Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

A Novel by John Berendt

A few weeks ago I was on here, as the result of a recent vacation, going on and on about the intoxicatingly beautiful Savannah, Georgia. Near the end of that post, I mentioned that I had picked up a book down there about the city and promised that I’d be back to tell you what I thought of it. Well, I recently finished the 386-page travelogue and so I’m here to tell you: oh my God it’s good.

The book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (which you gotta admit is one badass title), is New York writer John Berendt’s non-fictional account of his experience in Savannah over the course of eight years he spent living (at least part-time) there. Now granted, the book definitely falls within the realm of creative non-fiction as that Berendt, who admits this all in a final Author’s Note, has changed names for privacy as well as “taken certain storytelling liberties, particularly having to do with the timing of events,” but every character and event is absolutely true. Despite this, the book reads like a fiction novel, with its vivid cast of characters and immensely entertaining and enticing story arcs.

Let me just say now how insanely jealous I am of John Berendt. For starters, living like he did in Savannah (and then further, writing a book on the experience) is a pretty big dream of mine. But even past that, Berendt got there before most of the world did. Arriving for the first time in the mid-eighties, the NY writer discovered a secluded Savannah before its rise of tourism. Now this isn’t to say that tourism has ruined the city, but the Savannah he discovered was still in many ways separate from the influences of the rest of the world. The town was still small, still very private, and allowed for small world onto itself for Berendt to explore and discover.

In fact, it was this very travelogue that in many ways put Savannah on the map. After its publication in 1994, the book was featured as a New York Times bestseller for 216 straight weeks (a record that continues to stand today) and it has since sold over 5 Million copies worldwide. In 1995 it was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and, though it did not win, Midnight in the Garden has received extensive critical acclaim before finally being adapted into a 1997 film directed by Clint Eastwood (and shot primarily on location in Savannah).

And let me tell you, this book deserves the hype. The narrative creates a wonderful portrayal of Savannah’s colorful Historic Downtown and the people who actually lived there. There’s the charismatic Joe Odom who, aside from being a bank dodging con-artist, is both charitable friend and popular party guest. There’s Luther Driggers, the emotionally-damaged failed inventor who might just kill everyone in town. Lady Chablis, the local drag queen (who still plays once a month at Club One off Bay Street); attorney Sonny Seiler, owner of the UGA mascot Uga; Minerva, a local voodoo priestess; and more fascinating and diverse Savannahians make up the rich cast of characters.

Finally, the narrative gets a murder-mystery twist with the notable Savannah socialite Jim Williams and the four trials that followed his killing of Danny Hansford. In an amazing stroke of good fortune, the socially-pervasive Berendt found himself with front-row seats to what many regarded as the greatest scandal to hit the southern town.

All of these details and more are expertly arranged and reported by Berendt. Between his entertaining depiction of the social happenings he bared witness to and the honest tribute to the unique way of life and historical richness, paying justice to what makes Savannah great, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a must read for lovers of Savannah and a good book. The book’s fantastic and has done wonders for a town I love. I hope y’all can help me return the favor by giving it the attention it very much deserves.