A Glance at: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

I’m almost finished with this book, and I’ll probably update this post when I do, but I just wanted to jot down some observations about the book.  I’m not a reviewer, and there’s a good reason for that.  I’d have a hard time slamming a book even if it really deserved it (not that this one does–I usually take the ‘if you don’t have something good to say’ road) and as strange as it sounds from a writer, I don’t think I have the words.  Despite my attempts to prove otherwise, you really can only say awesome so many times (I do try to limit it to one per post).

Having said all of that, I’ll tell you what I liked about this book.  First, I didn’t know it was novelized non-fiction until I received it and read the flap copy.  I’d watched the movie, and my general rule of thumb is if I like the movie, I’ll love the book.  There’s just more to a book, and it’s usually more of what you loved about the movie in the first place (if the moviemakers did a good job).  So, that was my sole basis for ordering it.  I was not disappointed.

It may be because I did see the movie, and the actors done an amazing job, but the characters are all just so real and yet, at the same time, so eccentric and out there.  (My fave? Chablis.  The Lady Chablis, to you!)  How hard can it be to make real people interesting?  My guess: plenty hard.  We’re boring!  Think of all the hoops you have to jump through to make a fake person seem real enough and yet elicit some emotion or connection to the reader.  And you get to create them made-to-order!

I also loved the setting.  This is a perfect example of a setting being a character in the book.  Savannah.  It’s beautiful, and secluded, and dark, and crazy.  A lot like most of the characters in the book, actually.

I also found this out: Kevin Spacey looks a LOT like Jim Williams.  Or he did in the movie.  But then I love Kevin Spacey–but that’s another blog.

What I didn’t love? The book is a bit of a slow starter.  I don’t mind that, I read Stephen King, but in the world of romance writing this is one of those Rules-with-a-capital-R: start your story when the action starts.  Or something to that effect.  Look up the Rules, you’ll see what I mean.  It’s also said that there are a lot of romance novels released (true) and you’ve got to get the reader’s attention right away.

Either way, I’d highly recommend the book.