Tales of the City: A Novel

Armistead Maupin

Jun 2011 · Tales of the City Book 1 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick

The first novel in the beloved Tales of the City series, Armistead Maupin’s bestselling San Francisco saga, and inspiration for the Netflix original series, Tales of the City

“A consummate entertainer who has made a generation laugh. . . . It is Maupin’s Dickensian gift to be able to render love convincingly.”— Edmund White, Times Literary Supplement

For almost four 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 ten novels about the denizens of the mythic apartment house at 28 Barbary Lane, Tales is both a sparkling comedy of manners and an indelible portrait of an era that changed forever the way we live.

Ratings and reviews

Hard to put down. I had seen the PBS series years ago. Had always meant to pick it up and finally did so after reading th equally entertaining Michael Tolliver Lives.

Can't believe this book has been around my entire life and I've never heard of it. Can't wait to read more of his books. I've come upon a treasure chest of reading.

I enjoy Maupin's writing style and story telling. I was in my 20s growing up in the Bay Area during the period the original series was published in the SF Chronicle. I never read the serialized columns back then. But reading them now in this novel with the perspective I have on the period made this extra special for me.

About the author

Armistead Maupin is the author of the Tales of the City series, which includes Tales of the City, More Tales of the City, Further Tales of the City, Babycakes, Significant Others, Sure of You, Michael Tolliver Lives, Mary Ann in Autumn, The Days of Anna Madrigal, and Mona of the Manor. His other books include the memoir Logical Family and the novels Maybe the Moon and The Night Listener. Maupin was the 2012 recipient of the Lambda Literary Foundation’s Pioneer Award. He lives in London with his husband, Christopher Turner.