Further Tales of the City

Tales of the City, Book 3

By: Armistead Maupin

Narrated by: Frances McDormand

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Inspiration for the Netflix Limited Series, Tales of the City

The third novel in the beloved Tales of the City series, Armistead Maupin's best-selling San Francisco saga.

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 a San Francisco park.

©1982 The Chronicle Publishing Company (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers

Absolutely Charming

The 3rd book and the series and it keeps getting better and better. This is page turner is full of suspense, fun, and loving characters. We can only want more and more. This series continues to make me fall in love with its story and characters. Not to mention the twists and turns and the comebacks and 28 Barbary Ln. And of course Mrs Madrigal.
Frances McDorman does a phenomenal job taking us into a further world of Armistead Maupin's Tales of The City.

wonderful, rich and funny

Maupin's characters are wonderful: often funny, at times selfish, usually smart, witty, and sometimes arrogant. They are very real. I do wish Mona wasn't absent from the story, however in spite of that this was my favorite of the series so far. I cannot wait for book 4.

These books are like a delicious, gossipy soap opera that you cannot help but love. If you want an escape from reality with character who are living the way we all do: working, socializing, making mistakes, loving... these books are for you. But start with book one.

If only I could live at 28 Barbary Lane!

It's always wonderful to visit with dear, old friends, and these fantastical, interwoven tales from Maupin are just that; a true escape and much needed vacation with the people you love.

Great read

Well this was great as always and now time for the next book in the series.

Frances McDormand narrates poorly

The novel is exactly what one familiar with Maupin's Tales of the City would expect: light and airy, full of local color, with several highly enjoyable and implausible surprises. But what gets me is Frances McDormand's terrible performance as a narrator; although she is one of the most gifted actors I know, when it comes to reading aloud she's no great shakes. Her timing is lousy--she races through sentences at times, occasionally making comical flubs ("shrubbery" becomes "shubbery," for example)--and she often places her emphases inappropriately. Cynthia Nixon narrates number two in this series, and she does a terrific job; too bad Audible didn't ask her back!

Still good but...

I’m still in love with these characters and their stories. This time, though, the stories went a little off path. The magic of the previous books was how the individual stories of the characters seemed to be on their own trajectory, but ended up interwoven, coming together into a tight group with Mrs. Madrigal at their heart. This book kept mostly to one main story with the other stories placed predictably parallel. The introduction of two real historical figures was a little, dare I say it, hokey. I was sorry to see that. It made the easy storytelling feel a little gimmicky, when it doesn’t need to try so hard.

More City Life Captured by Maupin

Mr. Maupin continues his interwoven tales of life for single people of all genders, sexual preferences, and social classes, in the late seventies in San Francisco. The writing is funny and heartbreakingly sweet. The overall plot regarding one of the great monsters of the age will invariably be regarded by some as contrived but that misses he point. The point of the plot is not to get to the end, but to have an excuse to write about (as Rachel Maddow points out) the "interconnected" normal, healthy lives of the characters both gay and straight. The writing holds up well considering that it is a snap-shot of popular culture nearly thirty years ago. (You may wince at the occasional use of "boogie" to mean dancing.) The narrator has been switched back to the slightly faster reading Frances McDormand who is still perfectly competent. However, she's not quite as tender a narrator as Cynthia Nixon in the second book. It is strongly recommended that you listen to these books in order, especially if discovering them for the first time. They make far more sense when read in order as most series do. If you never had the privilege of living in San Francisco, the Paris of America, this series makes you feel as if you had, while also supplying you with several good friends and one way-cool landlady to boot. If you have any kind of open mind and heart you will fall in love with the characters and feel the appropriate amount of hate for one of the worst real life villains of the modern era.

Well worth the read

Tales of the city is a classic and fun story taking place during the 70's u have all the people of Barbary lane and how unique and fun they are. Also during this time the variety of people and personality as well as how the early days of the LGBT community were founded in at many times misunderstanding and violence..this is the 3rd part of the series and sooo far not disappointed.

I Love the series

This is such a contemporary story. More so today 2015 then back in 1980. The story fits with the times. I look forward to the next book in the series.