Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

... Show More
A sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.

Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty, early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case.

It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else.

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 13,1994

This edition

Format
416 pages, Hardcover
Published
September 27, 2005 by Modern Library
ISBN
9780679643418
ASIN
0679643419
Language
English
Characters More characters
  • Jim Williams

    Jim Williams

    James Arthur Williams (1930 - 1990) was an American antiques dealer and a historic preservationist based in Savannah, Georgia. He played an active role in the preservation of the Savannah Historic District for over 35 years.Williams is the main character ...

  • Danny Hansford

    Danny Hansford

    Daniel Lewis Hansford (1960 - 1981) was an American shooting victim who was killed by his employer, historic preservationist and antiques dealer Jim Williams, at Williams home in Savannah, Georgia, United States.more...

  • Lucille Wright

    Lucille Wright

    Savannahs leading caterermore...

  • Mary Harty

    Mary Harty

    a local historian...

  • Joe Odom

    Joe Odom

    Joseph Algerine Odom (1948 - 1991) was an American attorney who later became a musician. He came to prominence after his appearance as one of the main characters in John Berendts true-crime book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, although he d...

  • Mandy Nichols

    Mandy Nichols

    a singer...

About the author

... Show More
The son of two writers, John Berendt grew up in Syracuse, New York. He earned a B.A. in English from Harvard University, where he worked on the staff of The Harvard Lampoon. After graduating in 1961, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in publishing. He was editor of New York magazine from 1977 to 1979, and wrote a monthly column for Esquire from 1982 to 1994.

Berendt first traveled to Savannah in the early 80's, and spent more and more time there over the next few years, until he was there more often than he was in New York.

Community Reviews

Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 99 votes)
5 stars
39(39%)
4 stars
26(26%)
3 stars
34(34%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
99 reviews All reviews
April 26,2025
... Show More
F*cking Brilliant

n  n    If you go to Atlanta, the first question people ask you is, "What's your business?" In Macon, they ask, "Where do you go to church?" In Augusta, they ask your grandmother's maiden name. But in Savannah, the first question people ask you is "What would you like to drink?”n  n


If you had told me a year ago that I would enjoy a nonfiction story based in Savannah Georgia, I would flat out laugh in your face


n  nn  n

The book was an expected force that literally sucked me in and introduced me to a genre I swore I would never attempt. Surprisingly, the true crime part of this book starts at the halfway mark, so before you set your mind on only that part I would urge to slow down and enjoy the secluded city of Savanah
n  “For me, Savannah's resistance to change was its saving grace. The city looked inward, sealed off from the noises and distractions of the world at large. It grew inward, too, and in such a way that its people flourished like hothouse plants tended by an indulgent gardener. The ordinary became extraordinary. Eccentrics thrived. Every nuance and quirk of personality achieved greater brilliance in that lush enclosure than would have been possible anywhere else in the world.” n

The book carries the weight of so many stunning characters that paired well with John Berendt's atmospheric writing. He manages to make the reader feel like they are on a tour guide and by the end of the book, the reader feels like they are part of the small outsourced town.
The basic plot of the narrative is a murder that takes place in one of the illites house and it blows up into this whole media fest that rarely happens in Savanah but this book as stated before is much more than that...

It is an exploration of the history of the town's impact on American History, the study of societal differences and class segregation. It touches on some gender/sexuality from the perspective of a black trans character and the issues of race. The corruption and flawed justice system and the elite influence on the slow growth of the town due to suspicion of the outsider investors. The writing doesn't feel dry or convoluted it flows so effortlessly that it blurs the line between real life and fiction and I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to dip their toes in nonfiction because believe me it can seem very intimidating.
If you are looking to visit the town of Savanah and the voodoo magic, elegant over the top parties, conspiracies and just dang good time, pick this one up.

Have you read this one? and can you recommend me more engaging nonfiction?
April 26,2025
... Show More
Como le comentaba a mi amiga Irma, este libro es como el ¡Hola! siniestro: tanto te comenta el interior de la mansión Mercer como te lleva a hacer brujería al cementerio de Bonaventure. Cotilleos malvados y jugositos. Ou llea.
April 26,2025
... Show More
Este libro lo he empezado dos veces, ambas para algún reto que pedía que estuviera basado en un crimen real... y lo dejé en ambas ocasiones; ya que me esperaba una novela negra o policíaca, y me parecía más un libro costumbrista, por lo que lo abandonaba a las pocas páginas.
Ya dicen que a la tercera va la vencida... y esta vez, me ha atrapado, quizás porque ya sabía a que atenerme.
El libro nos narra las vivencias de un periodista neoyorquino que se siente fascinado por la ciudad de Savannah y decide escribir un libro sobre ella, instalándose allí por temporadas. Este periodista, del que no llegamos a conocer el nombre, es el narrador de la historia.
Hay dos partes muy diferenciadas (incluso en el índice).
La primera, es una descripción detallada de la ciudad y de sus habitantes más destacados, ya sea por su riqueza, como por cualquier otro motivo. El narrador es bien recibido en los distintos estamentos de la sociedad, tanto en las mansiones majestuosas como en los garitos nocturnos. Conocemos infinidad de personajes, todos ellos muy interesantes. Entre ellos, un travestido negro, un rico anticuario blanco, un anodino funcionario del que se cree puede envenenar el agua de la ciudad, una antigua estrella, un pianista que vive “okupando” las mansiones cuando sus dueños viajan...
En la segunda parte, es donde se desarrolla la vertiente criminal, con un homicidio y el consiguiente juicio, aderezado por las relaciones entre los personajes que hemos conocido a lo largo de la primera parte.
Ambientado en los años 80, nos presenta una ciudad que se ha quedado estancada en sus años dorados, donde la clase alta ha impedido algunos avances e intentado preservar su forma de vida. Al mismo tiempo, nos muestra que, pese a no parecerlo, aún impera un cierto racismo; aunque no de forma violenta, sino a una segregación casi natural, aceptada por ambas razas.
Muy recomendable.
April 26,2025
... Show More
Check out my review of this book (and the movie) on Booktube!
April 26,2025
... Show More
Oh, child!

Это не просто текстовая кунсткамера замечательных людей, но и захватывающий судебный триллер. Я по роду специальности не жалую юридические драмы, но тут все настолько прекрасно, что я не нашёл ни процессуальной дичи, ни повода поклевать носом, ни причины громко фыркнуть (как будто в свои худшие дни я какая-то лошадь).

Тепер хочется купить много экземпляров этой книги и раздарить всем друзьям на ближайшие праздники. В голове такой же весёлый карнавал, как от «Праха Анджелы» в прошлом году — воодушевляющий восторг и ощущение, что прикоснулся к чему-то важному и великому.
April 26,2025
... Show More
Savannah, Georgia is the oldest city in the Deep South; beautiful and unique it is full of neat squares, shaded cobblestone streets, parks, and historic buildings. But in the 1980’s the city was gripped by the events that happened in Savannah's grandest mansion very late one night. Was the death of Danny Hansford, a male prostitute, murder or self-defence?

In this narrative, Berendt introduces us to the place that is Savannah, as well as the characters of the time that made this such an entertaining place to live. We meet the Lady Chablis, a transgender drag queen and dancer, Minerva the voodoo priestess, the well-heeled ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club and the man at the focus of the story, Jim Williams. He was tried four times for the murder of Hansford, three times in the city before the final trial elsewhere in the state. Berendt builds a picture of the city as much as the people, and you get a sense of the magnificence of the houses and the people. He builds the tension magnificently, bringing to life the society that really didn’t know what to believe as the trials were underway. He highlights the undercurrent of tension between black and white, this is the deep south after all, and how Williams was able to move at all levels of society.

It is very well written and even though it isn’t far short of 400 pages, took very little time to read. I liked the way he wrote about the characters and made the city feel so real, but there were flaws. But even though it was non-fiction, I felt that there were too many embellishments and it felt more like fiction at times. It has made me want to visit the city though as it feels very atmospheric.
April 26,2025
... Show More
I found this a unique and unusual read. In part, it's a travelogue of the author's time spent in Savannah, with interesting descriptions of the city's older, high end neighborhoods, their history and and the social customs of their wealthy residents. It's also a memoir of sorts of the many quirky and memorable individuals the author came to know during his residence in the city. Finally, the book is also a true crime investigation that delves into a murder committed by one of Savannah's high profile personalities, the investigation of the crime and the numerous trials and appeals that took place before the case was finally resolved. The book is known as a true crime work of non fiction but it reads more like fiction and at least a third of the text seems to have little connection with the true crime element of the book. I found the writing style a mix of travel magazine journalism, society page news, gossip column innuendo and true crime narrative. It's an odd combination of styles that may not appeal to some of the more serious true crime fans.
April 26,2025
... Show More
Many describe it as a "true crime" but I believe it to be more the account of a journalist that was living in Savannah- and writing a book about the experience and all the quirky characters he kept meeting- when a murder involving one of the most prominent citizens took place.

Recognising the oportunity, he embarked on a series of interviews designed to put all the pieces of the puzzle together that, after reaching a plausible conclusion, he included in the text he was already writing. The result? A very interesting book about moving to the city of Savannah, about some unique citizens and a character driven inquest and trial, writen by someone that had to work hard to uncover the truth below what everyone chose to show.
Leave a Review
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.