Get personalized recommendations and earn points toward a free book!
Before you go...
Check Out
The Bestselling Books of All Time
See the List
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Read An Excerpt

Reading Guide

Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt
Read An Excerpt

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

By John Berendt

By John Berendt

By John Berendt

By John Berendt

By John Berendt

By John Berendt

By John Berendt
Read by Jeff Woodman

By John Berendt
Read by Jeff Woodman

By John Berendt
Read by Anthony Heald

By John Berendt
Read by Anthony Heald

By John Berendt
Read by Anthony Heald

By John Berendt
Read by Anthony Heald

Best Seller
Paperback $16.95

Jun 28, 1999 | 400 Pages

Hardcover $28.00

Jan 13, 1994 | 400 Pages

Ebook $13.99

May 12, 2010 | 400 Pages

Audiobook Download $19.98

Nov 22, 2005 | 900 Minutes

Audiobook Download $11.48

Nov 22, 2005 | 190 Minutes

CD $14.99

Aug 02, 2005 | 180 Minutes

All Formats
+
    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
    Paperback
    Jun 28, 1999 | 400 Pages
    See All Formats (5) +

    Paperback
    –

    • Paperback $16.95

      Jun 28, 1999 | 400 Pages

    Hardcover
    +

    • Hardcover $28.00

      Jan 13, 1994 | 400 Pages

    Ebook
    +

    • Ebook $13.99

      May 12, 2010 | 400 Pages

    Audio (3)
    +

    Buy the CD:

    About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    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 reads 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 reading experience.  Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.

    About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    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 reads 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: A Savannah Story is a sublime and seductive reading experience.  Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city is certain to become a modern classic.

    About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    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 reads 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 reading experience.  Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.

    About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    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 reads 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 reading experience.  Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic.

    About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    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 reads 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: A Savannah Story is a sublime and seductive reading experience.  Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city is certain to become a modern classic.

    About Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    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 reads 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: A Savannah Story is a sublime and seductive reading experience.  Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city is certain to become a modern classic.

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Read An Excerpt

    Reading Guide

    Also by John Berendt

    My Baby Blue Jays
    The City of Falling Angels
    The City of Falling Angels
    See all books by John Berendt

    Also by John Berendt

    My Baby Blue Jays
    The City of Falling Angels
    The City of Falling Angels
    See all books by John Berendt

    Also by John Berendt

    My Baby Blue Jays
    The City of Falling Angels
    The City of Falling Angels
    See all books by John Berendt

    Also by John Berendt

    My Baby Blue Jays
    The City of Falling Angels
    The City of Falling Angels
    See all books by John Berendt

    Also by John Berendt

    My Baby Blue Jays
    The City of Falling Angels
    The City of Falling Angels
    See all books by John Berendt

    Also by John Berendt

    My Baby Blue Jays
    The City of Falling Angels
    The City of Falling Angels
    See all books by John Berendt

    About John Berendt

    John Berendt writes a monthly column for Esquire. He has been the editor of New York magazine and lives in New York.

    About John Berendt

    John Berendt writes a monthly column for Esquire. He has been the editor of New York magazine and lives in New York.

    About John Berendt

    John Berendt writes a monthly column for Esquire. He has been the editor of New York magazine and lives in New York.

    About John Berendt

    John Berendt writes a monthly column for Esquire. He has been the editor of New York magazine and lives in New York.

    About John Berendt

    John Berendt writes a monthly column for Esquire. He has been the editor of New York magazine and lives in New York.

    About John Berendt

    John Berendt writes a monthly column for Esquire. He has been the editor of New York magazine and lives in New York.

    Product Details

    Category: 20th Century U.S. History

    Paperback | $16.95
    Published by Vintage
    Jun 28, 1999 | 400 Pages | 5-3/16 x 8 | ISBN 9780679751526

    Category: 20th Century U.S. History

    Hardcover | $28.00
    Published by Random House
    Jan 13, 1994 | 400 Pages | 5-1/2 x 9-1/4 | ISBN 9780679429227

    Category: 20th Century U.S. History

    Ebook | $13.99
    Published by Vintage
    May 12, 2010 | 400 Pages | ISBN 9780307538376

    Category: 20th Century U.S. History | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $19.98
    Published by Random House Audio
    Nov 22, 2005 | 900 Minutes | ISBN 9780739334546

    Category: 20th Century U.S. History | Audiobooks

    Audiobook Download | $11.48
    Published by Random House Audio
    Nov 22, 2005 | 190 Minutes | ISBN 9780739334539

    Category: 20th Century U.S. History | Audiobooks

    CD | $14.99
    Published by Random House Audio
    Aug 02, 2005 | 180 Minutes | ISBN 9780739321508

    People Who Read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Also Read

    ‹ ›
    Governing the World
    A History of the Middle East
    Revelations
    Carthage Must Be Destroyed
    The Idea of America
    The Making of African America
    The Vikings
    Shadows at Dawn
    The Forsaken
    Justinian's Flea
    Wood
    The Works
    The Girls Who Went Away
    The Punishment of Virtue
    Middle Passages
    Breaking the Spell
    The Oracle
    The Cold War
    The War That Made America
    American Sideshow
    Postwar
    A Field Guide to Getting Lost
    Before the Fallout
    Whose Bible Is It?
    The United States of Europe
    Death in Hamburg
    The Fall of Baghdad
    Multitude
    Public Enemies
    How the Homosexuals Saved Civilization
    The Right Nation
    The Pentagon's New Map
    Colossus
    Occidentalism
    The Reformation
    A Terrible Love of War
    Origins of the Crash
    Ghost Wars
    A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
    The Curse of the Bambino
    The Nicomachean Ethics
    A Sideways Look at Time
    The Great Nation
    The Treasure of the City of Ladies
    Shot in the Heart

    Inspired by Your Browsing History

    Praise

    “Elegant and wicked…. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil 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

    Awards

    Lambda Book Award WINNER 1994

    Looking for More Great Reads?
    Download our Spring Fiction Sampler Now
    Back to Top

    Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network

    Brightly

    Raise kids who love to read
    TASTE img

    TASTE

    An online magazine for today’s home cook

    LitFlash

    The eBooks you want at the lowest prices

    Read it Forward

    Read it first. Pass it on!