Beautifully balanced, 29 Oct 2008
This is a great story - Berendt slowly draws you in by cleverly drawing the cast of quirky characters in sleepy, steamy Savannah, then springs the plot. The first half of the book feels like a set of short stories, as each chapter describes one of the key characters and sets the scene for their prejudices and behaviour in the second half (the trial).

Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil is up there with To Kill a Mockingbird. Brilliant.

more good than evil, 07 Mar 2008
Thoroughly enjoyed this and you will too if you like an unpredictable novel with a slowish pace and strong characterization. The descriptions were so vivid I felt I knew Savannah by the time I'd finished (would love to go now). I think the slow pace at the beginning cleverly suggests the lazy and languid way of life in the south and is not meant as a criticism, stay with it the pace speeds up.

Just doesn't get any better, 07 Nov 2007
Loved this book. I had no idea what it was about since I hadn't seen the movie and had avoided the hype years ago. Now, reading it for the first time, I'm amazed. I wasn't too excited at first--the first half of the book is just okay; entertaining but nothing that great, but the second half took off and just flew! This book got me reading more southern American literature and I came across a fantastic book called "Bark of the Dogwood" by J.T.McCrae which was actually just as good as "Midnight."

"Midnight" is probably the only book on the bestseller list I've read that deserved to be there. Jim Williams is an amazing character, and a real person, or was. We will never know the real truth of what happened (don't want to give away the plot), but even so, it makes for one heck of an entertaining read. Would also recommend the books "Prince of Tides" by Conroy and "Bark of the Dogwood" for two other southern books that don't pull any punches.

Intense book, 04 Oct 2007
When I first encountered this book, I'd not read any reviews and the movie had not yet been made. So I was totally unaware of what was going to happen. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but the writing and story really came alive for me in the second half. I'd half-way guessed something like this might be coming, and sure enough, Berendt confirmed it. Add this one to the "keeper" pile because you'll want to read it again and again.

Atmospheric Character Study, 21 Jul 2007
The story is almost secondary to the wonderful character studies. All the people in the book are based on people the author met, and yet he manages to make them "larger than life". I found the book an easy read, and something a little bit different to the norm. I can't recommend it enough!

Beautifully balanced, 29 Oct 2008
This is a great story - Berendt slowly draws you in by cleverly drawing the cast of quirky characters in sleepy, steamy Savannah, then springs the plot. The first half of the book feels like a set of short stories, as each chapter describes one of the key characters and sets the scene for their prejudices and behaviour in the second half (the trial).

Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil is up there with To Kill a Mockingbird. Brilliant.

more good than evil, 07 Mar 2008
Thoroughly enjoyed this and you will too if you like an unpredictable novel with a slowish pace and strong characterization. The descriptions were so vivid I felt I knew Savannah by the time I'd finished (would love to go now). I think the slow pace at the beginning cleverly suggests the lazy and languid way of life in the south and is not meant as a criticism, stay with it the pace speeds up.

Just doesn't get any better, 07 Nov 2007
Loved this book. I had no idea what it was about since I hadn't seen the movie and had avoided the hype years ago. Now, reading it for the first time, I'm amazed. I wasn't too excited at first--the first half of the book is just okay; entertaining but nothing that great, but the second half took off and just flew! This book got me reading more southern American literature and I came across a fantastic book called "Bark of the Dogwood" by J.T.McCrae which was actually just as good as "Midnight."

"Midnight" is probably the only book on the bestseller list I've read that deserved to be there. Jim Williams is an amazing character, and a real person, or was. We will never know the real truth of what happened (don't want to give away the plot), but even so, it makes for one heck of an entertaining read. Would also recommend the books "Prince of Tides" by Conroy and "Bark of the Dogwood" for two other southern books that don't pull any punches.

Intense book, 04 Oct 2007
When I first encountered this book, I'd not read any reviews and the movie had not yet been made. So I was totally unaware of what was going to happen. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but the writing and story really came alive for me in the second half. I'd half-way guessed something like this might be coming, and sure enough, Berendt confirmed it. Add this one to the "keeper" pile because you'll want to read it again and again.

Atmospheric Character Study, 21 Jul 2007
The story is almost secondary to the wonderful character studies. All the people in the book are based on people the author met, and yet he manages to make them "larger than life". I found the book an easy read, and something a little bit different to the norm. I can't recommend it enough!

too many outsiders not enough venetians, 12 Oct 2008
I had wanted to read this book for a long time as I enjoy anything relating to Venice and its history however I was a little disappointed. Although it comes vividly alive when the author meets real Venetians too much time and too many pages are taken up with 'outsiders' the boring section about the controversial Ezra Pound Foundation lent little to the book and seemed never ending---what did it have to do with the Fenice fire ??? It served only to pad out the midddle section of the book. The interesting account of the Seguso glass blowers family split was dangled temptingly then dropped,it would have been interesting to have discovered more. If anything it proved what a poisoned chalice Venice is-forced to suffer the overbearing American 'art lovers' and Z list British aristocracy because they contribute to its upkeep.The sights, smells and sounds of the real Venice were sadly missing from this book which was a shame. Readers would be better served reading any, or better still all, of Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti novels for a taste of the real Venice.

Great Expectations Not Fulfilled, 23 Sep 2008
I know what I expected from a new book by Berendt. I expected something better than the last. I realize now that it was a lot to expect.
The City of Falling Angels does not come up to the standard set by his previous novel. It's not that Venice does not compare to Savannah (I am in no position to tell not having visited the latter), it is just that The City doesn't have a decent story to keep the book together.
Similarities are quite striking - in both books the narrator arrives within days of a crime being commited. In The City it is the fire of the Fenice, Venice's opera. You're not thrilled? Well, it isn't exactly a crime in which the finding of the guilty would keep you reading through the night. The book traces the opera's reconstruction to the re-opening but again that also wasn't anything most people would need to hear about.
The narrator spends years in Venice (the book isn't too specific about it - my guess is he drops by every now and then rather than waits for the Fenice to be reconstructed) talking to people. By the way - it is quite striking how almost everyone in Venice has nothing better to do but to talk to him at length... We get a number of (allegedly) true stories, none of which, however, is thrilling. Actually, after a while they get mildly disgusting - petty rivalries in Save Venice, quarrels over the will of a suicidal local poet, fight over Ezra Pound's letters... There is usually some money involved (actually, there is usually big money involved) and it is the money that most often becomes (I would say against the author's wishes - he is quite desperate to present a cultural and literary context) the real issue.
In short - a long and nicely written book without a decent plot and/or conflict. If you haven't read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - buy it immediately. If you have - wait for another Berendt. You may well skip this one.

Limited sympathy for small-town gossip, 24 Jul 2007
I found this on a second-hand stall one Saturday morning a few weeks ago. The unique qualities of Venice have fascinated millions of people for hundreds of years, and though we think we keep rediscovering it, it's something of a cliche to say that nothing new can be said about the place (as Berendt acknowledges, with reference to Venetian authorities Mary McCarthy and Henry James, early on in this book). Here, Berendt tries to tell the story not of the place, but of some of the people he encountered after he moved there there immediately following the 1996 fire that destroyed the Fenice opera house. Part of the story is taken up with the investigation of the fire, and with a few other tales such as the fate of the Ezra Pound foundation and the Save Venice campaign.

It's well-written, but I found my attention wandering from time to time: a lot of effort is devoted to laying out family feuds, squabbles amongst philanthropists and the delineation of the characteristics of a mixed bag of eccentrics. Perhaps the background of this beautiful city gives them all a certain cachet, but I'd guess you could find a similar collection of people anywhere else (in spite of a few asides on the features of the Venetian character, which don't seem to get followed up). As such, I found the book of limited interest, since I had no real idea by the end about why I should care about what these people did or thought.

Social climbing in Venice, 31 Jan 2007
Author John Berendt hunts down some of the biggest social climbers on the lagoon. Arriving in Venice just as the Fenice opera house goes up in flames, Berendt creeps around the fringes of the event asking if it was the electricians or the Mafia that caused the historic old building to go up like so much tinder in February 1996.

Each year more and more Venetians move away from the island to make a home to find work away from the hordes of tourist that flush through the city's alleyways and squares in much the same way the waters of the lagoon sluice through the waterways. But Berendt does not want to speak about the struggles of the gondolier or the shopkeeper facing ever increasing rents as Disney and McDonalds flex their muscles. He has more highly gilded fish to fry.

He aims to dish the dirt on some big names and has a go at some dubious behaviour involving the missing papers of former Venice resident Ezra Pound trying to strike a resonnant chord with Henry Jame's 'Aspern Papers' as he does so. But his really big guns are aimed at a wealthy plastic surgeon and the heir to a US grocery chain called Piggly-Wiggly. Yes it really is called Piggly-Wiggly.

These two luminaries battle to head the embossed letter heading of Save Venice, another US organisation consisting of wealthy people who want to be seen in Venice as they save it. Or at least seen in the right places in Venice where they can talk about their generosity with other like minded souls.

For the Venice lover there are some names and places that will be recognised and some rather unastounding revelations about the bureaucratic tentacles that engulf Venice as much as they do the rest of Italy. The City of Falling Angels is an easy, light and ultimately unfulfilling read adding nothing to one's understanding of this most beautiful of all anachronisms. And certainly contains nothing that would make any Venetian choke over their morning coffee in Florian's.

Another beauty from Berendt, 07 Jan 2007
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was such a worthy contribution to the non-fiction genre presided over by Capote's "In Cold Blood" that I cannot now explain why I was so luke-warm about the news of Berendt's latest work.

I think I was put off because I thought "The City of Falling Angels" would be something of an art history of Venice. I was also wary about the fact it had been ten years' in production. The same is true of "Something Happened", Joseph Heller's second novel. And, in Heller's case, the fact that the book had been assembled so painstakingly letter-by-letter over such a long period really showed to the detriment of the prose.

I accept that, with such a low level of expectation, I was hardly likely to be disappointed, but I quickly realised that the book was just brilliant, evoking not only memories of "Midnight" but, more interestingly, the realisation that the Berendt style is unique amongst the many hundreds of different books read in the ten years between the two, being part travelogue, part social history, part biography and part non-fiction crime.

Berendt is capable of unearthing the scent of intrigue from the most innocuous of encounters. His unique talent thereafter is to follow that scent to a conclusion whether that be by way of his personal charm (very few seem to decline his requests for interview) or his considerable forensic powers of analysis. And, thanks to his narrative gifts, he is able to generate real suspense in the leads he has running.

In whatever context he meets the various characters of Venice he avoids any commentary letting the words (quoted faithfully) and actions of each speak for themselves and yet by his presentation of the evidence of such encounters he is able get his point across with subtlety.

And he meets famous characters from the past too: Ezra Pound spent a great deal of his own life in Venice. Berendt explores his connections with the city and comments on his literary legacy. He unearths a letter from Pound to his (then-teenage) daughter, Mary de Rachewiltz and, as it contains his advice on creative writing, sets it out in full (p196). Of course, Brendt's own prose measures up and it serves as yet another proof that the reader is in the hands of a real professional.

I accept there is some art history of Venice in there, but it is well-presented and I have to accept that it even enhanced his tales.

Beautifully balanced, 29 Oct 2008
This is a great story - Berendt slowly draws you in by cleverly drawing the cast of quirky characters in sleepy, steamy Savannah, then springs the plot. The first half of the book feels like a set of short stories, as each chapter describes one of the key characters and sets the scene for their prejudices and behaviour in the second half (the trial).

Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil is up there with To Kill a Mockingbird. Brilliant.

more good than evil, 07 Mar 2008
Thoroughly enjoyed this and you will too if you like an unpredictable novel with a slowish pace and strong characterization. The descriptions were so vivid I felt I knew Savannah by the time I'd finished (would love to go now). I think the slow pace at the beginning cleverly suggests the lazy and languid way of life in the south and is not meant as a criticism, stay with it the pace speeds up.

Just doesn't get any better, 07 Nov 2007
Loved this book. I had no idea what it was about since I hadn't seen the movie and had avoided the hype years ago. Now, reading it for the first time, I'm amazed. I wasn't too excited at first--the first half of the book is just okay; entertaining but nothing that great, but the second half took off and just flew! This book got me reading more southern American literature and I came across a fantastic book called "Bark of the Dogwood" by J.T.McCrae which was actually just as good as "Midnight."

"Midnight" is probably the only book on the bestseller list I've read that deserved to be there. Jim Williams is an amazing character, and a real person, or was. We will never know the real truth of what happened (don't want to give away the plot), but even so, it makes for one heck of an entertaining read. Would also recommend the books "Prince of Tides" by Conroy and "Bark of the Dogwood" for two other southern books that don't pull any punches.

Intense book, 04 Oct 2007
When I first encountered this book, I'd not read any reviews and the movie had not yet been made. So I was totally unaware of what was going to happen. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but the writing and story really came alive for me in the second half. I'd half-way guessed something like this might be coming, and sure enough, Berendt confirmed it. Add this one to the "keeper" pile because you'll want to read it again and again.

Atmospheric Character Study, 21 Jul 2007
The story is almost secondary to the wonderful character studies. All the people in the book are based on people the author met, and yet he manages to make them "larger than life". I found the book an easy read, and something a little bit different to the norm. I can't recommend it enough!

too many outsiders not enough venetians, 12 Oct 2008
I had wanted to read this book for a long time as I enjoy anything relating to Venice and its history however I was a little disappointed. Although it comes vividly alive when the author meets real Venetians too much time and too many pages are taken up with 'outsiders' the boring section about the controversial Ezra Pound Foundation lent little to the book and seemed never ending---what did it have to do with the Fenice fire ??? It served only to pad out the midddle section of the book. The interesting account of the Seguso glass blowers family split was dangled temptingly then dropped,it would have been interesting to have discovered more. If anything it proved what a poisoned chalice Venice is-forced to suffer the overbearing American 'art lovers' and Z list British aristocracy because they contribute to its upkeep.The sights, smells and sounds of the real Venice were sadly missing from this book which was a shame. Readers would be better served reading any, or better still all, of Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti novels for a taste of the real Venice.

Great Expectations Not Fulfilled, 23 Sep 2008
I know what I expected from a new book by Berendt. I expected something better than the last. I realize now that it was a lot to expect.
The City of Falling Angels does not come up to the standard set by his previous novel. It's not that Venice does not compare to Savannah (I am in no position to tell not having visited the latter), it is just that The City doesn't have a decent story to keep the book together.
Similarities are quite striking - in both books the narrator arrives within days of a crime being commited. In The City it is the fire of the Fenice, Venice's opera. You're not thrilled? Well, it isn't exactly a crime in which the finding of the guilty would keep you reading through the night. The book traces the opera's reconstruction to the re-opening but again that also wasn't anything most people would need to hear about.
The narrator spends years in Venice (the book isn't too specific about it - my guess is he drops by every now and then rather than waits for the Fenice to be reconstructed) talking to people. By the way - it is quite striking how almost everyone in Venice has nothing better to do but to talk to him at length... We get a number of (allegedly) true stories, none of which, however, is thrilling. Actually, after a while they get mildly disgusting - petty rivalries in Save Venice, quarrels over the will of a suicidal local poet, fight over Ezra Pound's letters... There is usually some money involved (actually, there is usually big money involved) and it is the money that most often becomes (I would say against the author's wishes - he is quite desperate to present a cultural and literary context) the real issue.
In short - a long and nicely written book without a decent plot and/or conflict. If you haven't read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - buy it immediately. If you have - wait for another Berendt. You may well skip this one.

Limited sympathy for small-town gossip, 24 Jul 2007
I found this on a second-hand stall one Saturday morning a few weeks ago. The unique qualities of Venice have fascinated millions of people for hundreds of years, and though we think we keep rediscovering it, it's something of a cliche to say that nothing new can be said about the place (as Berendt acknowledges, with reference to Venetian authorities Mary McCarthy and Henry James, early on in this book). Here, Berendt tries to tell the story not of the place, but of some of the people he encountered after he moved there there immediately following the 1996 fire that destroyed the Fenice opera house. Part of the story is taken up with the investigation of the fire, and with a few other tales such as the fate of the Ezra Pound foundation and the Save Venice campaign.

It's well-written, but I found my attention wandering from time to time: a lot of effort is devoted to laying out family feuds, squabbles amongst philanthropists and the delineation of the characteristics of a mixed bag of eccentrics. Perhaps the background of this beautiful city gives them all a certain cachet, but I'd guess you could find a similar collection of people anywhere else (in spite of a few asides on the features of the Venetian character, which don't seem to get followed up). As such, I found the book of limited interest, since I had no real idea by the end about why I should care about what these people did or thought.

Social climbing in Venice, 31 Jan 2007
Author John Berendt hunts down some of the biggest social climbers on the lagoon. Arriving in Venice just as the Fenice opera house goes up in flames, Berendt creeps around the fringes of the event asking if it was the electricians or the Mafia that caused the historic old building to go up like so much tinder in February 1996.

Each year more and more Venetians move away from the island to make a home to find work away from the hordes of tourist that flush through the city's alleyways and squares in much the same way the waters of the lagoon sluice through the waterways. But Berendt does not want to speak about the struggles of the gondolier or the shopkeeper facing ever increasing rents as Disney and McDonalds flex their muscles. He has more highly gilded fish to fry.

He aims to dish the dirt on some big names and has a go at some dubious behaviour involving the missing papers of former Venice resident Ezra Pound trying to strike a resonnant chord with Henry Jame's 'Aspern Papers' as he does so. But his really big guns are aimed at a wealthy plastic surgeon and the heir to a US grocery chain called Piggly-Wiggly. Yes it really is called Piggly-Wiggly.

These two luminaries battle to head the embossed letter heading of Save Venice, another US organisation consisting of wealthy people who want to be seen in Venice as they save it. Or at least seen in the right places in Venice where they can talk about their generosity with other like minded souls.

For the Venice lover there are some names and places that will be recognised and some rather unastounding revelations about the bureaucratic tentacles that engulf Venice as much as they do the rest of Italy. The City of Falling Angels is an easy, light and ultimately unfulfilling read adding nothing to one's understanding of this most beautiful of all anachronisms. And certainly contains nothing that would make any Venetian choke over their morning coffee in Florian's.

Another beauty from Berendt, 07 Jan 2007
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was such a worthy contribution to the non-fiction genre presided over by Capote's "In Cold Blood" that I cannot now explain why I was so luke-warm about the news of Berendt's latest work.

I think I was put off because I thought "The City of Falling Angels" would be something of an art history of Venice. I was also wary about the fact it had been ten years' in production. The same is true of "Something Happened", Joseph Heller's second novel. And, in Heller's case, the fact that the book had been assembled so painstakingly letter-by-letter over such a long period really showed to the detriment of the prose.

I accept that, with such a low level of expectation, I was hardly likely to be disappointed, but I quickly realised that the book was just brilliant, evoking not only memories of "Midnight" but, more interestingly, the realisation that the Berendt style is unique amongst the many hundreds of different books read in the ten years between the two, being part travelogue, part social history, part biography and part non-fiction crime.

Berendt is capable of unearthing the scent of intrigue from the most innocuous of encounters. His unique talent thereafter is to follow that scent to a conclusion whether that be by way of his personal charm (very few seem to decline his requests for interview) or his considerable forensic powers of analysis. And, thanks to his narrative gifts, he is able to generate real suspense in the leads he has running.

In whatever context he meets the various characters of Venice he avoids any commentary letting the words (quoted faithfully) and actions of each speak for themselves and yet by his presentation of the evidence of such encounters he is able get his point across with subtlety.

And he meets famous characters from the past too: Ezra Pound spent a great deal of his own life in Venice. Berendt explores his connections with the city and comments on his literary legacy. He unearths a letter from Pound to his (then-teenage) daughter, Mary de Rachewiltz and, as it contains his advice on creative writing, sets it out in full (p196). Of course, Brendt's own prose measures up and it serves as yet another proof that the reader is in the hands of a real professional.

I accept there is some art history of Venice in there, but it is well-presented and I have to accept that it even enhanced his tales.

Best Southern Food Restaurant on the Planet, 02 Sep 1999
I have not yet read the book, but I can vouch for the fact that the Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah is arguably the best southern food establishment on earth. I have travelled all over the country, asking locals their favorites, testing the recommendations in Jan and Michael Stern's excellent "Road Food" book (which, amazingly, does not list Lady & Sons), and using my intuition for finding good restaurants, and I can say I have never had better fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, or banana cream pie in a restaurant or home. I make special trips to Savannah just to eat there. I love the great and often sophisticated cuisines of Paris, NY, Bologna, Hong Kong, and New Orleans -- but the pure enjoyment of a Lady & Sons meal stands up to all of them. Thank you, Paula Deen (whom I've not yet met, but am told is a wonderful woman), for sharing your recipes with the rest of the world.

This is an excellent cookbook if you love southern cooking., 09 Aug 1999
I collect cookbooks and this one has gone to the "top of the class" in one week's time. The pepper steak recipe is outstanding. The shrimp and artichoke bake would be fantastic for company, as would be the Scallops Charleston. While they took a little time, I fixed them both after getting home from work and had time to spare. This book is a good investment for southern cooking enthusiasts!

Charming read, would make a good movie, but can she cook?, 07 Apr 1999
Oh, the intro by that Midnight author guy. For fans of his, this may be the only reason to buy this book. And I'm giving 2 stars for that. Were all these recipes even tested? I 've heard her cafe is actually good, but I cooked about a quarter of the recipes in this book and they all were dissapointing. I almost felt ripped off. Nothing is more ARGH! than cooking recipes that turn out bad - all of them! Don't waste your money. If you want to cook great southern food, buy True Grits. It's much better than this.

For Everyone Who Always Wanted To Learn To Cook Like Grandma, 11 Jan 1999
If you have always wanted to learn to cook down-home dishes just like grandma, this book is the place to start. As you probably know, grandma doesn't follow a recipe, just a dash of this and a sprinkle of that. Paula Deen has taken all the guess work out of preparing delicious country recipes by giving step-by-step directions for every dish you can imagine. Unlike other cookbooks , which tend to provide recipes only for those interested in preparing fancy dishes that are more artwork than eating...this book is packed with recipes that the majority of people eat on a daily basis. These are foods that the kids will eat too! This book is appropriate for experienced chefs as well as those who simply love to cook good meals for their families. I use this book everyday!

Commendable collection., 16 Oct 1998
"The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook" is a commendable collection of down-home Southern recipes. Paula H. Deen, the owner and proprietor of the popular The Lady & Sons restaurant, has included hundreds of her favorite dishes here. And nearly all of them are simple to prepare--especially her signature Cheese Biscuits, which she serves (piping hot, of course) to customers waiting in line. Other delectable-sounding dishes include: Broccoli Souffle, Potato-Egg Salad, Ester's Dill Coleslaw, Herb Corn Bread, Hoppin' John (which, thankfully, contains no meat stock), and Grandmother Paul's Sour Cream Pound Cake. The book's spiral binding, non-glare paper, and simply layout are all laudable features. Author John Berendt (MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL) pens a fine Introduction, in which he discusses what makes Deen's downtown restaurant so quintessentially Southern.

Beautifully balanced, 29 Oct 2008
This is a great story - Berendt slowly draws you in by cleverly drawing the cast of quirky characters in sleepy, steamy Savannah, then springs the plot. The first half of the book feels like a set of short stories, as each chapter describes one of the key characters and sets the scene for their prejudices and behaviour in the second half (the trial).

Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil is up there with To Kill a Mockingbird. Brilliant.

more good than evil, 07 Mar 2008
Thoroughly enjoyed this and you will too if you like an unpredictable novel with a slowish pace and strong characterization. The descriptions were so vivid I felt I knew Savannah by the time I'd finished (would love to go now). I think the slow pace at the beginning cleverly suggests the lazy and languid way of life in the south and is not meant as a criticism, stay with it the pace speeds up.

Just doesn't get any better, 07 Nov 2007
Loved this book. I had no idea what it was about since I hadn't seen the movie and had avoided the hype years ago. Now, reading it for the first time, I'm amazed. I wasn't too excited at first--the first half of the book is just okay; entertaining but nothing that great, but the second half took off and just flew! This book got me reading more southern American literature and I came across a fantastic book called "Bark of the Dogwood" by J.T.McCrae which was actually just as good as "Midnight."

"Midnight" is probably the only book on the bestseller list I've read that deserved to be there. Jim Williams is an amazing character, and a real person, or was. We will never know the real truth of what happened (don't want to give away the plot), but even so, it makes for one heck of an entertaining read. Would also recommend the books "Prince of Tides" by Conroy and "Bark of the Dogwood" for two other southern books that don't pull any punches.

Intense book, 04 Oct 2007
When I first encountered this book, I'd not read any reviews and the movie had not yet been made. So I was totally unaware of what was going to happen. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but the writing and story really came alive for me in the second half. I'd half-way guessed something like this might be coming, and sure enough, Berendt confirmed it. Add this one to the "keeper" pile because you'll want to read it again and again.

Atmospheric Character Study, 21 Jul 2007
The story is almost secondary to the wonderful character studies. All the people in the book are based on people the author met, and yet he manages to make them "larger than life". I found the book an easy read, and something a little bit different to the norm. I can't recommend it enough!

too many outsiders not enough venetians, 12 Oct 2008
I had wanted to read this book for a long time as I enjoy anything relating to Venice and its history however I was a little disappointed. Although it comes vividly alive when the author meets real Venetians too much time and too many pages are taken up with 'outsiders' the boring section about the controversial Ezra Pound Foundation lent little to the book and seemed never ending---what did it have to do with the Fenice fire ??? It served only to pad out the midddle section of the book. The interesting account of the Seguso glass blowers family split was dangled temptingly then dropped,it would have been interesting to have discovered more. If anything it proved what a poisoned chalice Venice is-forced to suffer the overbearing American 'art lovers' and Z list British aristocracy because they contribute to its upkeep.The sights, smells and sounds of the real Venice were sadly missing from this book which was a shame. Readers would be better served reading any, or better still all, of Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti novels for a taste of the real Venice.

Great Expectations Not Fulfilled, 23 Sep 2008
I know what I expected from a new book by Berendt. I expected something better than the last. I realize now that it was a lot to expect.
The City of Falling Angels does not come up to the standard set by his previous novel. It's not that Venice does not compare to Savannah (I am in no position to tell not having visited the latter), it is just that The City doesn't have a decent story to keep the book together.
Similarities are quite striking - in both books the narrator arrives within days of a crime being commited. In The City it is the fire of the Fenice, Venice's opera. You're not thrilled? Well, it isn't exactly a crime in which the finding of the guilty would keep you reading through the night. The book traces the opera's reconstruction to the re-opening but again that also wasn't anything most people would need to hear about.
The narrator spends years in Venice (the book isn't too specific about it - my guess is he drops by every now and then rather than waits for the Fenice to be reconstructed) talking to people. By the way - it is quite striking how almost everyone in Venice has nothing better to do but to talk to him at length... We get a number of (allegedly) true stories, none of which, however, is thrilling. Actually, after a while they get mildly disgusting - petty rivalries in Save Venice, quarrels over the will of a suicidal local poet, fight over Ezra Pound's letters... There is usually some money involved (actually, there is usually big money involved) and it is the money that most often becomes (I would say against the author's wishes - he is quite desperate to present a cultural and literary context) the real issue.
In short - a long and nicely written book without a decent plot and/or conflict. If you haven't read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - buy it immediately. If you have - wait for another Berendt. You may well skip this one.

Limited sympathy for small-town gossip, 24 Jul 2007
I found this on a second-hand stall one Saturday morning a few weeks ago. The unique qualities of Venice have fascinated millions of people for hundreds of years, and though we think we keep rediscovering it, it's something of a cliche to say that nothing new can be said about the place (as Berendt acknowledges, with reference to Venetian authorities Mary McCarthy and Henry James, early on in this book). Here, Berendt tries to tell the story not of the place, but of some of the people he encountered after he moved there there immediately following the 1996 fire that destroyed the Fenice opera house. Part of the story is taken up with the investigation of the fire, and with a few other tales such as the fate of the Ezra Pound foundation and the Save Venice campaign.

It's well-written, but I found my attention wandering from time to time: a lot of effort is devoted to laying out family feuds, squabbles amongst philanthropists and the delineation of the characteristics of a mixed bag of eccentrics. Perhaps the background of this beautiful city gives them all a certain cachet, but I'd guess you could find a similar collection of people anywhere else (in spite of a few asides on the features of the Venetian character, which don't seem to get followed up). As such, I found the book of limited interest, since I had no real idea by the end about why I should care about what these people did or thought.

Social climbing in Venice, 31 Jan 2007
Author John Berendt hunts down some of the biggest social climbers on the lagoon. Arriving in Venice just as the Fenice opera house goes up in flames, Berendt creeps around the fringes of the event asking if it was the electricians or the Mafia that caused the historic old building to go up like so much tinder in February 1996.

Each year more and more Venetians move away from the island to make a home to find work away from the hordes of tourist that flush through the city's alleyways and squares in much the same way the waters of the lagoon sluice through the waterways. But Berendt does not want to speak about the struggles of the gondolier or the shopkeeper facing ever increasing rents as Disney and McDonalds flex their muscles. He has more highly gilded fish to fry.

He aims to dish the dirt on some big names and has a go at some dubious behaviour involving the missing papers of former Venice resident Ezra Pound trying to strike a resonnant chord with Henry Jame's 'Aspern Papers' as he does so. But his really big guns are aimed at a wealthy plastic surgeon and the heir to a US grocery chain called Piggly-Wiggly. Yes it really is called Piggly-Wiggly.

These two luminaries battle to head the embossed letter heading of Save Venice, another US organisation consisting of wealthy people who want to be seen in Venice as they save it. Or at least seen in the right places in Venice where they can talk about their generosity with other like minded souls.

For the Venice lover there are some names and places that will be recognised and some rather unastounding revelations about the bureaucratic tentacles that engulf Venice as much as they do the rest of Italy. The City of Falling Angels is an easy, light and ultimately unfulfilling read adding nothing to one's understanding of this most beautiful of all anachronisms. And certainly contains nothing that would make any Venetian choke over their morning coffee in Florian's.

Another beauty from Berendt, 07 Jan 2007
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was such a worthy contribution to the non-fiction genre presided over by Capote's "In Cold Blood" that I cannot now explain why I was so luke-warm about the news of Berendt's latest work.

I think I was put off because I thought "The City of Falling Angels" would be something of an art history of Venice. I was also wary about the fact it had been ten years' in production. The same is true of "Something Happened", Joseph Heller's second novel. And, in Heller's case, the fact that the book had been assembled so painstakingly letter-by-letter over such a long period really showed to the detriment of the prose.

I accept that, with such a low level of expectation, I was hardly likely to be disappointed, but I quickly realised that the book was just brilliant, evoking not only memories of "Midnight" but, more interestingly, the realisation that the Berendt style is unique amongst the many hundreds of different books read in the ten years between the two, being part travelogue, part social history, part biography and part non-fiction crime.

Berendt is capable of unearthing the scent of intrigue from the most innocuous of encounters. His unique talent thereafter is to follow that scent to a conclusion whether that be by way of his personal charm (very few seem to decline his requests for interview) or his considerable forensic powers of analysis. And, thanks to his narrative gifts, he is able to generate real suspense in the leads he has running.

In whatever context he meets the various characters of Venice he avoids any commentary letting the words (quoted faithfully) and actions of each speak for themselves and yet by his presentation of the evidence of such encounters he is able get his point across with subtlety.

And he meets famous characters from the past too: Ezra Pound spent a great deal of his own life in Venice. Berendt explores his connections with the city and comments on his literary legacy. He unearths a letter from Pound to his (then-teenage) daughter, Mary de Rachewiltz and, as it contains his advice on creative writing, sets it out in full (p196). Of course, Brendt's own prose measures up and it serves as yet another proof that the reader is in the hands of a real professional.

I accept there is some art history of Venice in there, but it is well-presented and I have to accept that it even enhanced his tales.

Best Southern Food Restaurant on the Planet, 02 Sep 1999
I have not yet read the book, but I can vouch for the fact that the Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah is arguably the best southern food establishment on earth. I have travelled all over the country, asking locals their favorites, testing the recommendations in Jan and Michael Stern's excellent "Road Food" book (which, amazingly, does not list Lady & Sons), and using my intuition for finding good restaurants, and I can say I have never had better fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, or banana cream pie in a restaurant or home. I make special trips to Savannah just to eat there. I love the great and often sophisticated cuisines of Paris, NY, Bologna, Hong Kong, and New Orleans -- but the pure enjoyment of a Lady & Sons meal stands up to all of them. Thank you, Paula Deen (whom I've not yet met, but am told is a wonderful woman), for sharing your recipes with the rest of the world.

This is an excellent cookbook if you love southern cooking., 09 Aug 1999
I collect cookbooks and this one has gone to the "top of the class" in one week's time. The pepper steak recipe is outstanding. The shrimp and artichoke bake would be fantastic for company, as would be the Scallops Charleston. While they took a little time, I fixed them both after getting home from work and had time to spare. This book is a good investment for southern cooking enthusiasts!

Charming read, would make a good movie, but can she cook?, 07 Apr 1999
Oh, the intro by that Midnight author guy. For fans of his, this may be the only reason to buy this book. And I'm giving 2 stars for that. Were all these recipes even tested? I 've heard her cafe is actually good, but I cooked about a quarter of the recipes in this book and they all were dissapointing. I almost felt ripped off. Nothing is more ARGH! than cooking recipes that turn out bad - all of them! Don't waste your money. If you want to cook great southern food, buy True Grits. It's much better than this.

For Everyone Who Always Wanted To Learn To Cook Like Grandma, 11 Jan 1999
If you have always wanted to learn to cook down-home dishes just like grandma, this book is the place to start. As you probably know, grandma doesn't follow a recipe, just a dash of this and a sprinkle of that. Paula Deen has taken all the guess work out of preparing delicious country recipes by giving step-by-step directions for every dish you can imagine. Unlike other cookbooks , which tend to provide recipes only for those interested in preparing fancy dishes that are more artwork than eating...this book is packed with recipes that the majority of people eat on a daily basis. These are foods that the kids will eat too! This book is appropriate for experienced chefs as well as those who simply love to cook good meals for their families. I use this book everyday!

Commendable collection., 16 Oct 1998
"The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook" is a commendable collection of down-home Southern recipes. Paula H. Deen, the owner and proprietor of the popular The Lady & Sons restaurant, has included hundreds of her favorite dishes here. And nearly all of them are simple to prepare--especially her signature Cheese Biscuits, which she serves (piping hot, of course) to customers waiting in line. Other delectable-sounding dishes include: Broccoli Souffle, Potato-Egg Salad, Ester's Dill Coleslaw, Herb Corn Bread, Hoppin' John (which, thankfully, contains no meat stock), and Grandmother Paul's Sour Cream Pound Cake. The book's spiral binding, non-glare paper, and simply layout are all laudable features. Author John Berendt (MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL) pens a fine Introduction, in which he discusses what makes Deen's downtown restaurant so quintessentially Southern.

Beautifully balanced, 29 Oct 2008
This is a great story - Berendt slowly draws you in by cleverly drawing the cast of quirky characters in sleepy, steamy Savannah, then springs the plot. The first half of the book feels like a set of short stories, as each chapter describes one of the key characters and sets the scene for their prejudices and behaviour in the second half (the trial).

Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil is up there with To Kill a Mockingbird. Brilliant.

more good than evil, 07 Mar 2008
Thoroughly enjoyed this and you will too if you like an unpredictable novel with a slowish pace and strong characterization. The descriptions were so vivid I felt I knew Savannah by the time I'd finished (would love to go now). I think the slow pace at the beginning cleverly suggests the lazy and languid way of life in the south and is not meant as a criticism, stay with it the pace speeds up.

Just doesn't get any better, 07 Nov 2007
Loved this book. I had no idea what it was about since I hadn't seen the movie and had avoided the hype years ago. Now, reading it for the first time, I'm amazed. I wasn't too excited at first--the first half of the book is just okay; entertaining but nothing that great, but the second half took off and just flew! This book got me reading more southern American literature and I came across a fantastic book called "Bark of the Dogwood" by J.T.McCrae which was actually just as good as "Midnight."

"Midnight" is probably the only book on the bestseller list I've read that deserved to be there. Jim Williams is an amazing character, and a real person, or was. We will never know the real truth of what happened (don't want to give away the plot), but even so, it makes for one heck of an entertaining read. Would also recommend the books "Prince of Tides" by Conroy and "Bark of the Dogwood" for two other southern books that don't pull any punches.

Intense book, 04 Oct 2007
When I first encountered this book, I'd not read any reviews and the movie had not yet been made. So I was totally unaware of what was going to happen. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but the writing and story really came alive for me in the second half. I'd half-way guessed something like this might be coming, and sure enough, Berendt confirmed it. Add this one to the "keeper" pile because you'll want to read it again and again.

Atmospheric Character Study, 21 Jul 2007
The story is almost secondary to the wonderful character studies. All the people in the book are based on people the author met, and yet he manages to make them "larger than life". I found the book an easy read, and something a little bit different to the norm. I can't recommend it enough!

Beautifully balanced, 29 Oct 2008
This is a great story - Berendt slowly draws you in by cleverly drawing the cast of quirky characters in sleepy, steamy Savannah, then springs the plot. The first half of the book feels like a set of short stories, as each chapter describes one of the key characters and sets the scene for their prejudices and behaviour in the second half (the trial).

Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil is up there with To Kill a Mockingbird. Brilliant.

more good than evil, 07 Mar 2008
Thoroughly enjoyed this and you will too if you like an unpredictable novel with a slowish pace and strong characterization. The descriptions were so vivid I felt I knew Savannah by the time I'd finished (would love to go now). I think the slow pace at the beginning cleverly suggests the lazy and languid way of life in the south and is not meant as a criticism, stay with it the pace speeds up.

Just doesn't get any better, 07 Nov 2007
Loved this book. I had no idea what it was about since I hadn't seen the movie and had avoided the hype years ago. Now, reading it for the first time, I'm amazed. I wasn't too excited at first--the first half of the book is just okay; entertaining but nothing that great, but the second half took off and just flew! This book got me reading more southern American literature and I came across a fantastic book called "Bark of the Dogwood" by J.T.McCrae which was actually just as good as "Midnight."

"Midnight" is probably the only book on the bestseller list I've read that deserved to be there. Jim Williams is an amazing character, and a real person, or was. We will never know the real truth of what happened (don't want to give away the plot), but even so, it makes for one heck of an entertaining read. Would also recommend the books "Prince of Tides" by Conroy and "Bark of the Dogwood" for two other southern books that don't pull any punches.

Intense book, 04 Oct 2007
When I first encountered this book, I'd not read any reviews and the movie had not yet been made. So I was totally unaware of what was going to happen. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but the writing and story really came alive for me in the second half. I'd half-way guessed something like this might be coming, and sure enough, Berendt confirmed it. Add this one to the "keeper" pile because you'll want to read it again and again.

Atmospheric Character Study, 21 Jul 2007
The story is almost secondary to the wonderful character studies. All the people in the book are based on people the author met, and yet he manages to make them "larger than life". I found the book an easy read, and something a little bit different to the norm. I can't recommend it enough!

too many outsiders not enough venetians, 12 Oct 2008
I had wanted to read this book for a long time as I enjoy anything relating to Venice and its history however I was a little disappointed. Although it comes vividly alive when the author meets real Venetians too much time and too many pages are taken up with 'outsiders' the boring section about the controversial Ezra Pound Foundation lent little to the book and seemed never ending---what did it have to do with the Fenice fire ??? It served only to pad out the midddle section of the book. The interesting account of the Seguso glass blowers family split was dangled temptingly then dropped,it would have been interesting to have discovered more. If anything it proved what a poisoned chalice Venice is-forced to suffer the overbearing American 'art lovers' and Z list British aristocracy because they contribute to its upkeep.The sights, smells and sounds of the real Venice were sadly missing from this book which was a shame. Readers would be better served reading any, or better still all, of Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti novels for a taste of the real Venice.

Great Expectations Not Fulfilled, 23 Sep 2008
I know what I expected from a new book by Berendt. I expected something better than the last. I realize now that it was a lot to expect.
The City of Falling Angels does not come up to the standard set by his previous novel. It's not that Venice does not compare to Savannah (I am in no position to tell not having visited the latter), it is just that The City doesn't have a decent story to keep the book together.
Similarities are quite striking - in both books the narrator arrives within days of a crime being commited. In The City it is the fire of the Fenice, Venice's opera. You're not thrilled? Well, it isn't exactly a crime in which the finding of the guilty would keep you reading through the night. The book traces the opera's reconstruction to the re-opening but again that also wasn't anything most people would need to hear about.
The narrator spends years in Venice (the book isn't too specific about it - my guess is he drops by every now and then rather than waits for the Fenice to be reconstructed) talking to people. By the way - it is quite striking how almost everyone in Venice has nothing better to do but to talk to him at length... We get a number of (allegedly) true stories, none of which, however, is thrilling. Actually, after a while they get mildly disgusting - petty rivalries in Save Venice, quarrels over the will of a suicidal local poet, fight over Ezra Pound's letters... There is usually some money involved (actually, there is usually big money involved) and it is the money that most often becomes (I would say against the author's wishes - he is quite desperate to present a cultural and literary context) the real issue.
In short - a long and nicely written book without a decent plot and/or conflict. If you haven't read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - buy it immediately. If you have - wait for another Berendt. You may well skip this one.

Limited sympathy for small-town gossip, 24 Jul 2007
I found this on a second-hand stall one Saturday morning a few weeks ago. The unique qualities of Venice have fascinated millions of people for hundreds of years, and though we think we keep rediscovering it, it's something of a cliche to say that nothing new can be said about the place (as Berendt acknowledges, with reference to Venetian authorities Mary McCarthy and Henry James, early on in this book). Here, Berendt tries to tell the story not of the place, but of some of the people he encountered after he moved there there immediately following the 1996 fire that destroyed the Fenice opera house. Part of the story is taken up with the investigation of the fire, and with a few other tales such as the fate of the Ezra Pound foundation and the Save Venice campaign.

It's well-written, but I found my attention wandering from time to time: a lot of effort is devoted to laying out family feuds, squabbles amongst philanthropists and the delineation of the characteristics of a mixed bag of eccentrics. Perhaps the background of this beautiful city gives them all a certain cachet, but I'd guess you could find a similar collection of people anywhere else (in spite of a few asides on the features of the Venetian character, which don't seem to get followed up). As such, I found the book of limited interest, since I had no real idea by the end about why I should care about what these people did or thought.

Social climbing in Venice, 31 Jan 2007
Author John Berendt hunts down some of the biggest social climbers on the lagoon. Arriving in Venice just as the Fenice opera house goes up in flames, Berendt creeps around the fringes of the event asking if it was the electricians or the Mafia that caused the historic old building to go up like so much tinder in February 1996.

Each year more and more Venetians move away from the island to make a home to find work away from the hordes of tourist that flush through the city's alleyways and squares in much the same way the waters of the lagoon sluice through the waterways. But Berendt does not want to speak about the struggles of the gondolier or the shopkeeper facing ever increasing rents as Disney and McDonalds flex their muscles. He has more highly gilded fish to fry.

He aims to dish the dirt on some big names and has a go at some dubious behaviour involving the missing papers of former Venice resident Ezra Pound trying to strike a resonnant chord with Henry Jame's 'Aspern Papers' as he does so. But his really big guns are aimed at a wealthy plastic surgeon and the heir to a US grocery chain called Piggly-Wiggly. Yes it really is called Piggly-Wiggly.

These two luminaries battle to head the embossed letter heading of Save Venice, another US organisation consisting of wealthy people who want to be seen in Venice as they save it. Or at least seen in the right places in Venice where they can talk about their generosity with other like minded souls.

For the Venice lover there are some names and places that will be recognised and some rather unastounding revelations about the bureaucratic tentacles that engulf Venice as much as they do the rest of Italy. The City of Falling Angels is an easy, light and ultimately unfulfilling read adding nothing to one's understanding of this most beautiful of all anachronisms. And certainly contains nothing that would make any Venetian choke over their morning coffee in Florian's.

Another beauty from Berendt, 07 Jan 2007
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was such a worthy contribution to the non-fiction genre presided over by Capote's "In Cold Blood" that I cannot now explain why I was so luke-warm about the news of Berendt's latest work.

I think I was put off because I thought "The City of Falling Angels" would be something of an art history of Venice. I was also wary about the fact it had been ten years' in production. The same is true of "Something Happened", Joseph Heller's second novel. And, in Heller's case, the fact that the book had been assembled so painstakingly letter-by-letter over such a long period really showed to the detriment of the prose.

I accept that, with such a low level of expectation, I was hardly likely to be disappointed, but I quickly realised that the book was just brilliant, evoking not only memories of "Midnight" but, more interestingly, the realisation that the Berendt style is unique amongst the many hundreds of different books read in the ten years between the two, being part travelogue, part social history, part biography and part non-fiction crime.

Berendt is capable of unearthing the scent of intrigue from the most innocuous of encounters. His unique talent thereafter is to follow that scent to a conclusion whether that be by way of his personal charm (very few seem to decline his requests for interview) or his considerable forensic powers of analysis. And, thanks to his narrative gifts, he is able to generate real suspense in the leads he has running.

In whatever context he meets the various characters of Venice he avoids any commentary letting the words (quoted faithfully) and actions of each speak for themselves and yet by his presentation of the evidence of such encounters he is able get his point across with subtlety.

And he meets famous characters from the past too: Ezra Pound spent a great deal of his own life in Venice. Berendt explores his connections with the city and comments on his literary legacy. He unearths a letter from Pound to his (then-teenage) daughter, Mary de Rachewiltz and, as it contains his advice on creative writing, sets it out in full (p196). Of course, Brendt's own prose measures up and it serves as yet another proof that the reader is in the hands of a real professional.

I accept there is some art history of Venice in there, but it is well-presented and I have to accept that it even enhanced his tales.

Best Southern Food Restaurant on the Planet, 02 Sep 1999
I have not yet read the book, but I can vouch for the fact that the Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah is arguably the best southern food establishment on earth. I have travelled all over the country, asking locals their favorites, testing the recommendations in Jan and Michael Stern's excellent "Road Food" book (which, amazingly, does not list Lady & Sons), and using my intuition for finding good restaurants, and I can say I have never had better fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, or banana cream pie in a restaurant or home. I make special trips to Savannah just to eat there. I love the great and often sophisticated cuisines of Paris, NY, Bologna, Hong Kong, and New Orleans -- but the pure enjoyment of a Lady & Sons meal stands up to all of them. Thank you, Paula Deen (whom I've not yet met, but am told is a wonderful woman), for sharing your recipes with the rest of the world.

This is an excellent cookbook if you love southern cooking., 09 Aug 1999
I collect cookbooks and this one has gone to the "top of the class" in one week's time. The pepper steak recipe is outstanding. The shrimp and artichoke bake would be fantastic for company, as would be the Scallops Charleston. While they took a little time, I fixed them both after getting home from work and had time to spare. This book is a good investment for southern cooking enthusiasts!

Charming read, would make a good movie, but can she cook?, 07 Apr 1999
Oh, the intro by that Midnight author guy. For fans of his, this may be the only reason to buy this book. And I'm giving 2 stars for that. Were all these recipes even tested? I 've heard her cafe is actually good, but I cooked about a quarter of the recipes in this book and they all were dissapointing. I almost felt ripped off. Nothing is more ARGH! than cooking recipes that turn out bad - all of them! Don't waste your money. If you want to cook great southern food, buy True Grits. It's much better than this.

For Everyone Who Always Wanted To Learn To Cook Like Grandma, 11 Jan 1999
If you have always wanted to learn to cook down-home dishes just like grandma, this book is the place to start. As you probably know, grandma doesn't follow a recipe, just a dash of this and a sprinkle of that. Paula Deen has taken all the guess work out of preparing delicious country recipes by giving step-by-step directions for every dish you can imagine. Unlike other cookbooks , which tend to provide recipes only for those interested in preparing fancy dishes that are more artwork than eating...this book is packed with recipes that the majority of people eat on a daily basis. These are foods that the kids will eat too! This book is appropriate for experienced chefs as well as those who simply love to cook good meals for their families. I use this book everyday!

Commendable collection., 16 Oct 1998
"The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook" is a commendable collection of down-home Southern recipes. Paula H. Deen, the owner and proprietor of the popular The Lady & Sons restaurant, has included hundreds of her favorite dishes here. And nearly all of them are simple to prepare--especially her signature Cheese Biscuits, which she serves (piping hot, of course) to customers waiting in line. Other delectable-sounding dishes include: Broccoli Souffle, Potato-Egg Salad, Ester's Dill Coleslaw, Herb Corn Bread, Hoppin' John (which, thankfully, contains no meat stock), and Grandmother Paul's Sour Cream Pound Cake. The book's spiral binding, non-glare paper, and simply layout are all laudable features. Author John Berendt (MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL) pens a fine Introduction, in which he discusses what makes Deen's downtown restaurant so quintessentially Southern.

Beautifully balanced, 29 Oct 2008
This is a great story - Berendt slowly draws you in by cleverly drawing the cast of quirky characters in sleepy, steamy Savannah, then springs the plot. The first half of the book feels like a set of short stories, as each chapter describes one of the key characters and sets the scene for their prejudices and behaviour in the second half (the trial).

Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil is up there with To Kill a Mockingbird. Brilliant.

more good than evil, 07 Mar 2008
Thoroughly enjoyed this and you will too if you like an unpredictable novel with a slowish pace and strong characterization. The descriptions were so vivid I felt I knew Savannah by the time I'd finished (would love to go now). I think the slow pace at the beginning cleverly suggests the lazy and languid way of life in the south and is not meant as a criticism, stay with it the pace speeds up.

Just doesn't get any better, 07 Nov 2007
Loved this book. I had no idea what it was about since I hadn't seen the movie and had avoided the hype years ago. Now, reading it for the first time, I'm amazed. I wasn't too excited at first--the first half of the book is just okay; entertaining but nothing that great, but the second half took off and just flew! This book got me reading more southern American literature and I came across a fantastic book called "Bark of the Dogwood" by J.T.McCrae which was actually just as good as "Midnight."

"Midnight" is probably the only book on the bestseller list I've read that deserved to be there. Jim Williams is an amazing character, and a real person, or was. We will never know the real truth of what happened (don't want to give away the plot), but even so, it makes for one heck of an entertaining read. Would also recommend the books "Prince of Tides" by Conroy and "Bark of the Dogwood" for two other southern books that don't pull any punches.

Intense book, 04 Oct 2007
When I first encountered this book, I'd not read any reviews and the movie had not yet been made. So I was totally unaware of what was going to happen. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but the writing and story really came alive for me in the second half. I'd half-way guessed something like this might be coming, and sure enough, Berendt confirmed it. Add this one to the "keeper" pile because you'll want to read it again and again.

Atmospheric Character Study, 21 Jul 2007
The story is almost secondary to the wonderful character studies. All the people in the book are based on people the author met, and yet he manages to make them "larger than life". I found the book an easy read, and something a little bit different to the norm. I can't recommend it enough!

too many outsiders not enough venetians, 12 Oct 2008
I had wanted to read this book for a long time as I enjoy anything relating to Venice and its history however I was a little disappointed. Although it comes vividly alive when the author meets real Venetians too much time and too many pages are taken up with 'outsiders' the boring section about the controversial Ezra Pound Foundation lent little to the book and seemed never ending---what did it have to do with the Fenice fire ??? It served only to pad out the midddle section of the book. The interesting account of the Seguso glass blowers family split was dangled temptingly then dropped,it would have been interesting to have discovered more. If anything it proved what a poisoned chalice Venice is-forced to suffer the overbearing American 'art lovers' and Z list British aristocracy because they contribute to its upkeep.The sights, smells and sounds of the real Venice were sadly missing from this book which was a shame. Readers would be better served reading any, or better still all, of Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti novels for a taste of the real Venice.

Great Expectations Not Fulfilled, 23 Sep 2008
I know what I expected from a new book by Berendt. I expected something better than the last. I realize now that it was a lot to expect.
The City of Falling Angels does not come up to the standard set by his previous novel. It's not that Venice does not compare to Savannah (I am in no position to tell not having visited the latter), it is just that The City doesn't have a decent story to keep the book together.
Similarities are quite striking - in both books the narrator arrives within days of a crime being commited. In The City it is the fire of the Fenice, Venice's opera. You're not thrilled? Well, it isn't exactly a crime in which the finding of the guilty would keep you reading through the night. The book traces the opera's reconstruction to the re-opening but again that also wasn't anything most people would need to hear about.
The narrator spends years in Venice (the book isn't too specific about it - my guess is he drops by every now and then rather than waits for the Fenice to be reconstructed) talking to people. By the way - it is quite striking how almost everyone in Venice has nothing better to do but to talk to him at length... We get a number of (allegedly) true stories, none of which, however, is thrilling. Actually, after a while they get mildly disgusting - petty rivalries in Save Venice, quarrels over the will of a suicidal local poet, fight over Ezra Pound's letters... There is usually some money involved (actually, there is usually big money involved) and it is the money that most often becomes (I would say against the author's wishes - he is quite desperate to present a cultural and literary context) the real issue.
In short - a long and nicely written book without a decent plot and/or conflict. If you haven't read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - buy it immediately. If you have - wait for another Berendt. You may well skip this one.

Limited sympathy for small-town gossip, 24 Jul 2007
I found this on a second-hand stall one Saturday morning a few weeks ago. The unique qualities of Venice have fascinated millions of people for hundreds of years, and though we think we keep rediscovering it, it's something of a cliche to say that nothing new can be said about the place (as Berendt acknowledges, with reference to Venetian authorities Mary McCarthy and Henry James, early on in this book). Here, Berendt tries to tell the story not of the place, but of some of the people he encountered after he moved there there immediately following the 1996 fire that destroyed the Fenice opera house. Part of the story is taken up with the investigation of the fire, and with a few other tales such as the fate of the Ezra Pound foundation and the Save Venice campaign.

It's well-written, but I found my attention wandering from time to time: a lot of effort is devoted to laying out family feuds, squabbles amongst philanthropists and the delineation of the characteristics of a mixed bag of eccentrics. Perhaps the background of this beautiful city gives them all a certain cachet, but I'd guess you could find a similar collection of people anywhere else (in spite of a few asides on the features of the Venetian character, which don't seem to get followed up). As such, I found the book of limited interest, since I had no real idea by the end about why I should care about what these people did or thought.

Social climbing in Venice, 31 Jan 2007
Author John Berendt hunts down some of the biggest social climbers on the lagoon. Arriving in Venice just as the Fenice opera house goes up in flames, Berendt creeps around the fringes of the event asking if it was the electricians or the Mafia that caused the historic old building to go up like so much tinder in February 1996.

Each year more and more Venetians move away from the island to make a home to find work away from the hordes of tourist that flush through the city's alleyways and squares in much the same way the waters of the lagoon sluice through the waterways. But Berendt does not want to speak about the struggles of the gondolier or the shopkeeper facing ever increasing rents as Disney and McDonalds flex their muscles. He has more highly gilded fish to fry.

He aims to dish the dirt on some big names and has a go at some dubious behaviour involving the missing papers of former Venice resident Ezra Pound trying to strike a resonnant chord with Henry Jame's 'Aspern Papers' as he does so. But his really big guns are aimed at a wealthy plastic surgeon and the heir to a US grocery chain called Piggly-Wiggly. Yes it really is called Piggly-Wiggly.

These two luminaries battle to head the embossed letter heading of Save Venice, another US organisation consisting of wealthy people who want to be seen in Venice as they save it. Or at least seen in the right places in Venice where they can talk about their generosity with other like minded souls.

For the Venice lover there are some names and places that will be recognised and some rather unastounding revelations about the bureaucratic tentacles that engulf Venice as much as they do the rest of Italy. The City of Falling Angels is an easy, light and ultimately unfulfilling read adding nothing to one's understanding of this most beautiful of all anachronisms. And certainly contains nothing that would make any Venetian choke over their morning coffee in Florian's.

Another beauty from Berendt, 07 Jan 2007
"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was such a worthy contribution to the non-fiction genre presided over by Capote's "In Cold Blood" that I cannot now explain why I was so luke-warm about the news of Berendt's latest work.

I think I was put off because I thought "The City of Falling Angels" would be something of an art history of Venice. I was also wary about the fact it had been ten years' in production. The same is true of "Something Happened", Joseph Heller's second novel. And, in Heller's case, the fact that the book had been assembled so painstakingly letter-by-letter over such a long period really showed to the detriment of the prose.

I accept that, with such a low level of expectation, I was hardly likely to be disappointed, but I quickly realised that the book was just brilliant, evoking not only memories of "Midnight" but, more interestingly, the realisation that the Berendt style is unique amongst the many hundreds of different books read in the ten years between the two, being part travelogue, part social history, part biography and part non-fiction crime.

Berendt is capable of unearthing the scent of intrigue from the most innocuous of encounters. His unique talent thereafter is to follow that scent to a conclusion whether that be by way of his personal charm (very few seem to decline his requests for interview) or his considerable forensic powers of analysis. And, thanks to his narrative gifts, he is able to generate real suspense in the leads he has running.

In whatever context he meets the various characters of Venice he avoids any commentary letting the words (quoted faithfully) and actions of each speak for themselves and yet by his presentation of the evidence of such encounters he is able get his point across with subtlety.

And he meets famous characters from the past too: Ezra Pound spent a great deal of his own life in Venice. Berendt explores his connections with the city and comments on his literary legacy. He unearths a letter from Pound to his (then-teenage) daughter, Mary de Rachewiltz and, as it contains his advice on creative writing, sets it out in full (p196). Of course, Brendt's own prose measures up and it serves as yet another proof that the reader is in the hands of a real professional.

I accept there is some art history of Venice in there, but it is well-presented and I have to accept that it even enhanced his tales.