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Tales of the City Audio Collection (Abridged): Tales of the City, Books 1-6 Audiobook
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Publisher Description
The original abridged recordings of the beloved Tales of the City series, Armistead Maupin’s best-selling San Francisco saga, in one collection!
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.
Now the original abridged recordings, read by Armistead Maupin himself, are available in one audio collection. The first six stories about the denizens of the mythic apartment house at 28 Barbary Lane, are both a sparkling comedy of manners and an indelible portrait of an era that changed forever the way we live.
Found in this collection:
Tales of the City
More Tales of the City
Further Tales of the City
Babycakes
Significant Others
Sure of You
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"I finally got around to reading this book a couple of years ago, having seen the TV series based on it already. It made life in San Francisco seem so fun and funky back in the day! I know it was written before AIDS and a lot of other problems, and also San Francisco is very expensive and kind of different now, so it was fun to see the perspective of how it used to be. Kind of historical fiction, although that may not have been what the author intended!"
— Delia (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“An enormously talented writer—witty but always sympathetic, generous in showing us the secrets of his heart…By writing about what’s seemingly different Armistead Maupin always manages to capture what’s so hilariously and painfully true for all of us.”
— Amy Tan, New York Times bestselling author -
“An extended love letter to a magical San Francisco.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“A consummate entertainer who has made a generation laugh…It is Maupin’s Dickensian gift to be able to render love convincingly.”
— Times Literary Supplement
Tales of the City Audio Collection Listener Reviews
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" But the next one, More Tales of the City, is not available for my e-reader. Boo. "
— Jennifer, 2/15/2014 -
" I look for 28 Barbary Lane everywhere. This is the only series that is consistently great. As is the miniseries but don't tell anyone that. A wee bit silly, but I don't care. "
— Lindsey, 2/13/2014 -
" This book was a fun, interesting read for me. It was very much like a soap opera, meaning that it could be very over the top and dramatic. Basically, it takes place in a 1970's San Fransisco and there is a collective group characters brought together in a series of commical and/or over dramatic events. Some of the humor kind of went over my head, concidering my age, but there were aspects I could definatly relate to. I think the ending could have been a little different, but even so, I really enjoyed its quirky and fun look on a crazy time (that I wouldn't have a clue about.) "
— Rika, 2/9/2014 -
" Taught me how to be a fag hag. This series of books is amazing, wondrous, and free. "
— Sandy, 1/23/2014 -
" Second time around read. "
— Geri, 1/17/2014 -
" This novel, which began as a series in a newspaper, gives one of the best descriptions I've read of an urban family of friends. "
— Julz, 12/16/2013 -
" Junkfood that was actually required for a class during my freshman year at UCLA. Once I read this one, I rapidly read the rest in the series. "
— Kariann, 12/1/2013 -
" I had numerous laugh at loud moments in this book!. I absolutely loved Michael aka "the Mouse". The only downside of this, is that I'm hooked and got to read the second book to findout what happens next.:-/ "
— Ruth, 11/27/2013 -
" This is by far one of my favorite books. I read it in high school and had such a crazy idea of San Francisco! It makes me proud to say that years later, I finally live in the crazy city Maupin brought to vivid life in his books. "
— Anhoni, 11/14/2013 -
" Listened to the first volume on CD during my trip home. A couple of storylines were kind of flat-out stupid, but mostly this was really smart and interesting. "
— Christen, 6/24/2013 -
" I read this book in Germany (in german) and got introduced to the life of San Francisco. Now that I am living here - I have to salute Maupin's : he described and pictured the city and its people well. "
— Conny, 12/6/2012 -
" I just love this whole series. "
— Shara, 11/25/2012 -
" Funny, eccentric, and mind-addled tales of my beloved San Francisco. "
— Elizabeth, 9/2/2012 -
" A lighthearted saga. Anyone who knows a true San Franciscan should read this book! One of the best summer reads I have ever had. "
— Erin, 4/29/2012 -
" It is what it is. "
— Ben, 3/9/2012 -
" It is a fun trip back to the 1970's in San Francisco. "
— Holly, 1/8/2012 -
" Awful ending. I can't believe 3 people died in this book. "
— Mia, 10/22/2011 -
" My friend/ex-husband, Gene, got me this book shortly after he moved to SF. I really enjoyed the stories and the pace. I don't remember that much about the book other than to remember how ground-breaking it must have seemed when it was first published. "
— Lisa, 6/24/2011 -
" great fun! finally read it! saw tge musical first, check that out if you can! "
— Brendan, 6/8/2011 -
" Very funny indeed, a great style of writing adn easy to get into, will have to get the rest of AM's work now! :o) "
— Donna, 6/5/2011 -
" Read this book as a 19 year old. Fell in love with San Francisco and all the wonderful residents of Mrs Madrigal's Barberry Lane. Big fan of Maupin's writing. "
— Brendan, 6/2/2011 -
" A fun and funny read, particularly for someone who lived in San Francisco in the 1970s and in the Bay Area in the 1980s and 1990s - lots of familiar references, and a good insider's laugh at ourselves. "
— Bob, 5/27/2011 -
" OH is this ever the book for you if you're moving to San Francisco from Ohio. "
— Lisa, 5/27/2011 -
" The one that started it all. Funny, quirky. Armistead Maupin is a wonderful observer of human nature in all its guises. Just adore all his books "
— Catherine, 5/19/2011 -
" Breezy, bright, deceptively dark. A Dickensian tapestry of human nature disguised as something frivolous and frothy. Warm, lovely, intricate, with an underlying bite. The best books to read when you are sad. "
— Elinor, 5/18/2011 -
" First 3 pages mentions Buena Vista Cafe, Top of the Mark, Aquatic Park, and Alcatraz... It's making me home sick. Can't wait to read the rest! "
— MarayaSol, 5/14/2011 -
" It's like a mash-up of The Bell Jar, Catcher in the Rye, and Lolita, but written in the 1970s so not at all derivative of any of those! A great insight into the culture of San Francisco, as well as the psyches of each compelling character. "
— Valarie, 5/11/2011 -
" This was the first and only Maupin I read. Meh. Much prefer Jacqueline Susann. "
— yengyeng, 4/28/2011 -
" So dated!!! I wish I had read it 15 or 20 years ago, but it was entertaining nonetheless. I do not feel the need to read the subsequent novels, however. "
— Deb, 4/26/2011 -
" Helped unlock the mystery of SF. "
— Polly, 4/20/2011
About Armistead Maupin
Armistead Maupin is the author of numerous novels, including the highly popular Tales of the City series. His novels Sure of You and The Days of Anna Madrigal made the New York Times bestsellers list. He was the 2012 recipient of the Lambda Literary Foundation’s Pioneer Award. In 2014 he was awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree by the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. Three miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney were made from the first three novels in the Tales series. The Night Listener became a feature film starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette. He was born in Washington, DC, in 1944 but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, he served as a naval officer in the Mediterranean and with the River Patrol Force in Vietnam. He worked briefly as a reporter for a newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina, before being assigned to the San Francisco bureau of the Associated Press in 1971.