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Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a book by John Berendt. The book was Berendt's first, and became a The New York Times bestseller for 216 weeks following its debut.
The book was subsequently made into a 1997 movie directed by Clint Eastwood based loosely on Berendt's story.
The Book
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (referred to by locals as, simply, "The Book") is atmospheric and Southern Gothic in tone, depicting a wide range of eccentric Savannah personalities.
The action that serves as a catalyst in the book is the murder of Danny Hansford, a local hustler (characterized as "a good time not yet had by all") by respected art dealer Jim Williams, an event that resulted in four murder trials, all documented in the book. Hansford and Williams were linked sexually, but the exact nature of their relationship was unclear. The murder took place in Williams' home, originally built by an ancestor of songwriter and Savannah native Johnny Mercer.
The book also highlights many other residents of Savannah, most notably The Lady Chablis, a local drag queen and entertainer. Chablis provides both a Greek chorus of sorts as well as a lighthearted contrast to the more serious action.
The book's plot is based on real-life events that occurred in the 1980s and is classified as nonfiction. (Booksellers generally feature the title in the "true crime" subsection.) It is among the most popular nonfiction releases of all time.
The title alludes to the voodoo notion of "midnight"; the period between the time for good magic and the time for evil magic; in "the garden of good and evil," which refers principally to Bonaventure Cemetery.
The famous bird-girl statue, originally designed both as art and as a birdseed holder, was originally located at Bonaventure. As of July 2005, the Bird Girl Statue has been relocated for display to the Telfair Museum in Savannah.
Subjective elements of book
It is important to note that, while the essence of the book is true, and the events did occur, much of the book's text is highly subjective. Berendt himself makes this clear in the Author's Word, which appears at the end of the book.
Berendt actually came to Savannah a year after the crime occurred and met Jim Williams in prison after Williams' first conviction. This is substantially different from the opening half of the text, in which Berendt presents himself as a central character introduced into the story as it happens. The narrative has Berendt depicting himself as present during conversations that he could never have heard. Many of the incidents and people are indeed based in reality, but much of the book has been restructured or fictionalized for effect.
Film
The 1997 film, directed by Clint Eastwood, featured Kevin Spacey as Jim Williams and Jude Law as Danny Hansford. He was called Billy Carl Hanson in the movie, so as not to offend members of the Hansford family. The Lady Chablis appeared as herself.
Several changes were made from the book. Many of the more colorful characters were eliminated or made into composite characters. The reporter role, played by John Cusack, was given a love interest not featured in the book, a role played by Eastwood's daughter Alison Eastwood. The multiple Williams trials were combined into one on-screen trial.
Reviews of the film were generally mixed, with praise for Spacey's likeness to Williams, and the inclusion of Chablis. The film's box office performance was ultimately disappointing.
See also
- The City of Falling Angels is John Berendt's second book.
External link
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | 1996 novels | 1997 films | Films directed by Clint Eastwood | LGBT-related films | Films based on non-fiction books | Savannah, Georgia
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"