Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil
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| Length: | 3 hours | ||||||||||
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Overview
John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil has been heralded as a "lyrical work of nonfiction," and the book's extremely graceful prose depictions of some of Savannah, Georgia's most colorful eccentrics--remarkable characters who could have once prospered in a William Faulkner novel or Eudora Welty short story--were certainly a critical factor in its tremendous success. (One resident into whose orbit Berendt fell, the Lady Chablis, went on to become a minor celebrity in her own right.) But equally important was Berendt's depiction of Savannah socialite Jim Williams as he stands trial for the murder of Danny Hansford, a moody, violence-prone hustler--and sometime companion to Williams--characterized by locals as a "walking streak of sex." So feel free to call it a "true crime classic" without a trace of shame.
Reviews (11)
Don't hold your breath...
Written by Damon Ellis on February 18th, 2008
- Book Rating: 1/5
I thought this story was rather dull and uneventful. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, but it never did. It is a court room drama, w/very little drama, but lots of tangents and random pointless characters that aren't central to the plot.
Midnight in the garden of good and evil
Written by Anonymous on January 24th, 2008
- Book Rating: 3/5
Good story and well narrated but I feel like I missed something in the abridged version.
Abridged Just Doesn't Work
Written by Anonymous on October 25th, 2007
- Book Rating: 3/5
Great narrator, great story, but I've decided I just don't like abridged books. I'm sure there was a lot more POW to this story than what came through. I went and bought the hardcover book to read so I could fill in the blanks. It's an intriguing mystery -- abridged version didn't do the story justice in my opinion.
Interesting listening
Written by Colleen on October 4th, 2006
- Book Rating: 3/5
I recommend this book to learn a little bit about Savannah culture. As was stated by other listeners, I felt like it shouldn't just end. I wanted to hear more.
Slow start, GREAT Narrator, Very Good listen
Written by Shane Nixon from Burlington, NC on March 24th, 2006
- Book Rating: 4/5
This narrator is the best male narrator I've heard through SAB so far. His dialects, even the female ones are SUPERB! The one for the female "witch doctor" is BEYOND WONDERFUL. I think the story would be better UNABRIDGED, but after a slow start it was compelling. Good characters, good setting, wonderful story line. Didn't know it was true until the end. The author notes at the end I could do without. He sounds like a pompous jerk, but he writes a good story here. Did I mention the narrator was more than worth the price of admission? Well, I'd read this one again JUST to listen to this guy. The story by itself, in this abridgement, would be no better for me than a 2 or three. The narrator is worth (at least) one star BY HIMSELF.
Wow! Fun!
Written by dlct on February 15th, 2006
- Book Rating: 5/5
This book is great fun, interesting, full of great characters and with a facsinating story to share. I loved it and only wished it was longer. I had no idea, until the very end when the author is interviewed, that this was based on a true story and very little had been altered in the telling. That makes it all the more amazing to me. If you have any writing aspirations at all, the interview with Berendt is valuable because he details some of his troubles in getting the book published -- his first agent thought the book was too geographically specific. I found Berendt to be fascinating and his interview would be worth the rentall even if the story wasn't great -- but it is. A great listen! Makes me want to visit Savannah!!
Wonderful!
Written by Anonymous on January 5th, 2006
- Book Rating: 5/5
This is my first time with this book, and I loved it! Great listen - had me wishing I had the unabridged version...
Abridged?? I wouldn't have noticed!
Written by Orville Amazor on August 22nd, 2005
- Book Rating: 3/5
Good story and good job by the narrator, but I just can't see how they might think just 3 hours could do justice for this book! Heck, the movie was about that long!! The Lady Chablis is simply an interesting aside in this way-too-shortened version; an injustice to be sure. If you're unfamiliar with the story, this reading might jump around a bit and leave you wondering (and wanting more!). Otherwise, its an okay refresher of a fascinating tale.
Entertaining
Written by Daniel Wainwright from Fresno, CA on July 8th, 2005
- Book Rating: 3/5
A pleasant story. Very interesting characters. The narrator did a nice job. I was somewhat let down by the ending. The book left me wanting more. But, overall, I really enjoyed the description of Savannah and the people their.
Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil
Written by Daparoye from Orange, CA on March 17th, 2005
- Book Rating: 4/5
I really enjoyed this book. I was kept wondering throughout the story, "What else can possibly happen?" The author knows Savannah. The reader did an amazing job and I look forward to hearing more of him.