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Summary: A brilliant, nostalgic expose of kinder and gentler times
Review: I first read "Tales of the City" in its first printing in the late 1970's and waited with baited breath for the next edition to be printed. Each time I picked up a new book, it was like visiting with old friends. All of Armistead Maupin's characters are so real that I shall never again visit San Francisco without thinking about Mrs. Madrigal, Michael "Mouse" Tolliver, Mary Ann Singleton or Mona. I especially liked the way in which Armistead Maupin delved into the psyches of each character. As the character of Michael was exactly my age when he was first created, and continued to age along with myself throughout the series, I very easily identified with his changing views of life in the city. It's a wonderful read which is a must for every serious library.
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Summary: You actively miss these people when you stop reading...
Review: Perhaps it's a bit of Californian bias that I select this particular book; I am a California native and it's this that makes Tales of the City all the more familiar to me. The story began as a weekly serial for the San Francisco Chronicle back in the early seventies, before I was even born. Still, generational differences don't keep one from getting sucked into the world of Anna Madrigal, Michal "Mouse" Tolliver and all those who reside at 28 Barbary Lane.It's hard to know where to begin when describing this series. Maupin's writing is descriptive, yet it doesn't trespass the way other authors might, as they try too hard to convey their "vision" to the reader. Maupin prefers to sit back and let the reader draw - or jump to - their own conclusions. He enjoys cliffhangers, melodrama and even blatant shock tactics to keep the reader's attention, and it's these things that remind you that this world was born in the pages of a newspaper. Despite the simplicity to Maupin's work, he still manages to create the most intricate, involved world of people living, working and loving in San Francisco. The characters, of course, are what make the book: Mary Ann Singleton, the Ohio transplant searching for meaning to her life, Brian Hawkins, the aging gigolo, Michael Mouse, the hopeless romantic looking for Mister Right, Mona Ramsey, the hippy in denial, and of course, Mrs. Madrigal, the landlady of Barbary Lane and "Mother Of Us All". With these few characters, Maupin creates an entire world that, when you close the book, stays with you. It never goes away. The interlocking storylines, plot twists, turns and five-car pileups inspire a special kind of tolerance in the reader, for you never know when your favorite character and the villain will cross paths with one another and a complete role-reversal will occur. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the human condition. The only downside is that you actively miss these people when you stop reading. Then you only have to pick up the books and read them again. I do it all the time.
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Summary: WOW!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I bought this book to take on holiday with me as my holiday reading. Little did I know. Before I'd even arrived at my destination I'd finished it and was longing for more. This is a SERIOUSLY good book and everyone everywhere should read it.
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Summary: What a book! What a series!
Review: After viewing showtimes More Tales of the City, I was engrossed in these people's lives. I ran out to the bookstore a couple days later and bought Tales and More Tales. I'm currently reading Significant Others and plan on finishing the series up soon. Such quick reads, yet such lasting impressions. I'll never forget Mary Ann, or Michael, or Jon, or Brian, or Anna Madrigal. 28 Barbary. San Francisco. What a place.
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Summary: We need more Tales of the City!
Review: I loved this series of books so much that I've spent a lot of time looking for anything that will remotely compare. In the last year I've found a couple of books that caught me in their snare as well. Tim Farrington's California Book of the Dead and the other is Alex Garland's The Beach. Both have a set of characters that really involve you in the story. I just wish there could be more Tales of the City!
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Summary: One Of The Greatest Books Ever Written
Review: Im only 15 but I know whats good and whats bad,and this book is a good thing I began to read it 2 days ago I cant put it down this is one of the best books ive ever read.
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Summary: I wish Maupin were real life!
Review: I first read this series in high school and have since picked it up at least once a year for a good re-read. In college, when faced with an unexpectedly boring batch of freshmen, I found myself wishing these characters were real. Now, as a young woman on her own for the first time, I totally identify with Mary Anne Singleton's quest for independance and a new life in "Tales of the City." I now also understand how friends can become adjunct family. I can't wait to re-read these books again and again, hoping to understand even more as I get older. The only down-side is that life seems oddly dull by comparison to Maupin's twisted, witty, and very special world.
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Summary: It sucked me in!
Review: Reading Maupin's books, you would think that the only place in the world to live is San Franscisco. Sometimes, I agree. The characters are wonderful, and over the course of the series, the core inidividuals change. Some of them grow up, others regress. I read all six books in a week, and I was left wishing for more.
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Summary: Generously Entertaining!!
Review: Although I was a small child during the 70's, Tales of the City makes this decade in American history come alive for all readers. The characters (especially Mouse)are so original and funny. A must read!
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Summary: FABULOUS!!!!!
Review: My mother gave me this book when I moved to San Francisco to attend college. I immediately fell in love with the book and all it's characters. I suddenly found my self running all over the City searching for the rest of the books, two of which I read while sitting in a coffee house one night. It was four years ago that I first discovered this delightful series and have even re-read them all since. I am eagerly anticipating SHOWTIMES airing of More Tales. I reccomend Armistead Maupin's books to everyone, especially anyone who has ever or will ever live in San Francisco.
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