Armistead Maupin Livres

Fin des seventies. San Francisco, la fureur au cœur et au corps, consomme la libération sexuelle sous des néons tapageurs. Débarquant de Cleveland, la jeune Mary Ann Singleton plante son camp au 28 Barbary Lane, un refuge pour « chats errants ». Logeuse pour le moins libérale, Mme Madrigal règne en douce matriarche sur cette étonnante pension de famille... « Ça va à toute vitesse, avec la profondeur d'un roman d'analyse et la légèreté d'un sitcom.» Stéphane Hoffmann, Madame Figaro Traduit de l'anglais (Etats-Unis) par Olivier Weber et Tristan Duverne

Début des années quatre-vingt, Reagan dirige l'Amérique, hésitant entre conservatisme pur et dur et saut en avant technologique. Les Yuppies dopés sont des acharnés du travail, les gays californiens sont à la pointe du combat pour l'évolution des mœurs et des mentalités et le sida commence à frapper les corps et les esprits. C'est ce moment que choisit la reine Elisabeth II pour effectuer sa première visite à San Francisco. Un symbole à elle seule, la reine d'Angleterre ! Représentante de la vieille Europe, des traditions et d'un certain art de vivre. En décalage complet avec celui des avant-gardistes californiens. Mais c'est justement ce côté kitsch qui leur plaît. Son côté bonne vieille mamie ! Comme Mme Madrigal, la logeuse de la petite résidence communautaire de Barbary Lane. Une grand-mère qui aurait été de tous les combats des années passées, qui cultive de magnifiques plants d'herbe dans son jardin et qui avant son opération était un homme. Il y a aussi Brian qui rêve d'enfants et d'une vie d'homme au foyer, sa femme Mary Ann, journaliste prête à tout pour assumer à la fois sa vie professionnelle et sentimentale et enfin Michael qui vient de perdre son amour, victime du sida. Et puis, il y a le bonheur du hasard qui parfois fait bien les choses, l'humour et la fantaisie romanesque de Maupin qui sauve ses personnages d'un vaudeville qui aurait pu être dramatique. C'est toute la force de ses chroniques de raconter une époque en l'imaginant souvent plus belle que la réalité mais en misant sans compter sur l'amour et la solidarité.

A collection of the first three novels of the "Tales of the City" saga which chronicles the high and low life in San Francisco. He has written six volumes of "Tales of the City". .

By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Armistead Maupin's bestselling Tales of the City novels-the final three of which are collected in this third omnibus volume-stand as an incomparable blend of great storytelling and incisive social commentary on American culture from the seventies through the first two decades of the new millennium. "These final days of his San Francisco friends and lovers, gay and straight, are seriously moving ... 'aupin deftly illustrates how far America and the pioneering Anna have come, and nearly forty years into the series, his writing remains wildly addictive but is deeper and richer."--People The last three novels of Armistead Maupin's bestselling, critically-acclaimed Tales of the City are now available for the first time as an omnibus edition. The epic series, published between 1978 and 2014, spans the decade before the AIDS crisis through the era of marriage equality following an unforgettable set of characters, whose diverse sexual identities helped set the social stage for the ongoing sexual revolution. Goodbye Barbary Lane-comprised of Michael Tolliver Lives (2007), Mary Ann in Autumn (2010), and The Days of Anna Madrigal (2014)-brings closure to the lives and legacies of the characters through which generations have found connection to America's larger cultural struggles over the past four decades. Joining two companion omnibus volumes, 28 Barbary Lane and Back to Barbary Lane, Goodbye Barbary Lane presents all of "Mr. Maupin's adeptness at fluid dialogue, his flair for shaping characters who thread the needle between pop archetypes and singular human beings, and his great gift for intricate if occasionally preposterous plotting"(New York Times)

Continuing the saga of the tenants, past and present, of Mrs. Madrigal's beloved apartment house on Russian Hill. While the first trilogy celebrated the carefree excesses of the seventies, this volume tracks its hapless, all-too-human cast across the eighties--a decade troubled by plague, deceit, and overweening ambition

Armistead Maupin's uproarious and moving novels have carved a unique niche in American literature, capturing cultural change from the seventies through the early 2000s. These tales are as hard to resist as a dish of pistachios, enticing readers to play the game of "Just one more chapter," often leading to late nights. Originally serialized in the San Francisco Chronicle, the first three installments introduced a mainstream audience to a diverse cast of characters navigating urban life. Among them are the bewildered Mary Ann Singleton, the libidinous Brian Hawkins, the free-spirited Mona Ramsey, the hopeful Michael "Mouse" Tolliver, and their marijuana-growing landlady, the indefatigable Mrs. Madrigal. Maupin skillfully weaves their stories, tackling social and sexual barriers while guiding them through heartbreak, triumph, terrors, and coincidences. The result is a sparkling and addictive comedy of manners that continues to enchant new generations of readers.

A sweetly frank and funny memoir by a storyteller in the first rank. O Magazine

After suffering personal calamities in New York, Mary Ann Singleton moves back to San Francisco after being gone for twenty years and begins to slowly rebuild her life, only to confront fresh terrors when her past comes back to haunt her.

In this darkly humorous novel set in magical San Francisco, the quirky residents of 28 Barbary Lane navigate romance and betrayal. From Anna Madrigal's shocking secrets to Michael Tolliver's quest for love, the intertwining lives reveal a vibrant tapestry of chaos and charm. Maupin's writing masterfully blends contrasting worlds.