Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

By: John Berendt

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman, Will Damron, John Berendt

Length: 15 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • An enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city: “Elegant and wicked.... [This] might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime."—The New York Times Book Review

Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty, early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative flows like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case.

It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive listening experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this true-crime book has become a modern classic.

©1994 by John Berendt (P)1995 by Random House Audio Publishing, Inc., All Rights Reserved Under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions, Reproduced by Arrangement with Random House Audio Publishing, Inc.

Critic reviews

“John Berendt has written a gorgeous and haunting blend of travel book and murder mystery. It is enchanting and disturbing and deeply atmospheric.”—Michael Herr

“Forceful, clear, gripping, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is the best nonfiction novel since In Cold Blood and a lot more entertaining, since Berendt’s book has everything going for it—snobbism ruthless power, voodoo, local color, and a totally evil estheticism. I read it till dawn.”—Edmund White

“John Berendt has the ability to make the truth read like an exciting novel. This book is original, funny, and bleak—and it beckons quite alluringly to armchair adventurers who are as curious about human nature as about the nature of certain places. I finished reading it convinced that Savannah, may be the greatest performance artist of our day.”—Ann Beattie

still thinking about it

i went in knowing NOTHING about this book. i have heard about it for so many years, that i honestly thought it was some kind of 'classic'....i guess it is, a southern classic.
i can't imagine reading this book because LISTENING really brought a few of the characters to life (chablis???!).
the first several chapters were spent on character development. i started wondering if i was going to get to a plot.
most of the characters were quite colorful and memorable.
it is not a book for kids or young teens.

Chapters for audio book not correct

The book is great. However the chapters on the audio book do not line up at all to what audible has them listed as.

Lovely Characters. More About Savannah Than Murder

I enjoyed the characters immensely. Character development is amazing. Before reading I wanted to visit Savannah at some point, and after reading that desire is even stronger. I struggled a little because I thought the book was mostly about a murder and it takes awhile to get to the murder.

Excellent story read by an excellent reader!

Where does Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book is historical fiction and the author interviewed all the characters mentioned in the book. The characters are what make the story interesting, not just the story line. The Narrator does an excellent job creating voices for each character so the characters have a personality beside what the author gives them. I have read this book a number of times and glean something new each time.

What does Jeff Woodman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His character voices add to the personalities given by the author. I have not seen the movie, so the personalities I visualize are given to me by listening.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I could I probably would.

Great Performance

Jeff Woodman does an amazing performance with different voices and characters without it being distracting or cheesy. The story is amazing and makes you feel as if you know each unique, interesting character. The fact that this is all true makes this book that much more great.

Exceptional story and fascinating characters

The rich writing in this book puts you smack in the middle of Savannah... You feel as though you are somehow woven into the story and witnessing it firsthand.

Hard to Believe This is Based on a True Story

Great listen with such eccentric , lively and bold personalities and an almost unbelievable tale of trial and justice. Better than the movie (which was great) and it kept my attention throughout. It seems the restless, vengeful spirit of Danny Hansford won in the end. A truly entertaining look at life in the Deep South. The only drawback is it also reminds the reader of how toxic and debilitating institutionalized racism, homophobia and paternalism are.

Delightful and value-added as an Audible version!

I was fascinated by the narration, which added so much to the flavor of this book. When such occurs, I wonder whether I might have missed half the book’s meaning or import had I merely read it to myself. I look forward to listening to it again in the future!

Superb book, fantastic narration

I highly recommend this version of the novel, as the Narrator truly enhanced the experience with his reading. It’s a fantastic book, a true literary classic as far as I am concerned. The short discussion with the author at the end is also very interesting and helps to provide the listener with additional background on the timeline of the book and characters within it. Five stars!!!

Well done and well read

It is difficult, unless you listen to the author describe his experience writing this book, to decide if you are listening to fiction or nonfiction....the story is extraordinary, and exemplifies the south in so many ways. Listen and enjoy, and be just a bit mystified by it all.