SOURCE: "Sin and Hurt Mixed with Charm Down South," in The Wall Street Journal, February 4, 1994, p. A8.

[In the following excerpt, Lescaze praises Berendt's memorable characters in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil but laments the book's excessive focus on the Williams' trials and questions his blending of fact and fiction in a nonfiction work.]

Joe Odom, a genial rogue who calls himself the host of Savannah and specializes in freeloading, round-the-clock parties and passing bad checks, says Savannah has three basic rules:

—Always stick around for one more drink.

—Never go south of Gaston Street.

—Observe the high holidays—St. Patrick's Day and the day of the Georgia-Florida football game.

Not all Savannahians play by Mr. Odom's rules, of course, but his dedication to drinking, partying and a snobbery that ignores certain sections of the city is shared by most of the dozens of exotics...