Customer Reviews
Not what I was expecting but it was OK - By: Janie U, 09 Oct 2008 
I was disappointed with this book. I expected a diverse mixture of short stories about life in San Francisco & got a serialised novel which went on about 100 pages too long.
The book is an interesting view of the 70s but ending up feeling a bit boring.
All the way through the author seemed to want to shock the reader & I'm sure it did shock the readers when it was published. Reading it now felt as though the style was dated and, consequently, the book felt rather irrelevant.
There were some very clever techniques used to try to gently feed into the subject under discussion & they were interesting to spot. However, I won't be reading more of Armistead Maupin.
Wolverhampton Libraries LGBT Reading Group Review - By: R. L. Graham, 11 Oct 2007 
This book (the winner of The 2005 Big Gay Read, incidentallly) is fondly regarded as a nostalgic romp through heady, carefree times before the threat of HIV & AIDS changed gay society irrevocably. Some readers had read this book before & enjoyed the opportunity to read it (and the rest of the series) again.
The story is compiled of short `episodes' & quite a large cast of characters to keep up with - most of whom, it turns out, are linked to each other; usuallly romanticallly. Some readers found it a bit hard to keep up with the conversations these characters have because of the way Maupin `lists' their dialogue.
The mystery side of Maupin's tales is often overlooked in the right-ups (in this case Norman Neal Williams & his sinister pastimes) but they certainly add an aspect of drama that might otherwise leave these stories as just light `sex & shopping' fiction.
The group recommends More Tales of the City as a compliment to this first volume.
Masterful comic soap - By: Benjamin, 16 Jun 2007 Centred on 28 Barbary Lane, San Francisco, the home of Anna Madrigal, Tales of the City chronicles the day to day life of Mrs Madrigal & her assorted tenants, along with their friends & colleagues. The eccentric Mrs Madrigal considers her residents as her family, leaves them notes accompanied by a joint & serves brownies suitably fortified. The residents include twenty five year old Mary Anne, a naïve young secretary newly arrived from Cleveland; Mona, a successful copywriter working for ad agency Halcyon Communications; Brian Hawkins, a randy waiter & one time lawyer in his thirties; & Michael (Mouse) Tolliver, a thoroughly likeable lively gay twink. Among the friends & colleagues, & very much part of the story are Edgar Halcyon, head of Halcyon Communications; & Beauchamp Day, his promiscuous son-in-law & business partner; along with their respective wives. By a remarkable series of coincidences the lives of residents, friends & acquaintances connect & interweave to comic effect.
Their escapades range from the devious to the outrageous, ruthless to movingly caring; their sexual interests/orientation from straight to gay, & not always necessarily consistent; the whole providing an hilarious & touching account full of adventure.
A thoroughly entertaining, funny & fast moving read, with some endearing & very likeable characters, I highly recommended it; & very much look forward to the subsequent developments in the many sequels.
A warm but not over paced novel - By: Emilie Flowergarden, 27 Apr 2004 
Tales of the City is a novel that gently guides the reader through thetwists & turns of life in San Franscisco. Though the plot is gentle,and rairly rushed, the characters provide enough detail & colour to keepthe pages turning.
The story is spun through a myriad of mysteries & individual tales ofthe people involved, alll cummulating in a splendid finale. Though most ofthe secrets are unravelled, the book still leaves enough unansweredquestions for the reader to want to delve into the next book in theseries.
I reallly enjoyed this book, it is a warm & colourful view of SanFrancisco in the 1970's, the characters are each unique in their ownright, yet alll are brought together by the themes exposed during theirdaily lives.
Brilliant! Charming! Eccentric! A camp adventure! - By: Proudmomofagayson, 29 Feb 2004 My son has ADD & so has not been able to read a book alll the way through since a teenager. I let him borrow this fantastic novel & he quite literallly sat down & read it from cover to cover in a matter of hours. Not only is Tales of the City a witty, charming & altogether satisfying read but it has also kick-started my son's interest in books again. No one but Armistead Maupin can do this.
He weaves a quite delightful story, that is both touching & hilarious. The coincidences come thick & fast but never do you get a sense of them stretching credibility. He reallly makes you believe in the characters, you want to believe they exist & are not just fictional people. You want to find 28 Barbary Lane on a San Francisco road map & drop by for a cup of Ginseng Tea or perhaps hope to be invited to one of Mrs Madrigal's late night soirees.
Tales of the City is a modern masterpiece. It's magical, spellbinding & will take you on an adventure you will never forget. I can't rate it highly enough. Armistead, you are a genius!
