Review - Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Publisher - Black Swan

Pages - 269

Blurb from Goodreads

San Francisco, 1976. A naïve young secretary, fresh out of Cleveland, tumbles headlong into a brave new world of laundromat Lotharios, pot-growing landladies, cut throat debutantes, and Jockey Shorts dance contests. The saga that ensues is manic, romantic, tawdry, touching, and outrageous - unmistakably the handiwork of Armistead Maupin.


My Review

Mary Ann Singleton has came from Cleveland to San Francisco, it is 1976. She is an innocent young secretary and she is bored, she wants to catch up with her old friend and see what life is like on the other side. She meets Michael, homosexual and fabulous, his best friend Mona who works for a big company and her boss is a slave driver. Mrs Anna Madrigal, their landlady and person who knows everyone and has a few secrets of her own. Her newest lodger, Norman is quiet and secretive and has a bit of an attraction and pull for Mary Ann who is finding this new fast life hard. Beuchamp is married to his bosses daughter, he is a bit of a player and has a chip on his shoulder. There are many other characters and each has some link to the other or brought into each others path which is quite an interesting link within the story.

There is secrets, sex, drugs, mystery and love to name but a few. I read this book years ago and knew I liked it but couldn't remember it all. After getting it for World Book Night I decided to reacquaint with it, I am glad I did. I will be finding the rest of the series as I can't wait to find out what is happening with the rest of the characters.

It is a very easy to read book, it has a bit of a trashy pull to it as it is full of gossip, lies and secrets and you love or hate the characters very early on so are eager to read more. I could have read this through in one sitting to be honest and it has very short chapters which is always a bonus. 4/5 for me and I will definitely be reading more of this author.

View all my reviews