Reviews with content warning for Drug use - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

This books weaves a very wide lens view of Savannah, GA and a specific community of people living there and involved directly with, or at least on the periphery of, a real-life murder that took place in the 80s. The bulk of the book introduces the reader to the history and personality of Savannah, as well as a variety of eccentric characters who play a role in the story. Details of the events leading up to and following the murder serve as bookends to the author’s description of his time researching the story in Savannah and interviewing its residents to obtain their impressions of what happened.

John Berendt does an excellent job creating an interesting atmosphere of the particular historical city of Savannah, and is respectful in relaying his impressions of the uniquely entertaining personalities he encountered. More than anything, the neighborhoods and communities included in the book ooze with old-fashioned southern charm and gentility.

I listened to the audiobook and feel the narrator, Jeff Woodman, delivered a superb characterization of every individual in the story with lovely diction and subtle accents. His performance thoroughly enhanced my enjoyment of this book.

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cooliuscaesar451's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

3.25

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amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

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informative slow-paced

2.0

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lindseyas's review against another edition

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funny informative lighthearted relaxing tense medium-paced

4.25

This was a really fascinating read. What starts as a study of the residents of Savannah, Georgia and their history becomes a story of a long-winded and pretty disastrous tale of a court case. This was a great work of nonfiction that properly focused on the people of Savannah — it was clear that the author was trained a journalist, his interviewing skills, his ability to lace his way into the lives of people and to get into pretty strange situations making the novel what it was. These people were larger than life and it was a stellar read to introduce yourself to a different place at a different time with a rich, dramatic culture. It was pretty hilarious, full of great history and built with an engaging structure to keep you tuned in. I desperately need to take a trip to Savannah now.

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