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Summary: See the movie first
Review: This is the ONLY book I've ever read which has been brought to life better as a movie than on paper. You've got to see Lady Chablis for yourself!And the core of tbe plot is supposed to be an upperclass gentleman's trial for murder, but the trial's just not that interesting. And then there's a retrial...and another one...and another one... On the other hand, I appreciated a lot of the book's details that were left out of the movie. Like the author, I'm a native yankee who moved to the south...and that, in itself, is an inside joke. If you're a yankee who's never spent a good amount of time in the south, or if you're born-and-bred southern, you probably won't "get" the quirky yet true-to-life phrases, customs, and lifestyles which Mr. Berendt subtly but honestly portrays.
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Summary: Hilarious
Review: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a wickedly funny book with a diverse and always interesting cast of characters. The story revolves around a suspect antiques dealer but eventually encompasses many more inhabitants that are true Savannahian. They gleefully air all of their dirty laundary, and oftentimes embrace it also. Berendt creates an unforgettable atmosphere and ultimately a book that will undoubtedly become a classic. However, this book should be accompanied with a warning label: Read only with an open mind and black sense of humor!
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Summary: The social tapestry of Savannah
Review: I found this book in a consignment shop, oddly enough. The cover looked interesting and I heard the movie was pretty interesting as well, so I decided to buy it. It was a pretty good read. I felt like a Savannian after reading it. The string of characters seem over-embellished in some places, but they indeed hold your attention, and make you laugh. The turbulent Danny, the colorful transvestite Chablis, and the well-meaning conman Joe Odom provide an interesting opposition to the neutral, level-headed narrator, who justs goes along for the ride. I enjoyed how Berendt used the whole first half of the book ("Part One") to provide detailed biographies of many of the books' recurring characters, not even mentioning the crime until the beginning of "Part Two." This book is not simply a murder-mystery -- quite the opposite! It gives a diverse, rich view of the Savannian social tapestry. Definately read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Yet another Review - just because it's splendid!
Review: When 332 people before me have written reviews it seems a little superfluous to add another! I am forced to do so however out of sheer indebtedness to the author for producing this marvellously, perversely enjoyable book that has become a favourite - probably a perennial one - of my entire family. We fell in love with Savannah when we visited it while retracing Sherman's March to the Sea some years ago - having come to know cities intimately in every continent except Antarctica we quickly voted Savannah "the most beautiful small city on Earth" - and in the process we came to know "The Garden". Its only weakness as a book is that it ever ends - one wishes this kaleidoscope of life, vice, virtue, eccentricity and colour to go on and on. The characters are unforgettable, the writing delightful and its is difficult to peruse it for any length of time in the presence of another without starting to read out loud. This is the book that a Thackery liberated from the restrictions of his time would have written had he visited the Georgian city in the 1980's. Wonderful - beg borrow or even steal it (as no doubt some of the characters would do) - but read it!
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Summary: So Good, Its Evil
Review: Having just recently visited Savannah, I finally got around to reading John Berendt's spellbinding "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." I found it to be every bit as good as Truman Capote's real life crime saga "In Cold Blood" and quite a bit funnier to boot. Berendt, like Jon Krakauer in "Into Thin Air" was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time when an extraordinary series of events occurred. In this case, he had already come to know Savannah socialite Jim Williams and had met Williams rambunctous young housemate shortly before Williams shout the younger man under mysterious circumstances. Williams was tried no less than FOUR times for the killing. He was convicted the first three, but each conviction was overturned on a technicality. All of this plays out against a backdrop as colorful as any that has been created in fiction. Berendt encounters a plethora of eccentric Savannah characters including a deadbeat lawyer, a black drag queen, a somewhat unstable government scientist and a host of others that could only exist in a society as strange as that of the city they inhabit. Berendt readilly admits that there are embellishments and that the book is not intended to be a journalistic account. This is fine, because what he has written is an entertaining masterpiece that proves once again that truth really is stranger than fiction.
Rating:
Summary: So Good its Evil
Review: I've owned this book for a long time, but it was not until after a recent trip to Savannah that I decided to give it a read. And I certainly don't regret it. This book ranks with Truman Capote's classic "In Cold Blood" as a "nonfiction novel" crime story. Author John Berendt, a native New Yorker, spent the better part of a decade living in Savannah. As fate would have it, he came to know and interview the eccentric antiques dealer Jim Williams shortly before Williams shot a young hustler who turned out to be his homosexual lover. Berendt was then privy to the inside story during Williams's unprecedented FOUR murder trials resulted from the shooting. Along the way, he runs into a host of colorful and memorable characters who could only exist in a city as steeped in history and social tradition as Savannah. Berendt gives the characters their due with masterful storytelling and compellingly readable prose. "Midnight" was for him the story of a lifetime, and he pulls it off brilliantly. The narrative is written in the first person and Berendt himself is a significant player in the events as they unfold. He readilly admits that he has changed a number of names and even physical descriptions of some of the characters. He also admits to inserting a few narrative flourishes to give the story flavor. That's fine, because the central plot itself is not nearly as interesting as the colorful canvas upon which it unfolds. Berendt's book is like a painting rather than a photograph. And it should be admired as such. Ultimately, it shows that truth really is much stranger than even the best fiction.
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Summary: Don't read the book, don't watch the movie-- LISTEN!
Review: Jeff Woodman's performance of John Berendt's novel is nothing short of amazing. Woodman's accents are right on! Ordinarily, I choose audio books merely for the sake of convenience and entertainment on car trips, but I am so happy that I listened to his performance rather than reading the book myself. (My inner dialogue would have been so inadequate for Berendt's work.) I can't imagine that a reader would have the same understanding of this particular book. The whole experience was captivating and made miles on a long trip fly by!
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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 non-fiction crime novels I have ever read. It keeps my attention with every page and has me wondering what will happen next. The story intrduces the lives of the southern elite and a cast of colorful and unique characters, and how their lives intertwine. When an influential person of a 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 4th murder trial in the same case, it is ironic that when he finally does get acquitted, he suffers a fatal heart attack and doesn't get 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 novel.
Rating:
Summary: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Review: This book consists of many colorful characters whose lives unfold in elaborate detail. In fact these characters bring out the best in this story. Once you have read this book, you are going to want to take a trip to see Savannah, Georgia for yourself. The author does a terrific job in recreating the scenery in this book. It's a tell all tale with a twist. Things are not always what they seem. If you like murder mysteries and intriguing characters I highly recommend reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil
Review: An EXCELLENT Savannah murder story, with intriguing and eccentric characters, and interesting peeks into Savannah society - this book is hard to put down! If you loved this book, check out Delirium of the Brave by William C. Harris (his first novel). It is a multi-generational Savannah story, as well, with colorful characters.
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