Williams--characterized by locals as a "walking streak of sex." So feel free to call it a "true crime classic" without a trace of shame. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

After discovering in the early 1980s that a super-saver fare to Savannah, Ga., cost the same as an entree in a nouvelle Manhattan restaurant, Esquire columnist Berendt spent the next eight years flitting between Savannah and New York City. The result is this collection of smart, sympathetic observations about his colorful Southern neighbors, including a jazz-playing real estate shark; a sexually adventurous art student; the Lady Chablis (' "What was your name before that?" I asked. "Frank," she said.' "); the gossipy Married Woman's Card Club; and an assortment of aging Southern belles. The book is also about the wealthy international antiques dealer Jim Williams, who played an active role in the historic city's restoration--and would also be tried four times for the 1981 shooting death of 21-year-old Danny Handsford, his high-energy, self-destructive house helper. The Williams trials--he died in 1990 of a heart attack at age 59--are lively matches between dueling attorneys fought with shifting evidence, and they serve as both theme and anchor to Berendt's illuminating and captivating travelogue.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Product Description

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

(What's this?)

Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)

western(1)

historical fiction(1)

Customer Reviews

410 Reviews

5 star:		(208)
4 star:		(113)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(29)
1 star:		(31)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (410 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly written, Dec 16 2007

By

Toni Osborne "The Way I See It" (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Paperback)

In the morning hours of May 2, 1981 shots are heard from one of Savannah, Georgia's grandest mansions. Was it a murder or self-defence? For nearly a decade, the aftermath has reverberated throughout this beautiful city.

This true crime murder story interweaves amongst a gallery of remarkable characters:

Well-bred society ladies compare notes about their husbands, a hilarious foul mouth black drag queen does her act, a voodoo priestess works her roots in the graveyard at midnight, a morose inventor with a bottle of poison powerful enough to kill everyone in town, a turbulent young redneck gigolo is a "walking streak of sex", an aging Southern belle is the "soul of pampered self-absorption". Some other eccentric residents of Savannah are observed .A sweet talking piano playing con artist, a arrogant antiques dealer, a young black dancing the minuet at a black debutant ball are just a few more.

This book is brilliantly written in the first person and Berendt himself is a significant player in the events as they unfold. The story is a captivating travelogue that gives an engaging portrait of a colourful southern city and its residents. The plethora of eccentric and bizarre characters makes you forget that they are real people. This novel is an entertaining masterpiece.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

5.0 out of 5 stars Great novel, Mar 10 2006

By

Frank Shelbot (N.S. Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Paperback)

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a tour-de-force of emotion. The truth sings in this page turner. The Deep South is America's bastion of antebellum traditions and social graces that permeate every tier of life in Midnight in the Garden. Truman Capote is probably the closest thing we have to MIDNIGHT and that would be his In cold Blood—but that was set in the Midwest, even though it was written by a Southerner. Savannah is the gatekeeper of it all, wrapping itself in isolation from intrusions of northern or foreign influences that have even permeated its sisterly rival, Charleston, in a more homogenous age. John Berendt, a true foreigner in this antique city, slowly unfolds a murder mystery with the same whispery gossip that can only exist in venues where the present day characters have evolved from a musty, mildewed past. To wend his way into Savannah's cloistered social maze, Berendt must become a trusted confidant, a real participant in wildly divergent lifestyles extending from a black drag queen's flamboyant escapades to a loveable drunken shyster and into the silver and crystal studded mansion society that still rules much of the South. Integrating himself into this intense crazy quilt of fascinating people who make up Savannah, Berendt has created a magnificent novel, one of the best to come from the South in many years. To truly understand the non-fiction side of this scandalous murder story, one must become a part of the society that whirled around it. A southern murder event is like none other. It envelopes families, history, racial and social barriers, and seems to silently pervade the oppressive summer mist that often creates a surreal stage amid the huge live oaks and their ghostly moss on moonlit nights. If you’re one for another flamboyant and riveting Southern genre novel, you must, must, must read -----A Tour of Southern Homes and Gardens by Jackson McCrae-----with its myriad twists and turns. While Midnight is one of my favorite books----- A Tour of Southern Homes---- makes it look somewhat pale—and that book also is rooted in truth. Truly, the Southerners have it hands-down when it comes to telling a good tale.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Enjoyable, May 28 2003

By

Melanie (Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Paperback)

Each chapter is crafted as if it is a short story, which Berendt has admitted to be deliberate as part of his strategy in crafting this book. The flow of the story and the characterization make the book feel more like fiction, yet this is non-fiction and the events you read about are historical fact.

You'll fly through this book without even realizing it is almost over. The writing is very original and the understated style of it draws you in and holds you. This author is very talented, and I look forward to more from him.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 410 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 577 reviews 4.1 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars CD Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil
CD = Excellent quality & thoroughly enjoyed. Really a 5-star product but it arrived a day later than expected. Read more

Published on Jan 22 2010 by Sue Reads

4.0 out of 5 stars Great summer reading
"Embedded - not set- in the capital S " South" -Wonderfully quirky and stylish story including murder , the luscious city of Savannah and a little bit of voodoo just for fun.

Published on July 4 2007 by Mary Ellen