Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Name: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Author: John Berendt
ISBN: 9780679429227

by John Berendt

A sublime, atmospheric journey into Savannah, Georgia—a city isolated by tradition, populated by unforgettable eccentrics, and shaken by a sensational murder trial.

A portrait of high society and deadly secrets in Savannah.

When journalist John Berendt moved to Savannah in the 1980s, he expected a quiet Southern coastal town. Instead, he discovered a realm governed by aristocratic manners, eccentric rituals, and colorful figures like antique dealer Jim Williams and drag queen The Lady Chablis.

The town's delicate harmony shatters when Jim Williams shoots his young male companion, Danny Hansford, inside Mercer House. What follows is a high-stakes, four-trial legal marathon that lays bare the hidden motives and dark undercurrents of Savannah society.

Spanish moss hanging from live oak trees and historic Southern mansions in Savannah.

“

A spellbinding story that reads like a novel and exposes the strange, beautiful, and dark heart of Savannah.

KODAMA / EDITORIAL NOTE

The author 1939 — Present

John Berendt

John Berendt is an American journalist, author, and former magazine editor. Born in Syracuse, New York, he graduated from Harvard University, where he worked on the Harvard Lampoon before embarking on a distinguished publishing career.

Berendt served as the editor of New York magazine and later wrote columns for Esquire. His immersive, character-driven style defined modern narrative non-fiction, making Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil a historical record bestseller.

ABOUT JOHN BERENDT

Also the author of The City of Falling Angels, an investigation into Venice after the 1996 La Fenice opera house fire.

A few things that make the book even more intriguing.

Record-breaking bestseller run.

The book spent an unprecedented 216 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, making it one of the longest-running bestsellers in publishing history.

The Bird Girl statue phenomenon.

The statue on the book's cover, originally located in Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery, attracted so many tourists that it had to be relocated to a local museum for protection.

Four separate murder trials.

Jim Williams is the only person in Georgia history to be tried four times for the same murder charge before receiving an acquittal.

Revitalized Savannah's tourism.

Berendt's vivid depiction single-handedly transformed Savannah into an international tourist destination, drawing millions of visitors eager to see Mercer House.

On screen

Adaptations & Screen Attempts.

The captivating characters and Southern atmosphere of Savannah made a seamless transition to cinema and theatre.

1997

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Film)

Directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Kevin Spacey as Jim Williams, John Cusack as John Kelso, and featuring The Lady Chablis playing herself.

2024

Musical Adaptation

A stage musical based on the book premiered at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, directed by Rob Ashford with a book by Taylor Mac and music by Jason Robert Brown.

Watch

Book Review.

An in-depth review and analysis of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.

004 / BOOK REVIEW Savannah · True Crime · Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Atmospheric night view of historic Savannah squares with street lamps and moss-covered trees.

Legacy

A milestone in narrative journalism.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil transcended the true crime genre by proving that a city itself can be as compelling as any human character. It stands as a timeless classic of place, atmosphere, and the intricate boundaries between morality and myth.

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