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Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
by: John Berendt |
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Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 975.8724 EAN: 9780679429227 Edition: 1 ISBN: 0679429220 Label: Random House Manufacturer: Random House Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 400 Publication Date: January 13, 1994 Publisher: Random House Release Date: January 13, 1994 Studio: Random House
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| Customer Reviews | ||
  - One of those books that you won't be able to put downI've never been to Savannah before, but after reading this book, I really want to go there! "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is a fantastic book about the leaders of Savannah society in the early 1980's. It's actually a work of non-fiction (although it reads very much like a novel), and it chronicles the events in author John Berendt's life when he ventures out of his New York City home and discovers the town of Savannah, Georgia. Berendt was instantly smitten with the town, and he decided to live there on a part-time basis. The book is peppered with stories about the dozens of interesting characters Berendt encountered, including Jim Williams, a charismatic yet mysterious antique dealer; Danny Hansford; a troubled young man with a dangerous streak; and Chablis, an extremely outgoing transsexual entertainer. At first the book appears to be just a series of colorful anecdotes about Savannah and its quirky residents. However, eventually a murder is committed, which results in multiple trials and chaos that spans almost an entire decade. I really enjoyed this book. Berendt is an excellent writer, and his vivid descriptions of Savannah and its inhabitants made me feel like I was right there with these people when all these crazy events transpired. It was hard to remember that "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is actually based on a true story: All these characters are real and this murder mystery actually happened less than 30 years ago. If you're looking for a captivating murder mystery that is brilliantly written and will keep you up reading until the wee hours of the morning, this is definitely the book for you! Rating: - One of my favorite booksIf you are planning on taking a trip to Georgia and have time to stop in Savannah I suggest you read this book. I have passed it to three of my friends already and they loved it. Rating: - Rich in Detail and EccentricityJohn Berendt does a fabulous job of describing his experiences in Savannah over an eight year period. The eccentrics he encounter paint a fascinating portrait of an isolated, contradictory environment. Berendt writes with an easy hand, rendering each event with vivid detail. The main plotline of the book follows Jim Williams, on trial for the murder of his young male lover. This main storyline is interwoven with the stories of a piano player/former lawyer who moves from house to house, generally living rent free, writing bad checks, and opening and closing various bars; an outrageous drag queen who loves being the center of attention wherever she goes;a voodoo priestess who communes with her dead husband; and a man who did chemical work for the government who carries a vial of poison powerful enough to kill the entire town, among other interesting people. If you've seen the movie, it is a condensed version of the events described in the book. The book takes place over a period of years and there is more than one trial for Mr. Williams. The author is a less central figure than in the movie, reporting on most of the events rather than actually participating in them. The people described are odd and entertaining. The book is less a true crime expose than a snapshot of a group of people over this period of time during which these murder trials were taking place. A fascinating study, highly recommended. Rating: - Midnight in the Garden of good and evilproduct arrived timely and in good condition. I would buy from this seller again. Rating: - midnight in the limelightIn an era where different is the newest trend, the world is still full of opinionated and prejudice people. Anyone who goes to a city where there are millions of people can expect that there would be a vast selection of diverse people. They can be distinguished by their race, gender, hair color, and even down to the type of clothing they are wearing. From an author who was born and raised in the large city of New York, John Berendt proves a small town can be just as diverse. As he makes his way down to the small town of Savannah, Georgia, he finds out what it really means to live there. New York Times says this is a "haunting tale of eccentricity, voodoo and murder". Savannah was founded in 1733 and is one of the few cities in the United States that has preserved its original beauty and charm. With that being said, many people would expect the people who live there to be the same way. In the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, he proves in his interviews and personal experiences that a small town like Savannah, Georgia can be the most diverse. Some may disagree but in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt makes a clear point of when there is more money there is more crime, it just goes unnoticed. The books main point is surrounded by Jim Williams. He is well-known throughout the city as being a wealthy, antique dealer who throws the most prestigious Christmas parties. While being the center of attention in Midnight, Williams is caught up with a teenage, drug addict named Danny, who then comes out as Williams's lover. After a night of drinking and partying, Danny stumbles into the Mercer House where Williams then shoots him. With all the trials and mishaps during the second part of this novel, Williams becomes ill and passes away. Midnight is a great example of how a crime so simple, can be the most difficult to solve. With money and power brings enemies. Jim Williams and Lee Adler make a great example of this. Lee Adler grew his fortune and fame by beginning the restoration of Savannah. He too lives in Monterey Square where Jim Williams resides. Williams believes that Adler is a fake and only does the things he does because he wants to be known. Lee Adler only moved to the city after the restoration process began because he feared the crime level. Midnight illustrates Adler as a conceded money man who is looking out only for the sake of himself. Although he and Williams have there differences, Adler is always on the list of guests for Williams extravagant Christmas parties. Since Savannah is a city that comes with a lot of money, there has to be some sort of beauty hidden inside. The most unique type of beauty queen would be that of Chalabis. Chalabis is definitely like no other beauty queen that anyone would suspect. "What was your name before that?" John asked. "Frank." Replied Chalabis." (Midnight) Chalabis grew up feeling that she was born in the wrong body. Since she was 18, she began getting shots of hormones that would make her look, act and seem more like a lady. With her new and improved self, she went out on a limb and entered a transsexual beauty pageant and actually won. With the win she had to confidence to enter more. Since then she has been working clubs around the country showing her attitude to anyone who will watch. All across the south Chalabis is known for her entertaining shows. Men and women of all races and incomes come from all over to see her shows. Her character in this novel makes someone take a second look at any beauty pageant across the globe. Another beauty pageant winner who is known in the city is Serena Dawes. She was also another abnormal pageant winner because she was a plus size contestant. After he husband passed away and her in-laws cut her off completely, Serena moved down to Savannah hoping for a new start. With her sassy, spoiled personality, Serena makes for an interesting stereotype of the plus size beauty queens. She shows no motivation to the reader or any intelligence, whatsoever. Serena makes for a nice segway to get to know her husband, inventor Luther Driggers. With the little money that Luther earns, he also must support Serena. Savannah seems to be a great place for someone to come and collect thoughts. Luther Driggers is an inventor who had lived there his whole life. He reportedly invented the chemical that is known to make flea collars, but his invention was stolen by an intruder in his home. The intruder gave Driggers zero credit for his work and reaped all the benefits. Some know Luther only to be the man who had a poison that could wipe out all of Savannah if he put it in the water and some know him as the man who is an insomniac. Many people fear him because they think if he gets mad then he will kill them all with his poison. Others fear him due to his pale and gangly appearance. Luther is a grand example of how someone with little leadership and money can have a whole city wrapped around his finger due to a tiny bottle containing a poison is his sock drawer. The author, John Berendt, grew up in Syracuse, New York and after graduating from Harvard University, he moved to New York City. Berendt was the editor for a New York magazine and then began writing for Esquire before beginning the writing process on Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. John and his friends used to take spontaneous trips all over the country. They would pull out a map and randomly pick a place to go. After looking over a map, they decided they would travel down to Charleston, South Carolina. While in Charleston, John Berendt decided he wanted to stay longer so he could rent a car and drive down to Savannah. He had heard about Savannah from the locals and drove past many signs pointing in the direction of Savannah which was only a 30 minute drive away. After the 30 minute drive, John decided he would stay the night. In that night he fell in love with Savannah. It was the next day that he had to go back to New York City so that he could get back to work. While back at work for a few weeks he decided to take another trip. After some research, Berendt realized that a 3-day weekend in Savannah was the same price as a "pillared of veal served on a bed of wilted radicchio" (Midnight). After a few weekend trips, John Berendt decided that Savannah would make for the perfect book so that other people could see what he saw when he went to visit. Since the writing of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt has only published one other book, City of Falling Angels. Midnight was on New York Time's best-seller list for four years in a row after the book was made into a motion picture. Although the movie "tampered with some facts and received unfavorable reviews, but increased sales of the book," said the New York Times. A review critic from Publishers Weekly calls the novel an "illuminating and captivating travelogue". Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt was an amazing reading experience. It takes you in and makes you feel a part of Savannah. With the large diversity and the small town feel, you can feel more apt to see people in a different light. It makes people want to feel less judgmental about one another and cherish the people around you. If everyone were the same then what would ever make life interesting? |
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