Book Review: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

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. (Synopsis from Random House)

Review: I loved this book. It's no lie that the book reads more like a novel than a book of nonfiction and I constantly had to remind myself that it was indeed nonfiction. The story, the characters, the writing style - it all flowed so well that before I knew it I was hooked. The main story is about the antique dealer Jim Williams, the death of Billy Hanson, the subsequent murder trial and the shake-up of Savannah.

John Berendt presents the characters and the setting - the beautiful, aristocractic Savannah, Georgia - in such a way that I want to visit the city more now than I ever did before, murder or no. Everything about the book is colorful and detailed, making the book not only fun but enjoyable as well. No doubt I will read this book again in the future.

Details:

• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group


• Pub. Date: July 1999


• Pages: 386 pgs


• Author: John Berendt


• Series: Vintage Ser.

Plans: Currently available

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