Tales of the City

Tales of the City, Book 1

By: Armistead Maupin

Narrated by: Frances McDormand

For more than three decades Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City has blazed its own trail through popular culture...from a groundbreaking newspaper serial, to a classic novel, to a television event that entranced millions around the world. The first of six novels about the denizens of the mythic apartment house at 28 Barbary Lane, Tales of the City is both a sparkling comedy of manners and an indelible portrait of an era that changed forever the way we live.

©1978 The Chronicle Publishing Company (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Addictive!

Maupin sure knows how to write cliff hangers. (You will understand the double meaning near the end of the book.) How he draws his characters together in kind of a (incestuous) web is amazing and delightful.
I only gave Francis 4 stars because she doesn't change her voice for each character,making it hard to know who's talking on quick exchanges.

Wonderful

Francis McDormond did an exceptional job on this. The story is compelling and nostalgic. I looked forward to my time listening to it

A tale that draws one in

Heard a lot about this book and the show before finally listened to it! What a great snapshot of a city, its residents and the milieu at that time. Characters remind you of acquaintances no doubt and I cannot wait to watch the TV adaptation now.

Pay close attention

At first, I was afraid it wouldn’t happen. But then, it did. I fell in love with these characters and their stories. I was worried because I’d heard so much about the book, but just wasn’t connecting with it. Names were being mentioned and I had lost track of who they were. That’s the secret to this book: pay attention. Don’t be distracted from it for a moment, or things will happen and new people will show up, and you’ll be left behind. I started it over, and that’s when I fell in love :)
(By the way, the Netflix show doesn’t do it justice!)

Wonderful Characters; Plot MIA

The narration made this book come alive. McDormand is a true talent all around.

The characters were charismatic and (mostly) charming. If you're reading for true SF ambiance you'll love this book. If you're reading for plot, action and wondering what happens next, this book isn't for you.

Fantastic Book and Series

Love Francis MacDormand as the reader of this book and Further Tales. The All Star cast of Readers is excellent. Can’t wait for the new series of Netflix this June. On to More Tales Now. Enjoy this as well.

Enjoyable, but ot skips quite a bit

I really enjoyed the story and the narration, but the audio skips around quite a bit. I had to rewind half a dozen times.

fun and fantastic

What did you love best about Tales of the City?

the whole thing is great, and u get to know the chracters so well, and u learn to love and like them

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ms Anna M the land lady she is mystical and magical

What does Frances McDormand bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

she was involved and took that through the whole story

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the relationship between Anna and Ed was my favorite

Excellent

Maupin delivers the story, characters, culture and plot to perfection. Enjoyed reading when first published and now in audible. Author and narrator at their best.

this book is pure joy

First I watched the new Netflix series which made me laugh and cry and feel all the feels, so I immediately downloaded this audiobook, pushed play and listened straight through until the end at 3 am. Next I went straight to audible and downloaded book 2 before even considering writing this review. I am completely hooked, totally invested. I love Maupin's characters who are rich, funny, smart, kind, outrageous... they are real and I want them to be my friends and family.

Tales of the City stars Mary Ann Singleton, a cute, naive and sweet young woman straight off the bus from Ohio. She arrives in San Francisco and quickly finds her way to Barbary Street where she becomes the tenant of Mrs. Anna Madrigal. Anna is wickedly sarcastic, intelligent and funny as hell. She is transgender; a woman who transitioned in the late 1960s long before most people even knew the word. She created a rooming house for outcasts and rejects (most of them gay) and they are her chosen family.'

The book is a tapestry of LGBTQ culture in the late 1970s. Some of the men are very promiscuous (and for readers who want to avoid R rated, gay love, this book will not appeal). Many of the characters are hippies, and all have secrets and stories to share. But most of all the book feels like a love story to a city and a culture. It is enthusiastic, charming, and delightful.

It is not the right book for everyone, but it is quite beautiful and I feel enriched by the experience of reading it.