Further Tales of the City (Paperback)

by Armistead Maupin (Author) "There were outlanders, of course, who continued to insist that San Francisco was a city without seasons, but Mrs. Madrigal paid no heed to them..." (more)
Key Phrases: rhododendron dell, Mary Ann, Father Paddy, San Francisco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"An extended love letter to a magical San Francisco." -- New York Times Book Review

"Armistead Maupin is a first rate-world-class novelist, creating characters so vivid, complicated, tender, and true as to seem utterly timeless. . . .I'm willing to bet that fifty years from now Maupin's work will be read for its detailed descriptions of late twentieth century America, its rollicking humor and kind heart, its Chekovian compassion, its Wildean wit, its intricate. . .sometimes unbelievablle but always utterly irresistible plotlines." -- Stephen McCauley

"I love Maupin's books for very much the same qualities that make me love the novels of Dickens." -- --Christopher Isherwood

"I love Maupin's books for very much the same qualities that make me love the novels of Dickens." -- Christopher Isherwood

"Maupin has a genius for observation. His characters have the timing of vaudeville comics, flawed by human frailty and fueled by blind hope." -- Denver Post

"What makes Maupin's writing so rich and humorous is the way he juxtaposes the goings-on of irreversibly different worlds, flirtatiously overlapping them at times." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

The calamity-prone residents of 28 Barbary Lane are at it again in this deliciously dark novel of romance and betrayal. While Anna Madrigal imprisons an anchorwoman in her basement, Michael Tolliver looks for love at the National Gay Rodeo, DeDe Halcyon Day and Mary Ann Singleton track a charismatic psychopath across Alaska, and society columnist Prue Giroux loses her heart to a derelict living in San Francisco park.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: HarperPerennial; Reprint edition (October 1989)
• ISBN-10: 0060964065
• ISBN-13: 978-0060964061
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,472,489 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More and more and more. The beat goes on..., July 11, 2003

By	Peggy Vincent "author and reader" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Further Tales of the City (Tales of the City Series, V. 3) (Paperback)

Further tales of Mary Ann Singleton and Michael Tolliver, Maupin's alter-ego, a sweet young gay man lookin' for love in all the wrong places. The continuation of Tales of the City, first serialized in the San Francisco Chronicle, follows the further calamitous adventures of the residents of 28 Barbary Lane. This series of books focused around the early ages of the Dark Age of the AIDS era, but the tragic effect is leavened by Maupin's wild and wacky sense of humor, the preposterous interweaving of the lives of these people, and an overwhelming love for nearly each and every character. As someone said, these books are a love letter to San Francisco and all the best that it stands for.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The peak of "Tales.", June 17, 2002

By	Dave (Bethel Park, Pa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Further Tales of the City (Tales of the City Series, V. 3) (Paperback)

"Further Tales of the City" marks the point in the series where Armistead Maupin reached the top of the game. After some practice in the first two sensational installments, he acheives his best balancing act to date and exercises his grasp on the humanity of his characters.

To quell the complaints from others regarding the severe changes in characters, it's important to realize that while only six months had passed between "Tales" and "More Tales," an additional four years lies between the second and third parts. This leaves the door open for a lot of evolution. The tragic occurances DeDe experienced in those four years perfectly explains her journey from point A (pampered, albeit unhappy, socialite) to point B (Sharp, yet broken - therefor even sharper around the edges - survivor.) Mary Ann's change from secretary to TV personality - not to mention hopeful journalist - is logical, considering her dormant ambition that was eluded to in her last blow-out with Beachamp in "More Tales." What's more, the exploration of characters like Prue Giroux add to the "it's a small world" feel of Mr. Maupin's San Francisco.

As for the plot-lines, these seemingly unrelated misadventures tie up so cleanly in what winds up being the most heart-pounding climax of any "Tales" book to date. "Further Tales" concludes the first trilogy of the series logically and satisfactorally (despite the missing link of Mona.) With this novel, Mr. Maupin proved that he not only is an unsinkable story teller, but also a man that understands his characters and their lives to the fullest. As for the remaining three books, they are also exceptional pieces of literature, ascending to a peak with "Sure of You," but they still remain in the shadow of this excellent work.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why is this my favorite "Tales" novel?, October 4, 2000

By	"hpedersen99" (Tucson, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Further Tales of the City (Tales of the City Series, V. 3) (Paperback)

As a Tales fan, I've always enjoyed this one the most. Maybe because it charts DeDe's courage and incredible transformation. Maybe it's the way Mouse mulls over whether he's following a cookie-cutter concept of being gay. Or maybe it's the way Maupin revisits his earlier theme of creating one's own "family" and turns it upside-down.

Maybe it's just Mary Ann's TV job as a Martha Stewart prototype.

In any case, Maupin's ear for dialogue is sharp, and his ability to communicate his characters' frailities really start to gel in this one! It's a wonderful read and a gripping novel.