MAYBE THE MOON

By: Armistead Maupin

Narrated by: Armistead Maupin

Maybe the Moon, Armistead Maupin's first novel since ending his bestselling Tales of the City series, is the audaciously original chronicle of Cadence Roth -- Hollywood actress, singer, iconoclast and former Guiness Book record holder as the world's shortest woman.

All of 31 inches tall, Cady is a true survivor in a town where -- as she says -- ""you can die of encouragement."" Her early starring role as a lovable elf in an immensely popular American film proved a major disappointment, since moviegoers never saw the face behind the stifling rubber suit she was required to wear. Now, after a decade of hollow promises from the Industry, she is reduced to performing at birthday parties and bat mitzvahs as she waits for the miracle that will finally make her a star.

In a series of mordantly funny journal entries, Maupin tracks his spunky heroine across the saffron-hazed wasteland of Los Angeles -- from her all-too-infrequent meetings with agents and studio moguls to her regular harrowing encounters with small children, large dogs and human ignorance. Then one day a lanky piano player saunters into Cady's life, unleashing heady new emotions, and she finds herself going for broke, shooting the moon with a scheme so harebrained and daring that it just might succeed. Her accomplice in the venture is her best friend, Jeff, a gay waiter who sees Cady's struggle for visibility as a natural extension of his own war against the Hollywood Closet.

As clear-eyed as it is charming, Maybe the Moon is a modern parable about the mythology of the movies and the toll it exacts from it participants on both sides of the screen. It is a work that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit from a perspective rarely found in literature.

©1992 Armistead Maupin; (P)1992 HarperCollins Publishers

short but good

This isn't Maupin's strongest work, but it is still a very solid listen. It ends a bit abruptly, and once you see the ending coming, you know exactly what will happen. I think it should've been just a little more fleshed out as a story. Nonetheless, it is an interesting story, written from an interesting perspective.

Not much of a plot

I usually enjoy Maupin’s characters and plot devices but this one just didn’t have much going for it.

Another great book

I love this author even if sometimes there's a dark side to his stories. I could listen to him all day long.

Sad & Authentic Feeling

Maybe it is just my own cynicism, but there is no part of this that seems like it could not have truly happened. I wish the world were a better place, for Cadence, and for myself, and for all of us. And I’m glad that Armistead Maupin makes it a little better world for all of us. Now all of us must try every day to make it a little better world for each other.

This is an abridged version - false advertising

I read this book years ago, and loved it. Cady is an unforgettable character, and the story can be seen as a parable about all kinds of people who don't fit neatly into little boxes. Or it can be enjoyed as a great story.

The problem with the audio book is that it's abridged, and it doesn't say that anywhere on Amazon or Audible when you buy it. I don't mind Maupin's narration, because I like his delivery, even though he's not a "professional" narrator. Actually, reading along in my hardcover copy of the book while listening to the audio book was how I discovered it was abridged. I hate that, and I see it as false advertising. I'm not happy with this. Can I get a full version of the audiobook?