Rating: 
Summary: Great, fun, easy read--So much better than the movie
Review: This book is about Savannah, Georgia, more than it is about the murder trial of a self-made wealthy antiques dealer (he was charged with murdering a young man). Halfway through the book the murder still hasn't occured, much less has the trial started, but it's a great look at the South and how society-concious it still is today.
Rating:
Summary: Reads like a novel but lacks suspense.
Review: I too picked up this book because of the attention it was receiving nationwide. I was drawn by the vivid portrayal of the city and the people but a little disappointed in the actual covering of the crime. Part of this is my fault, I went in expecting a suspenseful, gripping murder mystery to go along with the hype, but what I got was a trial drama. That's a problem with preconceived notions, but not with the book itself. An enjoyable read, especially for non-fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: Read it only if you are going to Savanah, Ga.
Review: It was well written, but hey! What is the story? I know someone was killed but, when are we going to get to that. I could not put it down because I spent $16.00 to read it and I would have felt guilty if I did'nt read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting reading but not overwhelmingly exciting.
Review: I recently read this book prior to a trip to Savannah and found it to be okay but not what I expected after hearing so much hype about the book. However, after going to Savannah and seeing just about everything that was written in teh book, I had a better appreciation of the book as it came to life as I was touring the city. The book is almost like a cult figure in Savannah. It is in almost every gift shop and included in every tour. The book is a good read if you appreciate it for the non-fiction that it is.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Reading
Review: I usually stay away from non-fiction, but I had heard such great reviews that I decided to break my rule. I am not sorry. It was very entertaining as well as informative. I am very anxious to go to Savannah to see how realistic the descriptions of the real live places are. John, you did such a wonderful job that I just know it will all look exactly like I picture it.
Rating: 
Summary: Popcorn reading
Review: Reading this book is like eating popcorn. You are kept busy, but you don't ingest anything of real substance. Most of the chapters are simply self-contained "biographies" of a particular character. There is little, if anything, tying the characters together. As far as a plot is concerned...this book has no plot! What a waste of time and money.
Rating:
Summary: Starts off intriguing, goes nowhere
Review: I too am mystified as to how this book became such a runaway best seller. The book starts out well, introducing us to a cast of crazies and describing Savannah in such a rich way that we are immediately drawn in. Unfortunately, the subsequent murder story with Jim Williams seems tacked on, and amounts to little more than a rehash of the verdicts in his four trials. In the end, the book seems to be more of a long magazine article than a cohesive work of non fiction. A major disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: humerous descriptions of real people
Review: WHAT A KICK I GOT READING THIS NON-FICTION IMPRESSIONS OF SAVANNAH AND THE COLLECTIVE CHARACTERS AND WAYS OF LIFE IN THE SOUTH. I ALSO LEARNED SOME SOME INTERESTING HISTORY ABOUT JOHNNY MERCER AND CONRAD AIKEN . I READ THIS IN THREE DAYS ON A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT FOR A GOOD CHUKLE.
Rating:
Summary: Well-written travelogue that reads like a piece of fiction
Review: I read reviews about the movie version of this book. Most of the reviews said that the movie does not do justice to the book. Friends who had watched the movie concurred. Hence, I decided to read this book. It turned out to be a rewarding experience. This travelogue resembles a piece of well-crafted fiction. The chararcters in the book are too fictitious to be true. Even Mercer House was described in a such manner that it reads too opulent to be true. Until I came across an old article on Mercer House and saw photos of it then did I finally reconcile the granduer described in the book with the actual house. I would like to pay a visit to Savannah, an endearing town with eccentric people and beautiful places.Read this book, if not for the true events of Savannah, at least for the well-written prose. I look forward to John Berendt's second book.
Rating:
Summary: Good but not Great!!
Review: I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were funny and bizzare. I'll never look at houses the same. It felt like I was on a tour of Savannah with Bob Vila and Quetin Tarantino!
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