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Summary: (Resubmitted) - Find out what the fuss was about
Review: This is one of those books, like Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie, that for some reason captures the attention of the book-buying public, as the hardcover version was on the bestseller lists for years. Most readers have given you their opinions here at Amazon, 325 at last count, and so I figured I would put in my two cents as well. (Please note this review is resubmitted to correct technical errors in the previous version).Berendt seems to be the perfect example of a writer being in the right place at the right time - he appears in Savannah as a featues writer to cover a lavish holiday party hosted by the extravagant antiques dealer Jim Williams, at the famed Mercer House, and is swept up in a murder and ensuing trial. There is no great mystery associated with the murder itself, everyone knows ... pulled the trigger, and yet Berendt manages to write a colorful, suspenseful page-turner that captivated the imagination of the public like few other non-fiction novels ever have. In Cold Blood by Capote comes to mind, but trust me this story is infinitely more entertaining. Ultimately, the book works on many levels. It is an effective chronicle of a series of high-profile trials, an extended travelogue in which the colorful city of Savannah stands out as perhaps the star of the book, and a profile of Savannah's arostocracy, in which the reader understands Williams' sense of wanting to belong despite considerable obstacles. (Williams was not "old money", and therefore not really accepted in the city's highest circles, and as the trial revealed he was gay). Most of all, the book is a smorgasbord of colorful characters (none more compelling than the Lady Chablis) and bizarre situations that create a timeless sense of Savannah as a mysterious, alluring city. You encounter men walking imaginary dogs, a voodoo priestess performing odd rituals in a graveyard, and a lawyer who takes off with the UGA mascot for the annual Florida v. Georgia college football game, in the midst of the biggest murder trial of his career. The language of the book is effortless, almost as if it wrote itself, which makes sense when you consider the author came from a magazine background and started out writing a "fluff" features piece. Berendt thankfully avoids the excessive crime scene minutae and endless details of minor courtroom tactics that sometimes bogs down other true crime books, and keeps the reader focused on the sense of place, and the colorful characters, that are the true focus of his story. I enjoyed it thoroughly, read it very quickly and was sorry to put it down. A definite thumbs up.
Rating: 
Summary: This book does not deserve 5 stars!
Review: I listened to it on my way to work, and since you don't have much to do but listen to the radio, look at the cars around you, or listen to whatever is on your CD player... oh, well, I did listen to this CD. I had heard wonders about this book and figured it would be good. But guy was I wrong! To begin with, the reader is terrible, and that probably doesn't help. But on top of that the story is simply going nowhere.
Rating: 
Summary: Berendt has created a classic!
Review: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story by John Berendt is a true crime novel; however, it is written with warmth, humor, and a remarkable eye for detail (which is indeed rare, since most crime novels only focus on the crime and all the side plot come second hand). Berendt takes the reader behind velvet curtains and antique walls into a society where a persons status (in this society) is based on many different factors; one can have high status in this society because of one's lineage, wealth, and power as well as if one has the ability to perform quirky southern traditions like knowing how to serve a fine platter of tomato sandwiches. I absolutely loved this book and I would absolutely recommend reading it.
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Summary: Wry, colorful, rivetting
Review: When I read it first, this book was a very pleasant surprise. Experiencing winter doldrums I recently read it again, wanting something engrossing and satisfying. Not being particularly interested in crime or mysteries, this book had no appeal for me, despite the intense hype when it came out several years ago. However, after seeing the movie I reconsidered and bought the book. As usual, the book is light years ahead of the movie in quality. Berendt provides us with a fun visit to an exotic, and distinctively unique part of America. The Savannah he describes is self confident and self satisfied; it both tolerates and seems to embrace the colorful, iconoclastic, and eccentric array of characters among its population. The author's wry observations, skillful use of understatement, self deprecation, and sense of irony are an ideal framework for this twisted tale. Despite the bizzare episodes and characters involved the book is devoid of vulgarity or gratutious violence. I continually needed to remind myself that this all actually occurred and isn't a work of fiction. This book is truly entertaining, despite the grim circumstances underlying the basic plot. It is a one of a kind tale, and a terrific read.
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Summary: Never a Dull Moment
Review: If there is a lull anywhere in this book, I dare to say I would never find it. I rarely read non-fiction, but Midnight is so well written and developed, it rates with some of the best crime-stories and thrillers on the market today. About the film, there are only two good things that I have to say. Kevin Spacey is a brilliant actor, and the soundtrack was wonderful. As for the rest of it..... About the book-there are too many good things to say to fit them all here. John Berendt's characters are all so well realized, and so engaging that they leap off the pages, and into your mind. Perhaps what gives them all such a tri-dimensional nature is the fact that they are real. From Jim Williams, "eyes so black they were like the tinted windows of a sleek limousine" to the "Lady of Six Thousand Songs" to widely entertaining Lady Chablis, there is not a character in this book you cannot develop a picture of in your mind. Having visited Savannah after reading this book, the setting is just as well displayed as if Berendt had taken a snapshot of the entire town and included it with each copy of his story. A murder rings out one night, rocking Savannah society, and thrusting Jim Williams, and his lifestyle, into the spotlight. Once the envy of every social-climber in town, and the sender of the year's most coveted party invitations, Williams becomes a common criminal and fodder for gossip. His once emulated social standing withers away, as well as his business and wealth. Berendt follows Williams through each of his subsequent trials and appeals, and tells Williams' story in great detail, so agonizingly overlooked by Clint Eastwood's film, where an eight year legal process was condensed into perhaps a few months time passage. This is one of my favorite 'recent' publications, and an excellent and entertaining read for fiction and non-fiction lovers alike.
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Summary: A Tantalizing True Tale
Review: When I first picked up "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" I was expecting a slightly boring but well written biography of some southerner living in Georgia. Well, not only was I completely wrong about its content, but it was so enthralling that I finished it in just two days. Each character and his or her story described by John Berendt is so unique that one book could've been written on each one. From a man who takes his pet flies for walks to a sassy drag queen, the range of characters is what kept my interest. The novel seemed to be centered around one particular character, other than the narrator, that was somehow connected to all the people John Berendt described. This made the book very easy to read, without the choppiness you would expect. When I finished "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" I could thouroughly understand why it is a best-seller. A fascinating plot full of crazy characters all rolled into the historic city of Savannah. The only reason I did not give it the full five stars is because there was some slightly adult content that offended me, being a high-schooler. Overall, I would reccomend this book to anyone over the age of 18.
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Summary: This book was the most honest book i have ever read.
Review: The novel Midnight in the GArden of Good and Evil by John Berendt is one of the few books that I just couldn't put down. A murder has taken place in Savannah, Georgia and in the mean time we get to experience the extravagant life style of the upper crust of Savannah. This is definatly one of the last places that you would expect to run into a redneck gigolo, a Nazi or a drag queen but they are all here and you will get to see how each of these people are involved in this murder and the devastating reason why it had to happen
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Summary: My Favorite Book!!
Review: I read this book when it was first published and have read it numerous times since. I have passed it around to friends and family and we all agree it's a great "story". This isn't one story, but many wrapped around one another. One stops and another stops. This book actually drew me to Savannah for vacation and I like every other good tourist took "the book" tour and visited all the places mentioned in the book. John Berendt has a keen talent for detail which makes you know exactly what everyone and everything looks like. When I visited Savannah, everything looked exactly how I pictured it from the book. If you liked the Movie, you will LOVE the book. They are quite different and the book is more fun. If you liked the movie, this will make it make sense and you'll like the movie even more for all the new details you have. Recommended for lovers of murder mysteries, voodoo, and crime drama. All with the charm of the South! Doesn't get much better!
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Summary: An observer's sharp-eyed tale of Savannah
Review: I'm sure this has been said 1,000 times in the other reviews: this is a non-fiction work that reads like a novel. Berendt was no doubt aided by a bit of seredipity in that the trials of Jim Williams provide him with a stong narrative line to the book. But all kudos to Berendt: he found Williams on his own before the critical incidents took place, and he also formed relationships with a whole series of interesting characters in the Savannah environs. Berendt brings a city to life as no other writer in recent times has done. I just finished 'The Masters,' in which the author tried to weave the same magic about Augusta and the words just seemed to lay flat on the page. Berendt's character and geographical studies are clinics in fresh, insightful writing.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and entertaining...
Review: John Berendt's intriguing experience of Savannah is amazingly portrayed in this novel. The great character development and the way each is introduced gives the story its depth, not to mention the fascinating characters themselves (including a drag queen, voo doo priestess, and a deranged inventor.) The plot is a true-crime murder story involving one of Savannah's most prominant antique dealers, but without the great description of the city of Savannah and the unmistakeable characters, the murderous plot wouldn't be enough to satisfy the reader. The story itself is written in a relaxed tone with delightful description: "He was tall, about fifty, with darkly handsome, almost sinister features: a neatly trimmed mustache, hair turning silver at the temples, and eyes so black they were like the tinted windows of a sleek limousine--he could see out, but you couldn't see in." The plot may not keep you on the edge of your seat with suspense, but it is charming enough to hold your interest. It's definitely worth reading and is an entertaining and fascinating documentation of Savannah and the people within.
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