Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

The author did an excellent job of interweaving the storylines of the characters in the book. It is also a beautiful verbal picture of Savannah. I found parts of the story to be a little slow-paced, but not boring... it had the effect of being calming. It matched the slow-paced life in Savannah very well.

I read this book when it came out in the 90's and loved it. Recently while planning a vacation to Savannah, I decided to listen to it again. I forgot how good it is, the characters, the humor, the stories, and side plots. What a wonderful combination to round out a nice thriller and mystery. Even if you read it 15 years ago, I recommend revisiting it. I consume at least 4 books a month, and rarely do I laugh out loud while listening to a book.

This is based on a true story, although the author was not there when Williams killed Hansford, but he does explain the circumstances of writing himself as the only fictional character (until he catches up with himself after the murder) in the interview that takes place after the book.

If you like humor and intrigue nicely wrapped up in a GREAT story, this is a wonderful book.

I highly recommend it!!!

This book was perfectly read by Jeff Woodman, whose voice was reminiscent of the narrator/main character in the movie version (John Cusack). The movie started about 2/3 of the way into the story, was great to finally hear the whole TRUE story. Listened to this all the way on a driving trip to Michigan and the miles flew by, enjoyed every bit.

I've seen the movie many times, and just got around to the book....as usual, the book is SO much better, but the movie is still great.....Being a native Southern daughter, I'm usually unimpressed with other people's attempts to capture what life is really like in the South....this New Yorker did a great job....the performance is great on the audio as well.

This is one of those books that hangs onto you even after the story is over. Berendt does an excellent job at capturing all the characters in this one! In fact after listening to about half of it I had to double check to make sure this was still non-fiction. Awesome narration! Woodman nails the Georgian accent and really individualizes the characters. I want to visit Savanah now!!

To be honest, I bought this audiobook because it was wildly popular (aka. made into a pop Hollywood movie) and it was set in the Deep South. To my delight, this book kept me engaged for every chapter. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read, regardless of your state of origin, Southern or not!

I have been a member of Audible for over a year, and this is the best narration I have come across yet. He makes it so much more vivid, and I really appreciate that his southern accents are GOOD. They don't sound fake, which I think can be a problem. It helps, of course, that the book is really great and has very vivid characters, but I think the narration makes those characters really come to life. Especially Chablis! Oh I love her.
I also liked the little snippet of interview with the author at the end.

The real life characters are interesting, dysfunctional, charming and totally seductive. I can''t believe that this is non fiction. I was also so impressed by Jeff Woodman's performance. He is amazing and truly took this audio to a new level.

I loved when Jeff Woodman played Chablis, the fun loving fierce drag queen. He brought her to life and I loved her character. She is fun, sassy, and foul mouthed.

This is worth the credit and more. I loved this book. I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time! I told my husband that I want to visit Savannah Georgia. If it is anything like this book - then I want to visit. I imagine a city that is architecturally stunning filled with plazas, big old trees, and interesting people (who like to drink :>). This book captured my imagination. Thank you John Berendt for writing a really great book!

Wonderful story line. Just recently saw the movie for the first time and it made it even better. The cast of chacters was great all having an important role as oppose to one dominating over everyone else. Would highly recommend this for listening.

I enjoyed my visit to Savannah this summer and managed to revisit the city again through "The Book." Hearing the author's interview at the end was a happy surprise. I read "The Book" years ago and forgot about the engaging characters. You don't have to visit Savannah to enjoy "The Book" but it definitely helps bring the story even more to life.