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eastofmeridian's review against another edition
3.0
Great atmosphere and I loved the characters, but for a book about a murder it's painfully slow at times
duvyna's review against another edition
2.0
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil if often hailed as a book one simply must read sometime before they die. It nearly won a Pulitzer and is hailed as a brilliant work of non-fiction… John Berendt is good at writing; he is great with imagery, and obviously loves Savannah. The problem for me is that while this book is billed as a true crime novel about the killing of Danny Hansford by James Williams the first half is completely about John Berendt’s various social interactions and observations of his neighbors. Much of the first half of the books is irrelevant to the last half and while the author is good with words I still left with a rambling story feel. The last part of the book we have to cram in whether James Williams shot Danny in self-defense or in a jealous fit with 4 trials and an eventual acquittal over the next several years along with everyone’s gossip about said topic and the atmosphere of Savannah. While the words are pretty I’m just not sure the story itself is worth it.
lorbach's review against another edition
4.0
Though non fiction it read like a novel and was wonderful. Hard to put down.
exsanguines's review against another edition
4.25
would recommend if you enjoy slow books, colorful characters, and learning a lot about the intricacies of local life. not all of it has aged well, but it feels like a stylized snapshot of a particular era of savannah. i was never bored despite its meandering pace, though i do think it could have gone through a more stricter edit before publishing.
i’ve seen this billed as true crime, but the murder is the main subject for less than half of the book. i feel like that description is a disservice to many potential readers.
i’ve seen this billed as true crime, but the murder is the main subject for less than half of the book. i feel like that description is a disservice to many potential readers.
plbeyer70's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting story and characters. It's fun reading when you know that all the events really happened. I didn't care for the flow or writing style. For me, the people in the story felt portrayed as comical; I would have enjoyed it more if it felt less campy.
madiengen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
4.0