Reviews with content warning for Racism - Tales of the City

Recommended to me by a bookseller who mentioned it got them through COVID when they were too scatterbrained to focus on reading. A couple weeks after that conversation I found myself unfortunately in the same position. I gave it a try (accidentally downloading the abridged version without realizing it) and found the lighthearted little vignettes of queer folks in San Francisco worked like a charm.

I was surprised how progressive it was for its time, and grateful for the glimpse into queer history. I'm a sucker for found family tropes and recognized Mrs. Madrigal in quite a few of my own friends.

It was also a reminder of a time in my life when some friends and I took a budget trip to San Francisco, sleeping on couches and eating dehydrated soup rations just to be able to see the city. I felt like I was there again. The city came through almost like its own character. It was the comfort I needed, with one exception.

There was one component of the book that was racist and which was not handled well. (Spoiler for this book and a little for book two as well.)

The racism of the transracial character isn't really addressed at all, nor why it was problematic for her to take on a Black identity or appropriate a lot of Black culture and make a ton of money off it. It was good that Mona broke up with her, but she seemed mostly upset about the lie, rather than the act itself. Maupin seemed to have been a big fan of Black Like Me. As if transracialism was an easier way for him to write about racial issues than just including a BIPOC
character in the first place. When Maupin brings the character back in the next book, he doubles down on the lack of consequences, letting her off the hook entirely and painting her as still slightly exotic. It left a bad taste in my mouth and is the reason I took off a star.

As a side note, I was bored enough and nostalgic enough over the city setting that I found the 1993 miniseries streaming free online and watched all eight episodes in two days. It was *remarkably* faithful to the material, staying close to the author's writing in a way I think modern miniseries don't bother with. I want to read the rest of the series so I can then watch the rest, especially the 2019 Netflix miniseries with Elliot Page and a lot of the original actors.

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marioncromb's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Interconnected stories, easy read, being in serialised chunks. Vibrant picture of San Francisco. Some of the end twists are a little... i don't even know. But mostly its fun, although some heavy stuff does happen

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rockcommander's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

despite the fat phobia i kept reading the series and i loved it

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literatemushroom's review against another edition

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fast-paced

2.0

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acoffeeandagoodbook's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is a light, fun, fast read, perfect for the heatwave we're having!

The chapters are short and snappy, with much of the storytelling relying on snappy dialogue. There are a lot of characters, and I found it tricky to remember who was who and how they were linked to everyone else at times. Despite this, many are funny and enjoyable to read about, if they aren't always likable. These are characters with flaws that make them real.

I had a good time but found the plot thin. Not much happens until the very end, I assume setting you up for the next in the series.

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nerdysread's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I didn’t like the pacing and I really disliked the characters

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helen___'s review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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