Tales of the City: A Novel (P.S.)

If literature is one end of the scale, then whatever is the other end, this is it. A group of cardboard characters intermix in 1970s San Francisco. They have no lives but to eat, drink, have sex and take drugs together. Page after page of dreary dialogue that is easily skipped through. My book group's choice, but even with that demand, I gave up after 40 per cent. If anyone can tell me it gets better after that, I'd like to know.
(Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa by Pauline Butcher)

I remember when this was running in the San Francisco _Chronicle_ as a serial. (Not to be confused with _The Serial_, which ran in the _Chron_ a year or so earlier and was about Marin County...) I chose not to read it then, though we _had_ a subscription to the _Comical_; I read a few columns and didn't get into it.

So what is it?

_Tales_ chronicles (see what I did there?) the lives, loves, lusts, heartbreaks, and minor irritations of a dozen or so people living in and around San Francisco in the mid-to-late 1970s.

Most of the characters center around 28 Barbary Lane, a small apartment house run by one Anna Madrigal. Mrs. (she insists on it though, she says, she's never been married) Madrigal is a motherly, free-spirited woman who grows weed in the back yard and names all the plants. (We eventually learn, or _may_ learn, that she has Secrets and that her name is an anagram (of what?).)

What it is, then, is, well, a soap opera. The serialized format turns into chapters of (usually) three or four pages, each of which extends the stories of (typically) one or two of the major characters. Like a soap opera - but also like Dickens, for Heaven's sake - the plot runs heavily on coincidence. One character's gynecologist turns out to be another's love interest, that sort of thing.

Give Maupin credit for this: his characters run a fairly wide spectrum of social "levels," from the unemployed to the millionaire social-register class, and, somehow, they all interact plausibly if not quite believably. Each is motivated by their own personal and social imperatives, and we learn enough of their motivations to empathize with them - with the exception of Mrs. Madrigal , who remains a delicious mystery.

The writing is light and fluffy and humorous without ever descending into satire or silliness, either of which would rob the characters of their identities.

It's enjoyable enough that I read it in two days, but I don't feel particularly compelled to read the (8) sequels.

A wonderful apartment house at 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco is the setting for this tale of its quirky and engaging residents. Mary Ann Singleton, a wide-eyed Midwestern girl, falls in love with the city while on vacation and never goes back home. Her often comic, often tragic, adventures and the people she connects with provide a somewhat charming tale, but in the end resolves nothing, only sets the stage for coming sequels.

I was somewhat disappointed after hearing of this for so long and seeing all the glowing reviews. While it may have been ground-breaking when first published in the 1970's, it is pretty standard fare today and doesn't give the contemporary reader the fresh and innovative look at the gay lifestyle that it gave 35 years ago. That being said, the book is not without its humor and charm, its variety of interesting characters and very human stories. The problem for me was that it only seemed to scratch the surface and not delve very deeply or completely into any one person's life. Also, one of the most tantalizing bits of the story was left dangling and apparently begs the reader to embrace the whole series to find the answer.

Because this was originally a newspaper serial, the chapters are short and quick and the action pops rapidly from one character to another. Maupin is a gifted writer who can balance many characters and storylines, but in the end, this one was like cotton candy---enticing, but ultimately unsatisfying.

quick read that got boring after a few chapters. would not buy any of the sequals.

Tales of the City is a love letter to San Francisco. It celebrates the rawness and the wildness of this beautiful city. The characters embody what San Francisco (during that time, at least) is all about.

Unlike a lot of reviews that I've read, I have not seen the PBS miniseries (although I should get on to it because of Thomas Gibson). What I've seen was the musical staged by the American Conservatory Theatre in 2011. I liked it a lot and it was so much fun to watch. Since then, I wanted to get my hands on the book and read it.

Tales of the City is a story about the life and times of the residents of 28 Barbary Lane. Mary Ann Singleton visits San Francisco in 1976 and falls in love with the place and the culture. She then decides to stay for good. She meets the landlady Mrs. Anna Madrigal, who readily takes Mary Ann under her wing; the other residents, Mona Ramsey and Michael "Mouse" Tolliver; and other colorful characters. All of them have their own baggage and journey.

The book is a very easy read. It has (very) short chapters and each chapter is a peek into a character's life. Think, episodes. And as you read on, you will realize that all of them are somehow connected. The different ways they are connected are hilarious. It makes it so much fun to follow each storyline to find out how two seemingly unrelated characters are connected to each other. The various plot and character twists are hilarious. I can see how people, not just the LGBT crowd, can relate to these characters. It is real, candid, and heartfelt. While it is not a "great" piece of literature, it is definitely a good read.

But just like what I said about the musical, "The characters are relate-able enough but it can be a little bit confusing for non-San Francisco, non-Bay Area people. I'm not and I admit, I didn't get some jokes." Nevertheless, this book made me care about these characters enough for me to look for the other books and find out their journeys through life.

Rating: 5/5.

Recommendation: If you like LGBT lit, this one is a must-have, a must-read.

Does every gay man start their gay reading with this book? Possibly the answer is yes, and I think that's a wonderful thing. It's funny but real, risky but ultimately safe (like a mother's approving hug), and it captures a moment in time that is the foundation of contemporary gay society. For any gay man who realizes and respects how significant the 70s were for gay life, owning this book is just as important as owning CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC by the Village People or cherishing those Tom of Finland drawings.

Why do we need to read gay man's interpretation of women? Don't buy it.

This book was included on a list of people's favorites compiled by PBS. I read the reviews and thought I might enjoy it. It is a humorous look at lives of assorted characters living in San Francisco in the 1970's. Was a delightful read.

Required text at foothill college. I hated reading it. It wasn't interesting at all. This should not be a required text for college, it was a waste. Nice bathroom break read but not for learning in school.

I lived in the Bay Area and worked in San Francisco for 5 years in the mid 60's. I don't know how I missed this book when it was first written. Too busy having a family I guess. I finally read it recently and the next two books in the series. I just ordered books 4 and 5, so am really into this series now. I loved this book and could not put it down. The characters are vibrant and described in such great detail that I feel like I know them! Which is why I keep ordering the next book. Highly recommend this book and (so far) the rest of the books in the series by Armistead Maupin.