书目

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

内容简介

ShotsrangoutinSavannah'sgrandestmansioninthemisty，earlymorninghoursofMay2，1981.Wasitmurderorself-defense?Fornearlyadecade，theshootinganditsaftermathreverberatedthroughoutthishauntinglybeautifulcityofmoss-hungoaksandshadedsquares.JohnBerendt'ssharplyobserved，suspenseful，andwittynarrativereadslikeathoroughlyengrossingnovel，andyetitisaworkofnonfiction.Berendtskillfullyinterweavesahugelyentertainingfirst-personaccountoflifeinthisisolatedremnantoftheOldSouthwiththeunpredictabletwistsandturnsofalandmarkmurdercase.Itisaspellbindingstorypeopledbyagalleryofremarkablecharacters：thewell-bredsocietyladiesoftheMarriedWoman'sCardClub;theturbulentyoungredneckgigolo;thehaplessreclusewhoownsabottleofpoisonsopowerfulitcouldkilleveryman，woman，andchildinSavannah;theagingandprofaneSouthernbellewhoisthe"soulofpamperedself-absorption";theuproariouslyfunnyblackdragqueen;theacerbicandarrogantantiquesdealer;thesweet-talking，piano-playingconartist;youngblacksdancingtheminuetattheblackdebutanteball;andMinerva，thevoodoopriestesswhoworkshermagicinthegraveyardatmidnight.TheseandotherSavannahiansactasaGreekchorus，withBerendtrevealingthealliances，hostilities，andintriguesthatthriveinatownwhereeveryoneknowseveryoneelse.MidnightintheGardenofGoodandEvilisasublimeandseductivereadingexperience.Brilliantlyconceivedandmasterfullywritten，thisenormouslyengagingportraitofamostbeguilingSoutherncityhasbecomeamodernclassic.

作者简介

Thesonoftwowriters,JohnBerendtgrewupinSyracuse,NewYork.HeearnedaB.A.inEnglishfromHarvardUniversity,whereheworkedonthestaffofTheHarvardLampoon.Aftergraduatingin1961,hemovedtoNewYorkCitytopursueacareerinpublishing.BerendthaswrittenforDavidFrostandDickCavett,waseditorofNewYorkmagazinefrom1977to1979,andwroteamonthlycolumnforEsquirefrom1982to1994.BerendtfirsttraveledtoSavannahintheearly1980s,whenherealizedthathecouldflythereforathree-dayweekendforthepriceof“apaillardofvealservedonabedofwiltedradicchio”[p.24]inoneofNewYork’strendierrestaurants.Overtheensuingeightyearshisvisitsbecamemorefrequentandextended,untilhewasspendingmoretimeinSavannahthaninNewYork.Partoftheappeal,Berendtsays,layinthecity’spenchantformorbidgossip:“PeopleinSavannahdon’tsay,‘Beforeleavingtheroom,Mrs.Jonesputonhercoat.’Instead,theysay,'Beforeleavingtheroom,Mrs.Jonesputonthecoatthatherthirdhusbandgaveherbeforeheshothimselfinthehead.”(EntertainmentWeekly,3/11/94,p.52)SincethepublicationandunprecedentedsuccessofMidnightintheGardenofGoodandEvil,BerendthasbecomeaSavannahcelebrityandwasevenpresentedwiththekeytothecity.“ItookitdowntoCityHallonenighttoseeifitwouldwork,butitdidn't.”(SyracusePostStandard,4/5/1994),,

丛书

Vintage

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