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Summary: If you're goin' to San Francisco ...
Review: Armistead Maupin's TALES OF THE CITY, which first ran as a series of newspaper columns in 1976-77, is a great, twisted, plot-filled soap opera, which commented as much upon its times and location as Charles Dickens' TALE OF TWO CITIES did long before it. The fact that, in addition to having characters with interwoven stories and histories, Maupin's characters also cope with drug use, bisexuality, transgendered characters, child porn stars and underwear-only dance contests just speaks to the time in which the story is set, God bless it. If the '70s were really like this (and if I didn't know what the consequences of all this were), then sign me up for a disco trip back in time.Reading this book, the first and best of the six, made me (briefly) want to move to San Francisco. It also served, to me, as a cautionary tale, for the lives of the characters in this book are far too wacky and occasionally downright scary. But, while all of the plot is going on, Mary Ann, DeDe, Beauchamp, Michael, Brian, Mona, Jon and Mrs. Madrigal do seem to be having more fun than I usually do. And they're funnier than I am. The chapters are brief and compelling, and they read quickly - like the best gossip. And the cliffhangers at the novel's end are straight out of Hitchcock. The original miniseries taken from this book is incredibly faithful, but TALES OF THE CITY is the most fun in written form - where it feels like the sort of newspaper you don't want to put down. (NOTE: I recommended this once to a nice Christian woman at my bookstore as a good poolside read. One of the more shocking twists made her drop the book in the water.)
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Summary: The epitome of fabulousity
Review: Last summer, I picked up Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City and began to read. One week and 2,000 pages later, I finished and found myself incredibly depressed the series had finally been drawn to a close. What a wonderful world they had at 28 Barbary Lane. Granted, it didn't last for very long and some of the characters (Mary Ann!) became horrible people, but it was still enjoyable all the way through to the last page of the sixth book. Highly recommended for anyone who desires a quick (unless you become addicted to the series like me), extremely entertaining read.
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Summary: Can't put it down
Review: This is one of those books you don't want to stop reading because each chapter leaves you hanging for the next. The lives of each character draw you in closer and the tie-in is fabulous. Highly recommend for a quick, light read!!!
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Summary: A delightful starting point for a brilliant satire
Review: First things first when it comes to reading Maupin's Tales of the City series -- learn to read in segments. This first book flashes from place to place and character to character swiftly so that the reader can get an overall picture of the situation. Quite honestly, it reads much like if it were a television series (which it was on PBS and Showtime...two miniseries, so far). Thus, if you expect it to be full of long chapters and focusing on a conversation or situation for a long while, you're going to be disappointed (much as one of the more recent reviewers of this book was, I note). Maupin's tale of a newcomer to San Francisco, the naive and reserved Mary Ann Singleton, and her misadventures with the residents of Barbary Lane (Mrs. Madrigal, the gay and proud Michael, the liberated Mona, etc.) is the stuff of Dickens' serials, brought to the 1970s in a flash of humor, adventure and out-and-out 1970s wackiness. I have read and re-read and re-re-read the entire series over and over again and have never failed to be entertained by the characters or the situations they find themselves in. Truly one of the most brilliant series out there. Give it a chance -- you won't regret it!
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Summary: A fun read - a trip back to the late 1970's
Review: TALES OF THE CITY by Armistead Maupin Here's a fun book that you can sink your teeth into. TALES OF THE CITY by Armistead Maupin is a story about a group of characters living in San Francisco during the late 1970's. Vietnam has just ended, disco is king (or queen?) and no one has yet heard of Aids. The book starts with the introduction of Mary Ann Singleton. She's just moved to The City from Cleveland, Ohio, to the dismay of her parents. We see the world of San Francisco through her eyes. She first moves in with a good friend of hers. Actually, she hadn't seen Connie since high school. But she now lives in The City and so Mary Ann looks her up, hoping to find a place to live. They become roommates, but after a few days of Connie, Mary Ann has had enough. She eventually moves out and ends up living in an apartment complex at 28 Barbary Lane. The landlady is an older woman named Mrs. Madrigal, and she makes sure every one of her tenants feels right at home. Mary Ann's first day there, she finds a note and a gift taped to her door, a rolled up joint. It took some getting used to but Mary Ann soon feels right at home in her new surroundings. Life in the city was nothing like living in Cleveland! TALES OF THE CITY covers the story of Mary Ann and her adventures in the City, but also introduces a ton of fun and outrageous characters, including Mouse (Michael) who becomes good friends with Mary Ann. He has his own set of problems, including boy troubles. Mary Ann has to introduce him to her parents on the phone as "Michael is a homosexual" when Mom says, "...a strange man answered your phone." Beauchamp and Dede is a supposedly happy and successful couple, but upon closer look one sees a different story. Beauchamp works with Mary Ann at her new job in The City, and his father is the big boss. And Dede has her own problems, when she finds out her beloved Beauchamp may be fooling around! And Mrs. Madrigal gets involved with everyone's affairs, it seems, and is one of the central characters on Barbary Lane. There are too many characters to list here, but all are unique and interesting in their own ways. Reading TALES OF THE CITY for me was like jumping through a time warp and reliving an era in which I was a little bit too young to fully enjoy. Growing up in the 70's, I was oblivious of what was going on in the adult world. Yes, I listened to Disco, but that was probably it in terms of my exposure to all that was going on back then. TALES OF THE CITY brings all that to life, and much more. I finished the book with a smile on my face. TALES reflected the happier times of a generation that was rebelling against authority and the government, while the rest of the world looked on. There is no real plot in this book, although the reader follows each of the characters own stories, hoping that they find what they are looking for. I highly recommend TALES OF THE CITY and plan to read the entire series (Six books in all).
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Summary: For all those people with a sense of humour and a big heart!
Review: These are, quite simply, the most entertaining books ever written. Like so many other reviewers here, I read the whole series in a week then promptly read the only other book I could find written by Mr Maupin, "Maybe The Moon" (just as wonderful and wacky). How anyone could not take these books and their wonderful characters to their hearts is beyond comprehension. The two downsides have been - 1) reading anything else has been extremely difficult as any other piece of fiction has an aweful lot to live up to and 2) that Mr Maupin does not write more as he is surely one of the best writers of the modern era. If you have yet to read these books, do yourself a favour - turn off your computer and race to your nearest bookstore. Don't plan anything for the next week as you'll want to forget your own life as you immerse yourself in the lives of your new best friends.
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Summary: speechless
Review: I almost didn't want to review this because it is SO, SO fabulous that I literally cannot think of the words to describe it! So I just want to share that this book (as well as More and Further Tales) is one of the best reading experiences of my life and the stories will linger with me literally forever. As insane as it sounds it feels like the characters of this book are my good, good friends and that I could call them up or go to San Francisco and find them and their fabulous world waiting (and I've had other readers tell me the same thing so don't call the mental hospital for me yet)! Armistead Maupin is a literary god as far as I'm concerned! One of the best authors of all time! I could not recommend a book or a series more.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting and light read
Review: Armistead Maupin does a brilliant job in intertwining the lives of nearly a dozen people in his internationally-acclaimed "Tales of the City." The book is quite a quick read, interesting, and also provides a great commentary on life during the 70s. Maupin, who is himself a homosexual, also does a good job of using the story to paint a picture of the gay community. Similarly, he does a fabulous job of describing San Francisco and the interesting culture that exists there. This book is recommended for all, especially those that are looking for an amusing book to read on a nice afternoon.
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Summary: Not "A Tale of Two Cities" !
Review: This is a very cleverly told tale(s) of a dozen or so main characters, all of them as large as life, set in swinging San Francisco in the nineteen seventies. Anything goes and of course anything does. Much like the play 'La Ronde' what goes around comes around. The lives of each and every one of the characters are inevitably linked as the novel progresses. Persons so diverse, with no apparent linking thread, turn out to be either intimately acquainted or only apart by one degree of separation. Some of the coincidences are amazing, but then real-life can often be just like that. Life is good, life is fun, there are swinging singles, miscreant couples, gay affairs, straight affairs, platonic ones and even the lady of the manor having a quick fling or two with the grocery boy. The setting is of parties, flash parties, up market parties and parties which are judged by the fame or 'name' of the special guests. It is keeping up with the Joneses, outdoing your friends, work colleagues and neighbours in the most extravagant fashion where easy-come easy-go or here today gone tomorrow is the driving force. Yet for some of the characters it is as little as pursuing a simple dream, enjoying a 'happy' cigarette or searching for a soul mate. Contrasting with the flash parties are scenes in laundro-mats, steam baths, dance halls (jockey pants competitions), supermarket aisles and inner-city low cost apartments. Halcyon, Manigault, Booter, Beauchamp, DeDe, Oona, Binky, Mona, D'Orothea and Madrigal are just a few of the characters whose lives and relationships are as unusual as their names. Most of the book is written as conversation between any two of the players so it is a quick read as the pages flash past. An appendix with an instant guide to all the characters in the book would have been useful as there are so many to remember. However, a few times when trying to recall who someone is or what they did earlier in the book, a link appears with a new person and the past anecdotes fall into place. For those of us who were around at the time ' even if not in San Francisco or the USA ' this book vividly illustrates and recalls the life style of the era when the music, the drugs, the fashions and the lifestyle were so unique, so superficial, so exciting and yet, at the same time so real. For those who weren't, this is not just a social history of the age but a clever, romantic book, well put together and a darn good read.
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Summary: It's good. It's real good.
Review: I read this book in my very early twenties when I was going through that whole "oh, no one understands me, I'm too deep for this world" phase. I was determined to hate this book! However, I think somewhere around the third or fourth sentence I completely gave in got entirely caught up in the story and the characters. I read the whole book in one sitting, taking my time with final chapters because I did NOT want it to end. When I was done, I grabbed my car keys and rushed out to buy the second book in the series. This totally magical, entirely enjoyable, at times improbable, absolutely wonderful book is one of my all-time favorites. Maupin writes in a very straightforward, minimalist style, but still manages to create vivid characters. The situations range from the mundane to the totally absurd, but are always intriguing and never less than believable. I couldn't recommend a book more highly. I suggest you buy the first three at the same time to save time because after you read this first you will want to read more.
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