When was tales of the city written

It had huge ratings and won a Peabody award, but the American Family Association hated it. Local stations did some weird things like pixellating a nipple if there was a breast in shot and, under pressure from the Christian right, US distributor PBS bailed after the first series. The world has evolved since the s, when the books were originally set, so we made some changes.

When we auditioned for a Hispanic trans actor to play the young Mrs Madrigal, hundreds turned up. I was the last GI out of Cambodia — but only because I was on the back of the last boat, having a shower, naked and covered in soap. She married a lord and now lives in a Cotswold manor house.

When I arrived on set, I was as wide-eyed as Mary Ann. I knew theatre, but not how TV and film worked. It was while working on that, though, that makeup artist David Forrest told me I had to read Tales of the City. If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro. Poppy Logo. FB house promo. Got a showbiz story? Share this article via facebook Share this article via twitter Share this article via messenger Share this with Share this article via email Share this article via flipboard Copy link.

Share this article via comment Share this article via facebook Share this article via twitter. More Stories. The reason is Mary Ann. There was too much of her at the start.

Summery: An interesting, nice and very entertaining soap opera, with too less sex scenes for my spoiled soul -but a lot of sex behind closed doors- a lot of all different characters to satisfy every taste and all kind of possible and impossible relationships, some great lines, intriguing plot with a promising further development in the next installments.

I'm in. View all 22 comments. Shelves: read , audiobook , location-usa-california , around-the-usa. I listened to this in audio, read by Frances McDormand. Tales of the City was originally published in the year I was born and it focuses on a cast of characters all linked in some way to a landlady in San Francisco near where I was born. May 30, Jack rated it did not like it. One of the most overrated authors of all time. Not surprisingly the fact that this series of amateurish daytime soap-opera novellas were adapted for TV meant it was one of those rare instances in which the TV adaptation was actually better than the books.

Okay, to be fair, I only read the first book. I slogged through the whole thing, and i absolutely hated it. But, this much i know. The reader could not possibly relate to the San Francisco backdrop unless he had actually spent quite a bit of ti One of the most overrated authors of all time.

The reader could not possibly relate to the San Francisco backdrop unless he had actually spent quite a bit of time there and new the city well. Maupin fails to describe anything. He just rattles off locations as if everyone knows exactly where they are, what they look like, and their general vibe. The characters were so paper thin, my nine-year-old niece could probably create something with more depth.

I know my thoughts on this book won't be popular, as it's the type of thing that has gained a huge cult following over the years, but for the life of me, i cannot understand how people enjoy these works even on an ironic level. It's the kind of very low brow entertainment that's disguised as something with incredible depth, and nobody has the guts to say 'hey View all 5 comments. I'm coming up to my ten year anniversary as a San Francisco resident, so it seemed high time to give our city's urtext a go well that, and I was invited to a film festival screening of the first episode of the upcoming Netflix series.

I admit it took an unexpectedly long time to nudge myself onto its wavelength: I realized I had always assumed it was a gay text it really isn't , and found Maupin's prose style surprisingly flat, even when taking into consideration the format restrictions of it I'm coming up to my ten year anniversary as a San Francisco resident, so it seemed high time to give our city's urtext a go well that, and I was invited to a film festival screening of the first episode of the upcoming Netflix series.

I admit it took an unexpectedly long time to nudge myself onto its wavelength: I realized I had always assumed it was a gay text it really isn't , and found Maupin's prose style surprisingly flat, even when taking into consideration the format restrictions of its original serial newspaper publication Dickens this is not, and I'm not even a fan.

There was also much less specificity of locale than I wanted, considering so much of the city it portrays has disappeared—or is on the verge of it. But as the storylines of the various characters become increasingly tangled, it's impossible not to get swept up in the complex rhythms of everyday life's countless little dramas.

I'll likely continue to the next volume at some point, and maybe it won't even take me another ten years to get around to it. View all 8 comments. Shelves: bookcrossing-books , brain-fluff , read-in , arty-farty. I think Nixon gets a mention.

Or maybe it was Carter. Anyway it's not the summer of love and that's what is important as most of the characters in the book seem to spend a lot of time bemoaning the passing of '67 and wondering what will become of them now that all the free love has gone away or at least become more illusive.

People are still producing their own home grown and having affairs though, so all is not lost. Short chapters give lightening flash insights into the personal troubles and turmoils of all the principle characters, some of whom have as much substance as a light sea mist. These word chunkettes were originally formed because the book was serialised in a newspaper before it was printed as a novel and the on demand instant gratification element of this comes through in the book.

The ending was a let down for me though - a pretty major incident occurs and it's basically just laughed off by the main characters who then return to being self-fluffing meddlesome pseudo-libertines. It is well written though and clearly set a bench mark precedent for Sex and City and possibly even Californication both of which deal with writers producing serialised works about the state of the nations sex lives while doing a bit of navel gazing and attempting to get laid themselves.

Note, if it is sex you are after then Hank Moody David Duchovny is much more successful at getting laid than Carrie Bradshaw Sarah Jessica Parker so if you're undecided on a box set and this is the clincher then go with Californication. Sep 27, Dan Myatt rated it it was amazing Shelves: autumn-reads , reading-challenge. Is it perfect? Are the character likeable? Why five stars? Well, this book will now and forever be one of my all time favourite reads. I first read it aged16, over the Summer holidays whilst my parents were away and I suddenly realised that it was okay to be different from the other boys at my school.

Everytime I read about Micheal or Mary Ann or any of the others it's like catching up with old friends and even though this must be my 20th time of reading their tales are always a deliciou Is it perfect?

Everytime I read about Micheal or Mary Ann or any of the others it's like catching up with old friends and even though this must be my 20th time of reading their tales are always a delicious gossipy mixture that has you laughing, crying or just wanting to know more.

Jun 05, David Gallagher rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Can't think of anyone I wouldn't recommend it to. Shelves: r-e-p-bunny-related , read-in , favorites , audio-books. I didn't actually read this book, but it was rather read to me , and the person who did the reading truly brought it to life - I don't think I would have loved this book so much if I had read it on my own.

I've always loved books with complicated, multi-layered, engaging characters and this one definitely offers that.

Their philosophy on life radically different from the next person - they laugh and love and hurt, and their stories intertwine unexpectedly and excitedly beneath the San Francisco sk I didn't actually read this book, but it was rather read to me , and the person who did the reading truly brought it to life - I don't think I would have loved this book so much if I had read it on my own.

Their philosophy on life radically different from the next person - they laugh and love and hurt, and their stories intertwine unexpectedly and excitedly beneath the San Francisco sky. Of course the Tales of the City series will never become a classic, but it's already cult. Maupin's language is simple and flows effortlessly and always keeps you on edge; especially by the end, this book was quite suspenseful!

I'm happy in calling this book one of my favorites because, overall, it has all I want a book to have: great characters, exquisite story, musicality and fluidity and the engrossment factor. Aug 03, Deacon Tom F rated it it was ok.

Not my way of living so I didn't relate. Furthermore, I was totally alienated by the characters' lifestyles. Did anyone mature after high school? Too many charaters, so easy to get lost. Shallow, self-absorbed, or clueless Not my way of living so I didn't relate. Shallow, self-absorbed, or clueless Dec 08, Vanessa rated it liked it. I had originally marked this as a re-read.

I know I owned this book at one time; the cover with Laura Linney and Olympia Dukakis was immediately recognizable and I remember purchasing it after the brouhaha about the adaptation airing on PBS in the early 90's Jesus don't want gays on his teevee set. But nothing in here jogged even a faint memory bell so I'm thinking now I never actually read this, I just bought the book in protest.

The first entry in Ma I had originally marked this as a re-read. The first entry in Maupin's nine volume series about a collection of San Francisco residents in the 's, it was originally published as a newspaper serial I know, it seems like something quaintly Victorian now so each chapter is only pages long.

Like an Altman film, the cast is large and quirky. Mary Ann Singleton, a young and naive secretary, impulsively extends her vacation to San Francisco into a permanent stay. She rents a room from eccentric, pot-growing landlady Anna Madrigal, who has a colorful tenant named Mona who works at an advertising firm who needs a secretary. Mona has a friend named Michael, a recently dumped gay man, who moves in. And so it goes. Maupin does a great job of weaving a cast of characters in ever-expanding concentric circles.

Toward the end, some of the stories went in directions that were a bit too far-fetched for me the mysterious sad sack tenant Mr. Williams, D'Orothea the model. It was a light and sweet and sometimes bittersweet read, and perfect for January. I ordered the next book from the library and could see myself actually finishing this series. Jun 23, Michael Thomson rated it really liked it.

So glad I picked this book up! Such an easy but enjoyable read and the characters are brilliant! Can't wait to start the second in the series.

Well-worth a glance. Dec 30, Jana rated it it was amazing Shelves: lgbt-themed. Well that is remedied. He talks about his logical family.

Your logical family. I highly recommend the book. I see that I was not the last person to read Maupin. They're delightful. And Olympia Dukakis is just amazing in this. Thumbs up for the miniseries as well. Jan 14, Terris rated it really liked it Shelves: the-guardian I had never heard of the book or author before and am glad to get to read it! It is set in the mid-'70's written in in San Francisco.

When Mary Ann moves from Cleveland to San Fran and moves into a boarding house, the reader gets to know Anna Madrigal, the landlady, and all the other quirky tenants. Mary Ann is the personal assistant of the owner of a corporation who manufactures pantyhose. By the end, the stories of several of the characters that she lives with and works with are intertwined. Looking at this era from the future, it is really fun to see what the city was like in the 's, written in the 's, and how things looked to the characters then.

I loved this book! The chapters are only pages each and that keeps the story flying by! I don't know if I could recommend it to everyone , but if you're interested in this era, you should definitely read this book! View all 4 comments. Still 5 stars again for the reread.

This was a real trip down memory lane. The wonderful Anna Madrigal and Barbary Lane! I've always wanted to read this series so am so happy I finally did. Loved the story and the characters. This is such an easy read and the characters are wonderful. Will be so happy to read the other books in the series. There is also a BBC series that you can watch on Amazon. I plan to do this also. This was on the list of the Great American Reads and I now know for sure why it is.

Readers also enjoyed. About Armistead Maupin. Armistead Maupin. Armistead Maupin was born in Washington, D. Maupin worked as a reporter for a newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina, before being assigned to the San Francisco bureau of the Associated Press in In 19 Armistead Maupin was born in Washington, D.

Three miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney were made from the first three Tales novels.