Featured Reading Guide
John Berendt
The best non-fiction novel since IN COLD BLOOD: a true story of intrigue, murder, forgery and eccentricity set in the steamy, surreal atmosphere of Savannah, Georgia. The unpredictable twists and turns of a murder case are skilfully interwoven with a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South.
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John Berendt was born in New York in 193 and graduated from Harvard in 1961. While at Harvard he was on the editorial board of the Harvard Lampoon. From 1961 to 1969 he was an associate editor at Esquire, and later he wrote for David Frost and Dick Cavett.
From 1977 to 1979 he was the editor of New York magazine, and he wrote a monthly column for Esquire from 1982 to 1994. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is his first book. When he is not visiting Savannah, Georgia, he lives in New York City.
topAbout the Book
The best non-fiction novel since IN COLD BLOOD: a true story of intrigue, murder, forgery and eccentricity set in the steamy, surreal atmosphere of Savannah, Georgia. The unpredictable twists and turns of a murder case are skilfully interwoven with a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South.
topJohn Berendt interview/review
Powells.com, July 1999
“I would focus on something – a person. Then I would do a chapter, approaching it as if it were an article for a magazine. It was nonfiction, writing using the fictional techniques novelists and short story writers would use: ample description, transitions, a lot of dialogue.
But I would focus on one chapter, not knowing where it was going. I didn’t write it in order. In the first part of the book, each chapter more or less introduces one person. Then sometimes a character already described in his own chapter will float through to tie it together.
I lived in Savannah for five years. I was going to come down for three weeks at a time every so often, but I soon realized that I really had to be there to stumble on things, to have things happen in front of me, to hear the perfect phrase. So I went down there in ’85 and stayed for five years, going back to New York rarely, just for days at a time. It unfolded. The book evolved, more or less. I didn’t know how it was going to end.
One reason I didn’t have an advance was that I didn’t want to be committed to a timetable. I didn’t know how the book was going to turn out. The story hadn’t finished yet. In fact, I moved down in ’85, and the trials for the murder case weren’t over until June of ’89. So that didn’t solve itself. Then, Jim Williams [the murder suspect], six months later, he died. Well, that gave me a nice ending.”
topStarting Points for Discussion
- How objective do you find Berendt’s narrative, and how much does this matter? What exactly is the relationship between fact and fiction?
- Are we supposed to sympathise with Jim William’s? Do you believe his story, and his own version of events? Do you think Berendt believes him?
- Explore the relationship between Danny and Jim – how widely do interpretations of the facts differ? Do you think its necessary for the reader to decide on William’s guilt or innocence?
- Class is consistently present throughout this book. Consider how differently the personalities Berendt encounters deal with class, especially the upper classes of Savannah, and how this illuminates the course of events described.
- Is this really just set of interlinking short stories? Discuss how Berendt constructs his story and what devices he used to sustain the narrative. Is it completely effective?
- What are the defining factors on the very particular personality of Savannah? How does Berendt create this atmosphere and do you think there is a hint of nostalgia about the portrayal?
Suggested Further Reading
- In Cold Blood ~ Truman Capote
- The Executioner’s Song ~ Norman Mailer
- Oswald’s Tale ~ Norman Mailer
- Sleepers ~ Lorenzo Carcaterra
- Blood Washes Blood ~ Frank Viviano