Rating: 
Summary: Worthy follow-up.
Review: This book, published originally as a newspaper column about six months after the original "Tales of the City" series, is notable mostly because it clarifies all the mysteries surrounding Anna Madrigal, the elusive landlady featured at the center of all the novels. When the truth about her identity comes out, explaining why Norman was after her in the first book and for whom he worked, prepare to be stunned. Though the truth has always been just out-of-reach regarding Mrs. Madrigal, you're not going to believe the doozy in store for you.This book is also notable because it continues the story of Michael and Jon, featuring a touching scene in which Michael finally outs himself to his family. Also, since Michael spends much of the book coping with a case of temporary paralysis (which I still don't quite understand), there are all sorts of new jokes the howlingly funny, sarcastic character gets to make. As for Mary Ann, she opens up a bit more, which is welcome, and deals with a rather twisted mystery. And DeDe evolves into a far more interesting individual with the help of D'or, of all people.
Rating:
Summary: Worthy follow-up.
Review: This book, published originally as a newspaper column about six months after the original "Tales of the City" series, is notable mostly because it clarifies all the mysteries surrounding Anna Madrigal, the elusive landlady featured at the center of all the novels. When the truth about her identity comes out, explaining why Norman was after her in the first book and for whom he worked, prepare to be stunned. Though the truth has always been just out-of-reach regarding Mrs. Madrigal, you're not going to believe the doozy in store for you. This book is also notable because it continues the story of Michael and Jon, featuring a touching scene in which Michael finally outs himself to his family. Also, since Michael spends much of the book coping with a case of temporary paralysis (which I still don't quite understand), there are all sorts of new jokes the howlingly funny, sarcastic character gets to make. As for Mary Ann, she opens up a bit more, which is welcome, and deals with a rather twisted mystery. And DeDe evolves into a far more interesting individual with the help of D'or, of all people.
Rating: 
Summary: More tales, more tears, more love, more fun
Review: Why is it that we admirers of the Tales of the City series enjoy it so much? Part of it is the fact that it is a combination of gossip and a good television series, all in a neat little package. Part of it is Maupin's great writing, which manages to capture the action and the spirit in a friendly, admiring style. Part of it is the motley crew of characters. But I think that the largest factor is jealousy - you read these stories and wish that you could live at Barbary Lane, and spend afternoons talking to Mrs. Madrigal, or tossing about campy bon mots with Michael. This book is number two in a six part series about a house on Barbary Lane in San Francisco in the late 1970s and its inhabitants. Gay and straight, messed up and on the right track, Maupin's book is based on a regular (fictional) newspaper column that he wrote. And the book feels like you are getting regular episodes in the life of a group of people that you don't know personally, but you are interested in their lives anyway. You care about Mary Ann and her quest to the answer to her amnesiac lover's past. You want things to work out between Michael and the gynecologist Jon. You identify with Mona's surprise when she discovers her past during a chance visit to a desert whorehouse. You hope everything works out for DeDe and her twins-to-be. And as fantastic as these themes sound, they all become reasonable in Maupin's book. (Okay, so the parts concerning the amnesiac were a little bit far fetched, but nothing a reader can't cope with). I can almost guarantee that if you have not previously read the Tales of the City series before you read this book, you will be searching the shelves for the rest when you are finished.
Rating:
Summary: Its Gets Better with the Second Book...
Review: With Book Two - More Tales of the City - the gloves start to come off! "Tales of the City" told us a story and introduced us to our characters. Now things really start to happen to them in "More Tales." They're put under pressure. They betray one another. They're there for one another. They find love. They lose love. They live. They die. "More Tales" is slices of life at its near best. While, in some cases, this starts to give the book more of a "soap-opera" character (something that, to be fair, the series IS), because of the introduction and story in "Tales" you largely care about what will happen next. Again, "More Tales" is written as social and historical commentary (whether Maupin meant it that way or not) and now the books have an even more interesting nostalgic twinge to them as you can compare your thoughts and your actions to events the characters are going through that you remember from your own life even if you've never been to San Francisco. Maupin has a way with dialog and characters somehow. While there are times when his PLOT is contrived and fantastical, how his characters get through it always seems to be rather on the mark. Finally, no review of this work is complete without mentioning the chapter "Letter to Mama." This one chapter - two pages - is worth the price of the entire book and I personally know two families whom that chapter has helped "pave the way." It is required reading for any child (of any age) who has yet to come out to their parents and is still trying to figure out how to do it, and if its worth it. It is. Let Mouse show you why.
Rating:
Summary: Its Gets Better with the Second Book...
Review: With Book Two - More Tales of the City - the gloves start to come off! "Tales of the City" told us a story and introduced us to our characters. Now things really start to happen to them in "More Tales." They're put under pressure. They betray one another. They're there for one another. They find love. They lose love. They live. They die. "More Tales" is slices of life at its near best. While, in some cases, this starts to give the book more of a "soap-opera" character (something that, to be fair, the series IS), because of the introduction and story in "Tales" you largely care about what will happen next. Again, "More Tales" is written as social and historical commentary (whether Maupin meant it that way or not) and now the books have an even more interesting nostalgic twinge to them as you can compare your thoughts and your actions to events the characters are going through that you remember from your own life even if you've never been to San Francisco. Maupin has a way with dialog and characters somehow. While there are times when his PLOT is contrived and fantastical, how his characters get through it always seems to be rather on the mark. Finally, no review of this work is complete without mentioning the chapter "Letter to Mama." This one chapter - two pages - is worth the price of the entire book and I personally know two families whom that chapter has helped "pave the way." It is required reading for any child (of any age) who has yet to come out to their parents and is still trying to figure out how to do it, and if its worth it. It is. Let Mouse show you why.
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