Midnight in the garden of good and evil a Savannah story /
"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'...
| Main Author: | Berendt, John, 1939- |
|---|---|
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Random House,
[1994]
|
| Physical Description: |
388 pages ; 25 cm. |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
Sample text Table of contents Program air date: August 28, 1997 Contributor biographical information Publisher description |
| Summary: |
"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."--Jacket. |
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| Item Description: |
Part one. An evening in Mercer House ; Destination unknown ; The Sentimental gentleman ; Settling in ; The inventor ; The lady of six thousand songs ; The Grand Empress of Savannah ; Sweet Georgia Brown's ; A walking streak of sex ; It ain't braggin' if y'really done it ; News flash -- Part two. Gunplay ; Checks and balances ; The party of the year ; Civic duty ; Trial ; A hole in the floor ; Midnight in the Garden of good and evil ; Lafayette Square, we are here ; Sonny ; Notes on a rerun ; The pod ; Lunch ; Black minuet ; Talk of the town ; Another story ; Lucky number ; Glory ; And the angels sing -- Afterward. "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."--Jacket. Lambda Literary Award, 1994. Ferro-Grumley Award for Gay Male Fiction, 1994. Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction Finalist, 1995. Colorado Christian University - K Marie Stolba Collection. |
| Physical Description: |
388 pages ; 25 cm. |
| Awards: |
Lambda Literary Award, 1994. Ferro-Grumley Award for Gay Male Fiction, 1994. Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction Finalist, 1995. |
| ISBN: |
0679429220 9780679429227 0679643419 9780679643418 9780679751526 0679751521 |