Customer Reviews

More Tales of the City (Tales of the City, Volume Two)

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Why is it that we admirers of the Tales of the City series enjoy it so much? Part of it is the fact that it is a combination of gossip and a good television series, all in a neat little package. Part of it is Maupin's great writing, which manages to capture the action and the spirit in a friendly, admiring style. Part of it is the motley crew of characters. But I think that the largest factor is jealousy - you read these stories and wish that you could live at Barbary Lane, and spend afternoons talking to Mrs. Madrigal, or tossing about campy bon mots with Michael.

This book is number two in a six part series about a house on Barbary Lane in San Francisco in the late 1970s and its inhabitants. Gay and straight, messed up and on the right track, Maupin's book is based on a regular (fictional) newspaper column that he wrote. And the book feels like you are getting regular episodes in the life of a group of people that you don't know personally, but you are interested in their lives anyway. You care about Mary Ann and her quest to the answer to her amnesiac lover's past. You want things to work out between Michael and the gynecologist Jon. You identify with Mona's surprise when she discovers her past during a chance visit to a desert whorehouse. You hope everything works out for DeDe and her twins-to-be. And as fantastic as these themes sound, they all become reasonable in Maupin's book. (Okay, so the parts concerning the amnesiac were a little bit far fetched, but nothing a reader can't cope with). I can almost guarantee that if you have not previously read the Tales of the City series before you read this book, you will be searching the shelves for the rest when you are finished.

With Book Two - More Tales of the City - the gloves start to come off! "Tales of the City" told us a story and introduced us to our characters. Now things really start to happen to them in "More Tales." They're put under pressure. They betray one another. They're there for one another. They find love. They lose love. They live. They die.

"More Tales" is slices of life at its near best. While, in some cases, this starts to give the book more of a "soap-opera" character (something that, to be fair, the series IS), because of the introduction and story in "Tales" you largely care about what will happen next.

Again, "More Tales" is written as social and historical commentary (whether Maupin meant it that way or not) and now the books have an even more interesting nostalgic twinge to them as you can compare your thoughts and your actions to events the characters are going through that you remember from your own life even if you've never been to San Francisco.

Maupin has a way with dialog and characters somehow. While there are times when his PLOT is contrived and fantastical, how his characters get through it always seems to be rather on the mark.

Finally, no review of this work is complete without mentioning the chapter "Letter to Mama." This one chapter - two pages - is worth the price of the entire book and I personally know two families whom that chapter has helped "pave the way." It is required reading for any child (of any age) who has yet to come out to their parents and is still trying to figure out how to do it, and if its worth it.

It is. Let Mouse show you why.

Maupin's second novel retains all the virtues of the first _Tales of the City_, while strengthening the one weak link in the first book: plot. _More Tales of the City_ resolves the dramatic deficiencies of the first _Tales_ by featuring an interlocking set of mostly tongue-in-cheek mysteries. The sleuthing is mostly of the Nancy Drew variety, but the mysteries are well developed, and various clues and revelations are deftly spaced throughout the novel. Of course, there is a larger point: Many of these tales address the rise of religious fundamentalism (and the subsequent decline of public tolerance) during the late 1970s. Michael Tolliver--the only character not directly involved in dime-novel shenanigans--gets the novel's one truly affecting scene: his letter to Mom and Dad forms the thematic and emotional core of the book.

OK, so it's not quiiiiiiite as good as the first one. But make no mistake about it - Michael Tolliver's coming out letter to his parents is one of the most significant, inspiring, empassioned, and beautifully articulated passages in the history of gay literature, and should be required reading for every gay man and woman, their friends, their parents, their families - and especially the Christian Right. It's worth the cover price alone for this stunning passage.

But beyond that, there's still a heap of fun to be had by all; the seventies are beautifully evoked in all their carefree splendour, and Mouse remains one of the loveliest characters in modern fiction.

Like a good wine, the series gets better with time. Savour it.

This book, published originally as a newspaper column about six months after the original "Tales of the City" series, is notable mostly because it clarifies all the mysteries surrounding Anna Madrigal, the elusive landlady featured at the center of all the novels. When the truth about her identity comes out, explaining why Norman was after her in the first book and for whom he worked, prepare to be stunned. Though the truth has always been just out-of-reach regarding Mrs. Madrigal, you're not going to believe the doozy in store for you.

This book is also notable because it continues the story of Michael and Jon, featuring a touching scene in which Michael finally outs himself to his family. Also, since Michael spends much of the book coping with a case of temporary paralysis (which I still don't quite understand), there are all sorts of new jokes the howlingly funny, sarcastic character gets to make.

As for Mary Ann, she opens up a bit more, which is welcome, and deals with a rather twisted mystery. And DeDe evolves into a far more interesting individual with the help of D'or, of all people.

Reading the 'Tales of the City'-Series was such a wonderful experience I could easily repeat it as much as I could. Maupin's style is so great and terrific, it's strange I hadn't heard of him that much, before I read it.

The characters are surely some of the best ones ever created in literary history. The developement of the storyline is so surprising and unexpectable it's breath-taking. The twists and turns are so effective, because you seem to know the characters so well, and never had thought... well, you have to explore the secrets by yourself. I have never seen such a developement of characters. The same persons are totally different in the last book than in the first one. It's great.

I won't rate every book differently, although they are very different. But they are so great alltogether and so well-connected it's hard to tell them apart.

This is wonderful stuff!

After I finished reading the first novel at a friend's insistence, I was so hooked by the end of it that I got the Omnibus of the first three novels and one of the final three novels so I can continue reading the saga of the residents of Barbary Lane.

The first half of this novel, I thought was better than the first novel, as I simply couldn't put the book down. I had to read "just one more" chapter, and since most chapters ran no more than three pages or so, one chapter turned into several chapters. The different story lines are interspersed, and I found that my curiosity switched from one to another as I read more. Some story lines didn't interest me (regarding DeeDee Halcyon Day and her mother), while others had me hooked (Mona Ramsey's vacation to a ranch in Nevada where she has an amazing coincidence that reveals a deeper connection between her and another character). I also enjoyed reading about Mary Ann Singleton and Michael Mouse Tolliver as they grow closer in friendship and take a cruise to Mexico together. On the cruise, they meet a man whom they don't know if he'd go for Mary Ann or Michael, and some of the wit apparent in the dialogue is laugh out loud funny. The plot moves towards a strange, and a bit far fetched, conclusion built around a mystery of one man's amnesia and the bits he remembers and some odd personality quirks. I didn't find their discovery to be realistic, but its not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the novel. Overall, I still like the first one better, but I'm really glad to see a continuation of these characters. The ending hints of things to come, so of course I plan to read the rest of the series in the next month or two. Like the first novel, the dialogue is simply amazing, full of wit, and laugh out loud funny. Armistead Maupin is a conversational genius and knows how to hook a reader. My only critique would be more time spent on descriptions, offering more details and observations. These novels read like a screenplay, but that's probably a big reason why this novel is so easy to read through. I can't wait to read what will happen next!

The characters are at their strongest, most loveable, and most believable. (And in this series, that says a lot!)

I think this is probably the most serious of the six books, which is probably why I love it the best. There are still humorous moments, but More Tales deals with issues: coming out to parents (and I agree with the reviewer who said Michael's letter to his parents should be required reading!), the formation of a relationship between a young woman and the father who abandoned her as a small child, the acceptance of mixed-race children (and racial issues more generally, as we see more of D'orothea), and the very literal search for identity in the case of one character suffering from amnesia.

Mahvelous, dahlink! :)

Ever notice you read a lot faster pre-college than postgraduate school? I suspect that has to do with the kind of books being read. This book definitely falls into the category of those fast reading books. It is unlikely you will go away with the feeling of utter awe, but you will be extremely entertained. Maupin maintains the momentum he built from Tales of the City, as his character continue to grow in this story. If you liked the first book, this is a worthy sequel. The lives of the occupants of 28 Barbary Lane goes on, and it feels as if you never left them. Okay, so the way things unfold is little preposterous, but most likely you won't care and you will just go with the flow. I did, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

And if you ever visit San Francisco, you will probably be seized with the urge to go visit at least one place mentioned in this book.

Armistead Maupin's a marvel:his stories aren't only the funny and poignant tales of some significant representatives of humanity, there'also mystery and suspense, whit the strange story of Burke and his obsession whit roses and railings (how like many Hitchcock movies, like SCIARADA). An Ellery Queen -style riddle deepens the mystery (you have too many clues, says Jon to Mary Ann Singleton).
Will the Barbary Lane Irregulars solve the Adventure of The Sacred Rock ?
Meanwhile, we learn more about Mrs Madrigal's past,sympathize whit the gentle and brave Michael, bear witness to a weird affair of Brian (similar to some "Net romances" of today), watch a nasty individual do his worst and meet his comeuppance,and learn the unbelievable secrets of Pinus. Hey, how can you possibly want more?