Rating: 
Summary: Armistead Maupin meets Alfred Hitchcock
Review: Armistead Maupin's a marvel:his stories aren't only the funny and poignant tales of some significant representatives of humanity, there'also mystery and suspense, whit the strange story of Burke and his obsession whit roses and railings (how like many Hitchcock movies, like SCIARADA). An Ellery Queen -style riddle deepens the mystery (you have too many clues, says Jon to Mary Ann Singleton).
Will the Barbary Lane Irregulars solve the Adventure of The Sacred Rock ?
Meanwhile, we learn more about Mrs Madrigal's past,sympathize whit the gentle and brave Michael, bear witness to a weird affair of Brian (similar to some "Net romances" of today), watch a nasty individual do his worst and meet his comeuppance,and learn the unbelievable secrets of Pinus. Hey, how can you possibly want more?
Rating: 
Summary: A solid and entertaining sequel
Review: Ever notice you read a lot faster pre-college than postgraduate school? I suspect that has to do with the kind of books being read. This book definitely falls into the category of those fast reading books. It is unlikely you will go away with the feeling of utter awe, but you will be extremely entertained. Maupin maintains the momentum he built from Tales of the City, as his character continue to grow in this story. If you liked the first book, this is a worthy sequel. The lives of the occupants of 28 Barbary Lane goes on, and it feels as if you never left them. Okay, so the way things unfold is little preposterous, but most likely you won't care and you will just go with the flow. I did, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. And if you ever visit San Francisco, you will probably be seized with the urge to go visit at least one place mentioned in this book.
Rating:
Summary: A solid and entertaining sequel
Review: Ever notice you read a lot faster pre-college than postgraduate school? I suspect that has to do with the kind of books being read. This book definitely falls into the category of those fast reading books. It is unlikely you will go away with the feeling of utter awe, but you will be extremely entertained. Maupin maintains the momentum he built from Tales of the City, as his character continue to grow in this story. If you liked the first book, this is a worthy sequel. The lives of the occupants of 28 Barbary Lane goes on, and it feels as if you never left them. Okay, so the way things unfold is little preposterous, but most likely you won't care and you will just go with the flow. I did, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. And if you ever visit San Francisco, you will probably be seized with the urge to go visit at least one place mentioned in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Just a little bit of a sophmore slump
Review: It's not as good as the first novel in the series, but good in and of itself. Maupin has the same style - light, with a lot of dialog, and plenty of odd and interesting plot turns, as in the first novel. I would recommend not reading them in succession, though. You need to read someone else to kind of clear your palette. He has the same characters and the continuity is a good thing, but I could do without the nicknames (Babycakes and Mouse).
Rating:
Summary: Cloyingly Good
Review: Maupin's followup novel to "Tales of The City", imaginatively titled "More Tales of The City", has most of the characters of the first and a few new ones most notably Mary Ann's amnesiac lover. The focus, however, of this novel is on developing the characters that we saw in the first Tales, namely Mary Ann, Mouse, Brian, Mona, and of course Anna Madrigal. This instance of Maupin has all his signature plot twists, and I won't reveal them for fear of ruining a perfectly good story. This novel is entertaining, but not as engaging as the first. I'm not sure why this is the case. But I believe the discrepancy is caused by the constant plot twists (the "shockers") that Maupin inserts into his stories. After a while, even the best candy becomes cloying, and by the second Tales, the reader has consumed plenty. Another quibble is that even after two novels, I still don't understand the characters. At this point they are all friendly acquaintances that are far too witty for their own good.
Rating:
Summary: A wondeful journey continues
Review: Reading the 'Tales of the City'-Series was such a wonderful experience I could easily repeat it as much as I could. Maupin's style is so great and terrific, it's strange I hadn't heard of him that much, before I read it. The characters are surely some of the best ones ever created in literary history. The developement of the storyline is so surprising and unexpectable it's breath-taking. The twists and turns are so effective, because you seem to know the characters so well, and never had thought... well, you have to explore the secrets by yourself. I have never seen such a developement of characters. The same persons are totally different in the last book than in the first one. It's great. I won't rate every book differently, although they are very different. But they are so great alltogether and so well-connected it's hard to tell them apart. This is wonderful stuff!
Rating:
Summary: The high point of the series.
Review: The characters are at their strongest, most loveable, and most believable. (And in this series, that says a lot!) I think this is probably the most serious of the six books, which is probably why I love it the best. There are still humorous moments, but More Tales deals with issues: coming out to parents (and I agree with the reviewer who said Michael's letter to his parents should be required reading!), the formation of a relationship between a young woman and the father who abandoned her as a small child, the acceptance of mixed-race children (and racial issues more generally, as we see more of D'orothea), and the very literal search for identity in the case of one character suffering from amnesia. Mahvelous, dahlink! :)
Rating:
Summary: A great follow-up to the classic satire!
Review: The tenants at 28 Barbary Lane are back! This time they take their adventures abroad. Each character goes through one dilemma after another, making the novel as hilarious as the original! Who could forget Mona, Mary Ann, Michael and the unforgettable landlady, Anna Madrigal? Tales of the City is a satire of homosexuality in San Francisco during the Seventies -- yes, the books were written during that era -- and you read such old slang words like "Far out!" You appreciate the fact that this book was written during the times when beards, afros and the slang word "far out" were considered, well, far out:-) Maupin has great attention to detail and an ear for witty dialogue. I look forward to reading the rest of the Tales of the City series.
Rating:
Summary: Worthy follow-up.
Review: This book, published originally as a newspaper column about six months after the original "Tales of the City" series, is notable mostly because it clarifies all the mysteries surrounding Anna Madrigal, the elusive landlady featured at the center of all the novels. When the truth about her identity comes out, explaining why Norman was after her in the first book and for whom he worked, prepare to be stunned. Though the truth has always been just out-of-reach regarding Mrs. Madrigal, you're not going to believe the doozy in store for you. This book is also notable because it continues the story of Michael and Jon, featuring a touching scene in which Michael finally outs himself to his family. Also, since Michael spends much of the book coping with a case of temporary paralysis (which I still don't quite understand), there are all sorts of new jokes the howlingly funny, sarcastic character gets to make. As for Mary Ann, she opens up a bit more, which is welcome, and deals with a rather twisted mystery. And DeDe evolves into a far more interesting individual with the help of D'or, of all people.
Rating:
Summary: More tales, more tears, more love, more fun
Review: Why is it that we admirers of the Tales of the City series enjoy it so much? Part of it is the fact that it is a combination of gossip and a good television series, all in a neat little package. Part of it is Maupin's great writing, which manages to capture the action and the spirit in a friendly, admiring style. Part of it is the motley crew of characters. But I think that the largest factor is jealousy - you read these stories and wish that you could live at Barbary Lane, and spend afternoons talking to Mrs. Madrigal, or tossing about campy bon mots with Michael. This book is number two in a six part series about a house on Barbary Lane in San Francisco in the late 1970s and its inhabitants. Gay and straight, messed up and on the right track, Maupin's book is based on a regular (fictional) newspaper column that he wrote. And the book feels like you are getting regular episodes in the life of a group of people that you don't know personally, but you are interested in their lives anyway. You care about Mary Ann and her quest to the answer to her amnesiac lover's past. You want things to work out between Michael and the gynecologist Jon. You identify with Mona's surprise when she discovers her past during a chance visit to a desert whorehouse. You hope everything works out for DeDe and her twins-to-be. And as fantastic as these themes sound, they all become reasonable in Maupin's book. (Okay, so the parts concerning the amnesiac were a little bit far fetched, but nothing a reader can't cope with). I can almost guarantee that if you have not previously read the Tales of the City series before you read this book, you will be searching the shelves for the rest when you are finished.
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