Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Harper Perennial (1989), Paperback, 384 pages
Description
A naive young secretary forsakes Cleveland for San Francisco, tumbling headlong into a brave new world of laundromat lotharios and cutthroat debutantes.
Media reviews
Biba
Un petit bijou d'humour et d'humanisme.
User reviews
LibraryThing member thorold
Re-reading this makes you feel seriously old! At one stage in my live I practically knew the Tales of the city books by heart: I haven't looked at them for ages, but reading Mary Ann in autumn prompted me to dig them out again (and fire up my vintage VCR to watch the TV adaptation again as
The thing you forget, especially if you have the TV series in mind, is that this isn't seventies nostalgia. It is The Seventies. Tales of the city came out in book form in 1978, the same year as Dancer from the dance and Faggots. While New York was inventing "gay writing", Maupin was writing about lesbian, gay and transsexual characters as though there was nothing about their sexuality that was the least bit more profound, spiritual, absurd, or grotesque than there was about the strange things that heterosexuals get up to. He was normalising the whole sodom-and-gomorah world of seventies San Francisco for his readers by writing about it in a superb pastiche romantic comedy style, heavily laced with references to the most down-to-earth bits of fifties American popular culture. And he got away with it! It's basically the same trick they use in The Simpsons: if you make the audience laugh, give them a bit of sentiment towards the end, and never bore them or pretend that you know better than they do, then you can discuss almost any subject.
It's a trick, but it takes a lot of skill, and in Maupin's case it would never have worked without his amazingly sharp dialogue. All those references to Hitchcock, Tennessee Williams and Noël Coward aren't there by accident: Maupin clearly has a very sharp eye for what works on stage and screen, and uses it to pare down his text to the absolute minimum. Brilliant stuff: he's definitely up there with writers like Kipling, Raymond Chandler and P.G. Wodehouse at the very top end of popular fiction.
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well).The thing you forget, especially if you have the TV series in mind, is that this isn't seventies nostalgia. It is The Seventies. Tales of the city came out in book form in 1978, the same year as Dancer from the dance and Faggots. While New York was inventing "gay writing", Maupin was writing about lesbian, gay and transsexual characters as though there was nothing about their sexuality that was the least bit more profound, spiritual, absurd, or grotesque than there was about the strange things that heterosexuals get up to. He was normalising the whole sodom-and-gomorah world of seventies San Francisco for his readers by writing about it in a superb pastiche romantic comedy style, heavily laced with references to the most down-to-earth bits of fifties American popular culture. And he got away with it! It's basically the same trick they use in The Simpsons: if you make the audience laugh, give them a bit of sentiment towards the end, and never bore them or pretend that you know better than they do, then you can discuss almost any subject.
It's a trick, but it takes a lot of skill, and in Maupin's case it would never have worked without his amazingly sharp dialogue. All those references to Hitchcock, Tennessee Williams and Noël Coward aren't there by accident: Maupin clearly has a very sharp eye for what works on stage and screen, and uses it to pare down his text to the absolute minimum. Brilliant stuff: he's definitely up there with writers like Kipling, Raymond Chandler and P.G. Wodehouse at the very top end of popular fiction.
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LibraryThing member R_JasonBennion
Maupin introduces us to a large ensemble cast of quirky, complex, and lovable (well, mostly) characters from all walks of life, building what feels like a very realistic microcosm of San Francisco in the mid-1970s. The story is a bit choppy due to extremely short chapter lengths -- this work was
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originally published as a newspaper serial -- but that same issue also becomes something of a strength, since it forces the author to be economical with his words. Description is minimal but precise, and characterization is accomplished mostly through sharp, often funny and just as frequently heartbreaking dialogue. Some of the coincidental meetings and frankly bizarre plot developments are a little far-fetched, but the breezy tone keeps you turning the pages. I love these characters, who are as real in my mind as any I've ever encountered. Show Less
LibraryThing member vesuvian
Oh, cute, cute, cute. What more does anybody have to say? Go read someone else's review and just consider mine positive.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
Perhaps this book doesn't deserve such a high rating but its stories of 1970s pre-AIDS bohemian San Francisco was the right book for me at the moment. If you are offended by crude language, casual sex or drug use, this book probably isn't for you.
Although I was younger than these characters in
Frances McDormand does a good job narrating.
Although I was younger than these characters in
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70s, I was old enough that many of the pop culture references (such as to the TV shows Maud and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman) made me nostalgic. Frances McDormand does a good job narrating.
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LibraryThing member Yestergirl
Tales of the City is based on Maupin's 1970's newspaper serial in the San Francisco Chronicle. Between the pages we meet a group of unforgettable characters AND we get to remember what it was like to live in the 70's. Drugs, Sex and secrets are what make up Tales of the City.
The story opens with
The story is written in short snippets that at first seem a bit disjointed. The story jumps around from one set of characters to another. But as the story unfolds we see how it all fits together like a jigsaw puzzle and how everyone is connected in some way. And Maupin knows how to write a good story so you'll be hooked soon enough. This is the first of 7 books.
The story opens with
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Mary Ann Singleton a small town girl from the Midwest who falls in love with San Francisco while on vacation and decides to move there. The adventures start as soon as she makes this decision and it's as if we move right into the Barbary Lane apartment with her. The story unfolds in soap opera fashion as we meet Mouse ( who's gay), Mona ( the ad exec), Mrs. Madrigal (The landlady who grows pot), and Brian ( the womanizer) .The story is written in short snippets that at first seem a bit disjointed. The story jumps around from one set of characters to another. But as the story unfolds we see how it all fits together like a jigsaw puzzle and how everyone is connected in some way. And Maupin knows how to write a good story so you'll be hooked soon enough. This is the first of 7 books.
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LibraryThing member VintageReader
I still love it--I've loved it since it was lent to me in 1988--but some of it hasn't aged particularly well. That's okay with me; one of its best qualities is its very firm place in time, and the subsequent books carry that on. But I wonder if new readers will get out of it the same things I do
One thing I noticed this time is that Mary Ann is set up from the very beginning to be exactly who she turns out to be in Sure of You, which I haven't read since it was first published because... well... I hated who she turned out to be.I didn't remember until I got there how it ended, but now I remember that the last time I read it this bothered me too--does Mary Ann feel absolutely no responsibility to tell the authorities and get some help for Lexy (the little girl), even if it means she'll have to answer uncomfortable questions? Ugh. Even for the one of the Me Generation in the Me Decade, that seems pretty callous.
Anyway, even by the time I read it in 1988, it was pretty difficult to imagine moving to San Francisco and finding a place of your own. The people I knew who were moving out there then had multiple roommates and *still* paid more rent than I could even imagine affording. So even by the time I first read it, it had a nostalgic feel. Now, of course, it feels like (and is) a gentle, distant past that will never come around again. But I love to visit it from time to time in these books.
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just because I remember the 70s pretty well. One thing I noticed this time is that Mary Ann is set up from the very beginning to be exactly who she turns out to be in Sure of You, which I haven't read since it was first published because... well... I hated who she turned out to be.
Anyway, even by the time I read it in 1988, it was pretty difficult to imagine moving to San Francisco and finding a place of your own. The people I knew who were moving out there then had multiple roommates and *still* paid more rent than I could even imagine affording. So even by the time I first read it, it had a nostalgic feel. Now, of course, it feels like (and is) a gentle, distant past that will never come around again. But I love to visit it from time to time in these books.
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LibraryThing member chaostheory08
This is a Reading Good Books review.
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
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.
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member clue
First published in 1978, Tales eventually would become a series of 9 books, the first 4 were originally written as part of a newspaper series and the last 5 written as novels.
The city is San Francisco and the time the 1970s. When a young woman comes for vacation from Cleveland and decides to stay,
The Tales series have had several movies and TV series made from them over the years, including adaptations by PBS and Netflix.
The city is San Francisco and the time the 1970s. When a young woman comes for vacation from Cleveland and decides to stay,
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she winds up in an apartment house at 28 Barbary Lane. Other tenants include a sweet gay man, a secretive man living in a very small apartment on the rooftop, a pot growing landlord who seems to have special powers, as well others, all searching for love and acceptance. Issues of the time swirl though the short chapters including abortion, sexual orientation and the poor treatment of women in the workplace. One review said that opening this book is like opening a time capsule and for those of us that were young adults during that time I think it's true, but I also think it's relevant today.The Tales series have had several movies and TV series made from them over the years, including adaptations by PBS and Netflix.
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LibraryThing member klarusu
I can't really believe it's taken me this long to find these gems, but sometimes it's the ones that lie undiscovered under your nose that prove the most surprising. These books detail the lives of a motley band of individuals who live in San Francisco on Barbary Lane under the watchful eye of the
I guess, should you choose to, you could level the criticism that the interlinking storylines are all-to-convenient and readily wrapped up .... but I didn't find it problematic. It is an inherent quality of the original media they were published in and you have to allow for that format. I'm just glad to see them put together as a book so that they can be enjoyed by everyone. I think that if you cannot overcome objections to plot and structure, then these books were probably never meant for you. Personally, once I found them, I couldn't put them down and I'll certainly be looking forward to the next batch.
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matriarchal Anna Madrigal. The pluses and minuses of these stories all stem from the fact that they were initially serialisations in a regular newspaper column. It makes them an addictive doddle to read - each book is divided into bite-sized chunks that have an element of self-containment mixed with a splattering suspense that leaves you wanting more. The characters are skilfully drawn and quickly come to life and become much-loved friend - a testament to Maupin's skill as a writer. They are each a little window onto life in San Francisco at the time - an interesting documentation of society there.I guess, should you choose to, you could level the criticism that the interlinking storylines are all-to-convenient and readily wrapped up .... but I didn't find it problematic. It is an inherent quality of the original media they were published in and you have to allow for that format. I'm just glad to see them put together as a book so that they can be enjoyed by everyone. I think that if you cannot overcome objections to plot and structure, then these books were probably never meant for you. Personally, once I found them, I couldn't put them down and I'll certainly be looking forward to the next batch.
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LibraryThing member joeydag
I think I've read all the collected columns. Lots of fun - probably dated by now.
LibraryThing member citygirl
It captures a moment in time. Reading it is like eating candy. I'll take another box.
LibraryThing member Othemts
The classic San Francisco novel introduces a family of characters who live in Mrs. Madrigal's rooming house on Barbary Lane. The book is so full of dialogue that it reads like a script. Very funny, quirky, mind-opening, and heart-warming.
LibraryThing member allin1
Tales of the City: A Novel (P.S.) by Armistead Maupin (2007)
LibraryThing member bookworm12
The books is a collection of fictional stories about twenty-somethings in San Francisco in the '70s. A conservative young woman, Mary Ann Singleton moves to San Fran from Ohio and becomes friends with a diverse group of people including her pot-smoking landlord, Anna, bohemian neighbor Mona and a
The stories read more like a TV show than a book. Lovers are interchangeable and lives overlap as the characters deal with relationships, roommates, jobs and the AIDS epidemic. The writing isn't bad, there was just too much soap-opera style drama for me. Some of the characters are likable, but I found myself not caring too much about any of them.
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sweet gay man, Michael. The stories read more like a TV show than a book. Lovers are interchangeable and lives overlap as the characters deal with relationships, roommates, jobs and the AIDS epidemic. The writing isn't bad, there was just too much soap-opera style drama for me. Some of the characters are likable, but I found myself not caring too much about any of them.
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LibraryThing member lahochstetler
Reading this book is a bit like a history lesson. Set in San Francisco in the late-1970s, this book was remarkable for presenting homosexuality as part of mainstream popular culture. In 2011 this is hardly shocking, but thirty-five years ago it was. This is important to recognize before going into
With the stage set, I felt like this book read like a sitcom. The characters engage in crazy antics. They get involved in humorous love triangles. The series began in the newspaper, and I can see how that shapes the book. The book is comprised of short chapters and small vignettes. It is humorous and easy reading, a bit of mind candy.
By the end I was left with some unanswered questions. What was the issue with the landlady? As this is the first book in a series, I'm going to assume that Maupin is setting up for the next book. I'll be reading it to find out.
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the book. With the stage set, I felt like this book read like a sitcom. The characters engage in crazy antics. They get involved in humorous love triangles. The series began in the newspaper, and I can see how that shapes the book. The book is comprised of short chapters and small vignettes. It is humorous and easy reading, a bit of mind candy.
By the end I was left with some unanswered questions. What was the issue with the landlady? As this is the first book in a series, I'm going to assume that Maupin is setting up for the next book. I'll be reading it to find out.
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LibraryThing member cindysprocket
Just thoroughly enjoyed the book. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
LibraryThing member otterley
For me, another book that I suspect reads much better as newspaper columns. But an interesting glimpse into a place and time (swinging 70s San Francisco) that ultimately was very influential in terms of how our social culture and mores have developed since then
LibraryThing member MarieTea
Start this series and you won't want to stop. Author quotes Oscar Wilde: "It's an odd thing, but anyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco." Oscar Wilde
LibraryThing member emanate28
Very entertaining reading, esp for anyone who may have nostalgia for the 70s and San Francisco in the 70s in particular. I was a child in the 70s so most of the pop-culture references were beyond me, but the stories were still fascinating and fun to read--probably because Mary Ann is an outsider
These were originally serialized in a newspaper, which explains why the tales never seem to get anywhere. As a book, it doesn't conclude; I guess one just has to keep reading the whole Tales of the City series...
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too. Thank goodness. These were originally serialized in a newspaper, which explains why the tales never seem to get anywhere. As a book, it doesn't conclude; I guess one just has to keep reading the whole Tales of the City series...
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LibraryThing member dukefan86
Enjoyed this book even more than I expected. The San Francisco setting, however fictitious, was interesting, and the characters suprised me pretty often. I don't read many short story collections for some reason, enjoyed these. It was nice to come and go from the book without feeling like I'd
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missed much. Show Less
LibraryThing member satyridae
Revisited via audio CD. It was lovely to be back on Barbary Lane with the kids, but odd that they are kids now and not too long ago they were glamourous grownups. Sweet and improbable and dated in the nicest sort of way. There's one prescient moment where Brian says to Michael that it's likely that
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someday they will be sad old libertines lost in a world of uptight kids, because the pendulum always swings. Show Less
LibraryThing member raschneid
Yay for serial novels! The characters are really funny and warmly portrayed; the story feels largely effortless. Maupin could have spent a lot of time waxing poetical about San Francisco, but instead he lets the city shine through the characters. The jokes made cheerfully at the expense of
Hoping that the rest of the series is this good!
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seventies' culture are still funny because, man, the seventies were pretty strange.Hoping that the rest of the series is this good!
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LibraryThing member HadriantheBlind
Charming and hilarious little story about life in San Francisco in the 1970s.
LibraryThing member kawgirl
Great story, great backdrop, great characters. Definitely read this book.
LibraryThing member DougJ110
A fast, fun, light read with plenty of quirky characters. It's so San Francisco.
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original publication date
1978
Physical description
384 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0060964049 / 9780060964047
Local notes
OCLC = 1384
Google Books
Google Books
Other editions
Tales of the city (Harper colophon books) by Armistead Maupin (Paperback)
Tales of the city (Harper colophon books) by Armistead Maupin (Paperback)
Tales of the City: A Novel (P.S.) by Armistead Maupin (Paperback)
Tales of the City: A Novel (P.S.) by Armistead Maupin (Paperback)
Tales of the City: A Novel (P.S.) by Armistead Maupin (Paperback)