Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Les Chroniques de San Francisco by Armistead Maupin

11 reviews

scurvotron's review against another edition

funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Alcohol

Minor: Child abuse and Pedophilia

throwback682's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity

Moderate: Death, Racism, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy

Minor: Pedophilia and Abortion

astrono9's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

The saga follows a bunch of people in Castro, SF, during the 70s/80s. So obviously there are gays, lesbians, trans, but also hetero people.
It shows the life of these people and is inspired by the author's life in SF. It also shows some slices of the queer culture (bars, language, etc.) and history (AIDS crisis).

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Content Warnings

Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Suicide attempt

ericaw212's review against another edition

challenging funny lighthearted tense slow-paced

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

5.0

it was an easy read even though i didn’t understand 90% of the references. somehow i want to read the next 8 books in the series!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Sexual assault

Minor: Rape and Terminal illness

novella42's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Rape, Sexism, and Grief

Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Fatphobia, Abortion, and Alcohol

viktorsboy's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Suicide

Moderate: Homophobia and Pedophilia

undeniableemg's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is like hearing the best gossip from your cattiest friends.  It shows that no matter who you are, no matter your background or sexuaity or gender, we're all united in one thing: we all dread talking to our parents,

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Suicide

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol

marioncromb's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, and Abortion

helen___'s review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, Racism, and Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol

angelbabe_cj's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Biphobia, Child abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol