Reflection #1 — “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” (ch. 1–6)

Savannah, Georgia in the heat of the summer is the backdrop for this intriguing and eclectic cast of real-life characters. I chose this book because of its title, but soon found out it was much more than just a name. The author makes a vivid portrayal of each individual as he introduces them in the beginning chapters of the book, and sets the tone for their interactions within the story.

The narrator is introduced as a reporter from New York City, and not much is known about his background. He is invited to a notorious Christmas party hosted by Mr. Jim Williams. Mr. Williams, an eccentric, wealthy art dealer who loves to entertain Savannah’s social elite. After the narrator attends the Christmas party, he decides to stay in Savannah because he is deeply intrigued in learning about the people and history of the city. Eventually this lovely story has a turn of events when a murder springs up and Mr. Jim Williams is seen as the killer. From thereon, the book details the struggle of Mr. Williams and his attempts to prove his innocence.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, especially these beginning chapters. The one thing I enjoyed most was the figurative language the author used when describing the people, architecture, and furnishings that make the mystique of Savannah. From the very first pages, the author writes: “He was tall, about fifty, with darkly handsome, almost sinister features: a neatly trimmed mustache, hair turning silver at the temples, and eyes so black they were like the tainted windows of a sleek limousine — he could see out, but you couldn’t see in.” This one paragraph captures the very essence of Mr. Jim Williams. I also found it a perfect description in the author’s emphasis of Savannah: “[T]his little pocket of paradise, locked away in the swamps of Georgia; has its own special kind of strangeness.” I believe the author captured the ambiance and feel of the city and the characters so well in his book, that the reader just wanted and needed to come back for more.

For example, the reader needs to know more about the lurid and dark life of Mr. Jim Williams that is so outlined in the first chapter. You can’t help but wonder what Lady Chablis and her “ever so different lifestyle,” has to do with the story. The reader needs to know about the mischievous Joe Odom and the role he will ultimately play farther in the book.

One of my final reflections, is how I enjoyed the small elements of surprise in the book. Some vivid examples are when the reader discovers that the very feminine, yet raunchy, Lady Chablis is in fact Mr. Frank Also; or when it’s revealed Mr. Jim Williams keeps six pistols laying around his house to kill intruders. There is never a dull or disingenuous moment in the book, and that is what makes it so intriguing.

Overall, this book has become one of my favorites. It really pulls the reader in. These beginning chapters are just small bits of the strange, sinister, macabre, yet compelling underbelly of the whole story. The author does well at keeping a haze of mess and mystery, maybe a shroud of some unknown evil to come in upcoming chapters, and at the same time, captivates us to keep reading.