Rating: 
Summary: Now I know why this has been a bestseller for so long!
Review: I debated about reading this book for a long time. I usually don't read non-fiction, but since my preference is for murder mysteries, what better non-fiction book to read than a true crime story. Boy, am I glad I did. This book was so close to fiction that I had to remind myself frequently that is was a true story. I hope before I die that I'm able to go to Savannah and experience first hand the beauty that John Berendt wrote about so eloquently. I've always prided myself on my active imagination while I'm reading, imagining this person or that (actors, mostly)as certain characters. With this book, I could easily visualize Savannah and it's people. Before I read this book, I watched the special "Midnight in Savannah" on A&E and was "taken in " by this city. The characters are one of a kind-only Lady Chablis could have portrayed herself(?)in the movie. No other could immitate him/her!! And the voodoo woman, the woman of 6,000 songs, the Married Woman's Card Club-who could make this stuff up?!? I laughed alot and shook my head in disbelief at other times. But, when all was said and done, maybe Jim did finally pay the price for murder. After four trials, he was acquitted and dropped dead less than a year later. Go figure!!
Rating:
Summary: A Rare Blend of Humor and Murder
Review: Truman Capote is credited with having creating that hybrid of writing which combines a factual event with fiction in his novel IN COLD BLOOD. Much in the same way, John Berendt has cleverly interwoven a high-profile 1981 murder case with his vast imagination and created a masterpiece. This book is a terrific read from the very first. Who would have thought that a story based upon homicide could be so very entertaining and even laugh-out-loud funny? Berendt has brought us just that in his description of Savannah and its juxtaposition of old-world grace and modern-day outrage. He gives us the juicy gossip without being tacky about it and we follow him to parties of every class and color. The characters he brings us (and I would like to think that they are all real!) are three dimensional; not just words on a page. I am so glad to have read this work before seeing it maligned in film.
Rating:
Summary: Non-southerner be immersed in a different era and lifestyle.
Review: The "stereotypical" characters of a famed southern city come to life in this extraordinary book combining mesmerizing travelogue, keen social observation, and ironically humorous revelation of dark side of human nature.
Rating: 
Summary: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Review: Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil is one of the most interesting and suspense filled nonfiction crime novels I have ever read. It kept my attention with every page and had me wondering what would happen next. The story introduced the lives of the Southern elite and a cast of colorful and unique characters and how their lives intertwine. When an influential resident of the community is charged with the murder of his male companion, better known to others as the neighborhood hustler, Mr. Williams uses his money and influence to try to evade prosecution. After his unprecedented fourth murder trial in the same case, it is ironic that when he finally is acquitted, he suffers a fatal heart attack shortly after, and never gets to enjoy his freedom. I have learned that Savannah is a city with such great pride in its heritage that it doesn't particularly care for outsiders. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Understand the comparisons
Review: I understand the comparisons being made to Capote's "In Cold Blood" what with
the hybrid genre thing going on, but for me,
"Midnight" was more like "Bark of the Dogwood" than "In Cold Blood."
Nevertheless, this John Berendt
thriller (not in the gaudy commercial sense) is one
of the best-written books of the last century.
Truly. I avoided this for years because of the hype
and the awful movie that was made of it, but
when I did finally read it I found an almost perfect book.
My question is this: Where is Mr. Berendt now and WHERE'S his next book? We're all waiting!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I loved this book! I had seen the movie several years ago and then recently took a trip to Savannah. I came home and read the book. Maybe I enjoyed the book so much because I had spent some time in Savannah and could relate to the places they talked about (I also fell in love with the town while I was there). I thought the characters were eccentric but interesting. The only one I found to be too way out there, was Minerva. If you have seen the movie, but have not read the book, don't let that discourage you. The book is so much better. The movie leaves out a LOT of details that to someone who has not read the book, may get confused. The book is a true story, but names and such were changed in the movie. The book reads like a novel, but is a true story.
Rating:
Summary: Quirky People and a Murder Trial Unlike Any Other.
Review: MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL is a piece of nonfiction. However, it's not really a crime story, nor is it a straight biography/memoir. Instead, the book falls somewhere inbetween the two. The story revolves around the author's experiences living in Savannah, Georgia and meeting up with Jim Williams and his trial for murder that ended up being tried four different times over a period of eight years. The murder and the trials are kind of interesting and they are the threads that hold the story together. However, the really interesting parts about this book are the people. From Luther Driggers, a man who has a bottle of poison that could kill off everyone in Savannah, Georgia to the transvestite Lady Chablis to the vodoo mistress Minerva, this book is filled with quirky people. After reading the book it occurred to me that Savannah, though a city, reminds me of every small town I've ever lived in. People not familiar with small towns will probably find the characters interesting, but people who grew up in small towns might be amazed because they probably know someone who is an awful like one of the characters in the book. A very interesting read and a book that I didn't want to put down until I had finished it.
Rating:
Summary: Still a bestseller!
Review: Taking his cue from others who have mixed genres--Capote's IN COLD BLOOD comes to mind, as does Jackson McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD, Berendt has created for us a wonderful look into sultry Savannah with all its colorful characters and settings. If you saw the movie and were disappointed, don't feel badly. The thing was a mess and shouldn't have been allowed to happen. But the book is one of the few almost perfect pieces of literature to come out in a long time. Also recommended: In cold Blood and Bark of the Dogwood
Rating: 
Summary: Did I miss something???
Review: I read this book and struggled over every word. Perhaps I read
over the sentence that tied this book together. In my opinion it was just a travel brochure for
Savannah,Georgia telling about the different places, and the more curious characters. I'm one of those people who thinks it's worth your while to read every book you can, but I'm having a hard time of saying that with this book:(
Rating:
Summary: Midnight in the garden of good and evil
Review: If you are looking for a great read that captivates you at each turn of the page, then this is the book for you. I cannot think of just one word to describe it. It is interesting, intriguing, fascinating, suspenseful, and very well paced. You get caught up in the craziness of it all. If you get the chance to read this book, I would jump on it.
I absolutely adore the writing style of John Berendt, the author and at times, narrator. In the beginning, he manages to whet your appetite, and keeps you wanting more throughout the book's entirety. Midnight is several stories in this one book, and many of them are gossip having to do with the patrons of the town. Berendt does an excellent depiction of each one of these outrageous characters. By the end of the story, you feel like you have actually met them yourself.
Midnight is a work of non- fiction that takes place in Savannah, Georgia, the hostess city of the South. The main story of the book revolves around Jim Williams, a wealthy antique dealer who simply oozes of charm and arrogance, and how he manages to murder his close friend, Danny Hansford. Was it murder, or self defense? Decide for yourself.
Although the storyline is suspenseful, do not be fooled. The real star of Midnight is where the whole thing actually takes place, the city of Savannah herself. Berendt depicts Savannah as a preserved lifestyle, a place that will resist change at any cost. I visited Savannah after the first time I was captivated by Berendt's work, and I have never heard a statement more true. I highly recommend this book.
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