Midnight in the Garden Of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Before visiting Savannah for the 3rd time, I knew that I had to FINALLY get around to reading John Berendt's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."  Its one of those classics that I have wanted to read anyway, but planning a trip to Savannah gave me an excuse.

Before our 1st trip to the interesting town, I am sure I thought about reading this one...  but we opted to watch the movie instead.  I think that was a mistake, because the movie just wasn't memorable.  Even as I read the book recently, I only had a couple of "I remember that from the movie" moments.

AND, I hate to use overused sayings, but this is another clear case of the book being a lot better than the movie.  The book is so well written, and the characters are simply so weird....  You really become interested in seeing what happens next.

The book is centered around a murder that occurs in a very famous old house in Savannah.  The house owner ends up being tried for the crime four times before the book is over.  A parade of well described oddballs flows through the pages. 

Probably the most well known character in this book (and movie) is the late Lady Chablis.  She definitely stands out.  In the story, the author interacts with her almost as a side story (she really has nothing to do with the main plot involving the murder and the court cases).  She ends up being the star of the book.  There is a great scene towards the end where she really makes a point at a debutant ball.

Anyway, this is a great book, and I am glad that I finally got around to reading it before our latest Savannah trip.