Mary Ann in Autumn (Tales of the City) (edition 2010)

Twenty years on from the original Tales of the City, this book doesn't have the same light, breezy touch of the original stories of the friends living and loving in San Francisco. This is reflected by the characters themselves who have moved on to careers and serious relationships. Mary Ann Singleton, undergoing cancer treatment, has returned to San Francisco to stay with her old friend Michael Tolliver in an attempt to re-connect with her earlier self and the daughter she left behind. Reading this book is a bit like getting to know old friends again and finding out how they fared in life. A well written book with gentle humour, a nice way to revisit the series. ( )

Twenty years ago, Mary Ann Singleton left her husband and daughter behind to pursue her dream of a career in television. Things were going well until she was diagnosed with cancer, and then discovers the her husband is sleeping with her therapist. That final straw convinces her to leave New York for a while and to return to San Francisco hopefully to find some comfort from her long-time friend, Michael Tolliver. But even that won't be easy because of resistance to her from Michael's partner Ben and from the memories of a past failed romance brought to the present thanks to a seemingly random connection on Facebook.

For fans of the "Tales of the City" series, such as myself, this novel fits in nicely, continuing with the stories and the live of characters we know and love. Even if you've never read one of the earlier books, the characters feel like old friends, that you're catching up with them after a short break. That makes this a comfortable, easy read. But, I felt that the three different stories -- Mary Ann reconnecting with Michael, Anna Madrigal's roommate Jake meeting with a closeted Mormon, and Mary Ann's estranged daughter Shawna trying to figure out her relationship with her boyfriend -- should have intersected more as they progressed. In the earlier books, all the characters interact with one another at various times, making their stories interconnected, but with this book, they definitely seemed separate, as if they had no bearing on one another, until the last-minute revelations in the final chapters -- and then it felt a bit coincidental.

Still, "Mary Ann in Autumn" is a good read, and those already familiar with the characters will enjoy it. And those who've never read the prior novels will want to go back and discover the characters' histories. ( )

There is almost no way to talk about this without spoilers, so I am going to be as vague as vague can be. But oh, my dear Mr. Maupin, what a lovely present you have given us, all tied up with neat little bows- all of those dangling ends from the original series, so pretty!

Where [b:Michael Tolliver Lives|829511|Michael Tolliver Lives|Armistead Maupin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178739810s/829511.jpg|18023] was a benediction, a book I couldn't read three pages of without weeping, this is a hearkening back to the bad old days of the Chronicle serial, with odd, unbelievable plot twists that make a person whoop with laughter. A delight, an unmitigated delight. ( )

it's been nice to spend my time with the character in this series for the last month. this one seemed to be written better, but maybe it's just grown on me. ( )

Twenty years have passed since Mary Ann Singleton left her husband and child in San Francisco to pursue her dream of a television career in New York. Now a pair of personal calamities has driven her back to the city of her youth and into the arms of her oldest friend, Michael "Mouse" Tolliver, a gardener happily ensconced with his much-younger husband.