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Trade Paperback
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9780679751526
Overview
Overview
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. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is 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.
- Format: TradePaperback
- Author: Berendt, John
- ISBN: 9780679751526
- Condition: Used
- Dimensions: 8.12 x 0.87
- Number Of Pages: 400
- Publication Year: 1999
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True crime that feels like a murder mystery!
Lindsay F. - 6 years 4 months agoMy friends and I started a book club as a way to keep us connected during this quarantine. We wanted a murder mystery, and this one had been a top read on The NY Times list for over 4 years! We decided to check it out and are so glad we did. It’s set in 1980’s Savanah with lots of “colorful” characters. It has a Gatsby feel to it while keeping true to deep Southern charm and tradition.