Tales of the City - Book Report

When you sense the affection where people enfold their loving kindness you are probably amidst the tenants of 28 Barbary Lane, San Francisco 94109. Perhaps 'tenants' is the wrong word, it should be something more like a friendly community of people. In Tales of the City , by Armistead Maupin, the characters are intertwined with togetherness. The mother of all mothers, 'the landlady', guardian of all who live under her roof, orchestrates an unfolding story that is captivating and compelling. It Is her love that permeates the other characters within this story.

This sequence of story snippets was originally introduced to San Francisco Chronicle readers back in 1976. It is because of this that each sub-story, or chapter in the book, is a self sustaining story in itself, more so than most chapter arranged narratives. This book is the first volume in a series, that chronicles the life of a small number of San Francisco residents.

Grant Ave. in Chinatown, San Francisco.

Out of fog Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge and S...

Portsmouth Square, San Francisco, California. Earl...

With each new chapter there is a personal development for the characters within. It is this sense of development that is most important for the continuity of Tales of the City. The development neatly meshes the character's lives with one another, till ultimately the product is a mass evolution.

It is interesting to note that the writing style Mr. Maupin uses to guide the story forward is consistent throughout the book. Chapters inevitably commence with a character's response to the given situation. There are several departures from this style, which are explained further on in this book report.

The chapters are suited for the readers of a newspaper. Each is short, usually between two and four pages in length. This makes the reading simple to digest. Each chapter equates to an individual episodes of a television soap opera. Chapters link their...