Rating: 
Summary: Uhmm... yes, it's sort of OK
Review: I guess I must be outside the book's "target audience"... I get the feeling that to REALLY enjoy the story I'd have to be a resident of some large US metropolis like LA or NY and then I could have all sorts of fun feeling smug while reading about Savannahians and about how quaint and charming Georgians are.The whole trouble is that the author's Savannah (which sounds pretty charming, really) is neither quaint nor decadent. There is no real darkness on the edge of town nor weird scenes inside the goldmine. Fortunately for the Savannahians they don't seem to have even scratched the surface of real decadence, and I'd love to see what the author would make of places such as Naples. Overall, the author comes across as leading a very sheltered life. You mean he had to go all the way to Georgia to meet a drag queen? Don't some ppl live a step ahead of their creditors in NY? Aren't there any couldn't-care-less jurors in big cities? Don't these things happen in NY and the rest of the world? All in all, it feels as if the author keeps marvelling at perfectly ordinary things. Overall, the end result is tepid and forgettable: Berendt has neither the grit of a James Ellroy nor the charm of a Gerald Durrell... Ho hum.
Rating:
Summary: A bit disappointed
Review: As much as I enjoyed each chapter individually, this book as a whole was quite difficult to get into. It was wonderfully written, yet lacked a page-turner feel. Berendt does have a knack for developing terrific scenes and characters though.
Rating: 
Summary: Unlike any other story
Review: John Berent's vivid details have the power and the ability to arouse and ensconce strong emotions within a reader throughout a particular series of events. In this story, Berendt describes his stay in the small town of Savannah, situated south of Atlanta. Every character the reader is introduced to is interesting in his or her own way. The plot and structure of this story was quite like no other book I have read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Not your Garden Variety Novel
Review: Berendt, in his novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, has painted a vivid, bittersweet portrait of a city that burns with passion and seeths with ancient mystery. His blend of soft prose, engaging dialogue and real-life characters and experiences draws the reader into a world where anything is possible. Though the story is excellent, the true virtue of this book is the loving, intricate, powerful depiction of Savannah itself and the many unique characters that inhabit it. Many interesting facts about Savannah come to the surface, and many other facts that one wouldn't ordinarily know about (for instance, the Johnny Mercer House, around which much of the story revolves, was used as one of the settings in the film Glory). Berendt knows this city, knows its people, and his loving touch and style brings out the truth of Savannah. A book definately worth the price of admission. Please Check it out. You won't be sorry. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Taken in context, a good read
Review: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a fun book. It explores the social conflicts which abound in Savannah, GA, a southern city that has somehow managed to keep both feet in the past while incorporating some modernizations. Author Berendt weaves a tapestry out of those conflicts - rich vs. poor, society insiders vs. outsiders, new money vs. old money, etc. The event or plot device on which he hangs this tapestry is a man named Jim Williams who embodied many of those conflicts - a wealthy antique dealer who moved in the highest circles of Savannah society, but who led a hidden lifestyle. Berendt, who lived in Savannah for a time and who had close personal contact with many of the people depicted in the book, does a pretty good job of exposing a divided city. Where he sometimes fails is in concentrating so heavily on the most extreme examples of the city's conflicting elements, leaving the reader feeling that everyone in Savannah is shallow and two-faced. If you keep in mind that Berendt is only showing those people who embody the extreme elements of Savannah society, the book is easier to enjoy. For the most part, it's a true story (I knew some of the people depicted and can attest to Berendt's faithful depictions). And it's a LOT better than the movie...
Rating:
Summary: Midnight in the garden of good and evil
Review: this was a wonderful book full of possibilites and endless options of happiness.
Rating:
Summary: This book got me into literature
Review: Well, I never was a big fan of reading, let alone literature. The reason I bought this book at first place, was because of its cover. When I saw the "Bird Girl" I said, " I want to go there". The book is absolutely fantastic. It is the way it is written, not so much the facts it talks about. Since I read the book, I have booked a flight to Savannah, to spend a week there, and I am also reading one book a month, which is a miracle compared to one book/2 years I used to read before....thank you John Berendt, thank you Savannah.
Rating:
Summary: Inspired entertainment...
Review: If you are ever in pain and need a remedy that will take you out of yourself and into a delicious, amusing, hilarious, divine and outrageous fantasy world that just happens to be true, read "Garden." I read it a long time ago, but it stands out as one of the more fun experiences of my reading history. I almost regret having read it because I fear that never again will it be so enjoyable to read as that first glorious time. What makes it so fabulous is that the first half of the book is just a warm-up - and what a warm-up! Lucky readers who haven't yet picked it up...treat yourselves!
Rating:
Summary: Lost in the Timeline
Review: John Berendt narrates a wonderful, intriquing story of life in Savannah. However, I get lost in the "Timeline". One minute I think I'm in Post-Civil War Era and next in the "90's". Am I mistaken, or is this a rewritten version of another similar story that took place in the 40's? Can anyone help me?
Rating:
Summary: One Bemused Yankee
Review: In the book, Savannah's fundamental weirdness runs even deeper than it does in the movie. (That's not to take anything away from the movie, where there are time restrictions.) Mr. Berendt was one bemused Yankee, and there are byways of plot in the book left unexplored in the film.
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