The Book Discussion Group (aka “The Bookworms”) also met by Zoom on 8th April.

They discussed “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” by John Berendt, which is based on a homicide in Savannah, Georgia.  Some had also watched the movie, directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Kevin Spacey, John Cusak and Jack Thompson.

Ian Bentley presented  a few random thoughts (with the caveat that it is not a Bulletin-ready story) 

In attendance on Zoom were Charlotte, Pam, Jad, Jane and me. The book group needs another one or two members to give it the dynamic.  

Jane and I had spontaneously responded to an invitation from our daughter to stay overnight on the peninsula with her and the family, so we participated in the Zoom discussion via phone while I was driving. Jane held the phone. Dodging traffic on the freeway is not exactly conducive to focussed conversation.

My impression is that all members enjoyed the book. Everyone seemed impressed by the way John Berendt’s words conjured up images of Savannah and events in the narrative, as well as the social, cultural and emotional atmosphere of the Old South.

My personal experience was that I came to the book completely cold and was amazed that I very soon began to see Gone with the Wind pictures in my mind’s eye and hear Georgia accents without Berendt writing the accent into the dialogue.  Presumably it is the word choice and cadence of the language that communicates the southern drawl.

We all relished Berendt’s detailed development of the cavalcade of eccentric characters and strange goings-on e.g., the antics of the Lady Chablis and conman Jo Odem, the Married Women’s Card Club, the shallow social hierarchy, and the party culture.

Our conversation ranged over many aspects of the book including the author placing himself within the story (even more pronounced in the film), the religious/Christian influence that pervades US society, gun culture, homosexuality, the treatment of the blacks and voodoo, and the after-glow of the Civil War. Johnny Mercer and his prolific song writing rated a mention

Of course, we also discussed the murder and the trial. Although we didn’t explore this in as much depth as we might have.  We did consider whether Jim Williams was a villain who had committed a well-planned murder and was getting his comeuppances, or was he provoked in the moment by Danny’s violent recklessness. I don’t think anyone believed the killing was truly self-defence. But as I said we didn’t really explore this aspect of the book in detail.

I don’t think the others had seen the film so the potential for comparison was lost.  Jane and I chipped in with some reflections on the film. We were surprised by the differences between the film and the book, including the relatively superficial character development, the different sequence of events, and even the change of Danny Hansford in the book to Billy Hanson in the movie. Film is obviously a different medium from printed word, but when you have an excellent book, why mess with it so much?

- Ian Bentley.

Charlotte England enjoyed the book (but hasn't been able to watch the film yet). She had spent time in West Virginia, Virginia and Louisiana in 1980 and it certainly made her think back to that time.

I would not normally select an American author however I thought that the book was well written, even though some of the prose challenges me particularly the American habit of leaving out the 'article' in a sentence on occasion  (I know, pompous Pom!).  

The setting in the deep south of Georgia and the description of Savannah was superb.  You could close your eyes and imagine so well what the place looked like.  The variety of characters, their place in society and society itself was intriguing. To me it truly reflected the fact that America is made up of so many different countries, religions but most importantly the social divide is never too far away.  The presumption of behaviours due to position in society in particular.  

The setting of the story was well told and the book moved at a quick pace.  The drawing together of characters and their interrelationships was fascinating with an element of shock that let you down slowly. You really did feel as though you were in the author's shoes.

-Charlotte England.

Your Editor adds:

I felt bad about missing this discussion, especially as I had recommended the book and movie to the group.

“Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” was the twentieth movie directed by Clint Eastwood, and only the third in which he directed and didn't star. While filming took place in the actual Mercer house, production could not find an insurance company that would underwrite the project given the extensive value of the antiques. All of the items seen in the movie are therefore replicas with the originals stowed in storage during filming.

When I first saw the movie, I was confused by the opening scene: a shot of songwriter Johnny Mercer’s grave in Savannah, with “Skylark” playing in the background. I  knew Hoagy Carmichael had written “Skylark”, and I wondered why it was included. A later check showed me that Mercer and Carmichael had written it together. 

The soundtrack also features many of Mercer’s other famous songs: how many do you recognise?

That Old Black Magic, Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread), Autumn Leaves, Come Rain Or Come Shine, Too Marvelous For Words, Days Of Wine And Roses, Tangerine, This Time The Dream's On Me, And The Angels Sing, Dream, Laura, In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening, I’m An Old Cowhand, Early Autumn, I Wanna Be Around, Jeepers Creepers, and P.S. I Love You.

The movie doesn’t bring out that Jim Williams was tried four different times over a period of ten years. He was convicted in the first two trials and sentenced to life, but the convictions were overturned on appeal. The third trial ended in a mistrial, with the jury deadlocked 11-1 for conviction. The fourth trial took place in Augusta rather than Savannah, and Williams was acquitted after just one hour of deliberation.

Guilty or not, he largely lost his retirement years, and died shortly after being declared "Not Guilty"..

- Gordon Cheyne.

Read more about the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” on IMDb at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119668/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

What next?

We Bookworms decided we would read "Washington Square" by Henry James.  

There is also a 1997 film starring Albert Finney and Maggie Smith worth watching.  You can find it on YouTube at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShUyccVu7QA

Why not join in the next Bookworms discussion?