Real Words

I mentioned before that I had been thrilled to discover the author Armistead Maupin. It’s rare that I find an author who truly captures my interest and makes me want to read every single thing that he’s ever written. As I come towards the end of reading Maupin’s second book in the Tales of the City series, I find that he’s become one of my favorite fiction authors.

Here are some of the reasons that I like this series:

• The characters are believable and lovable, flawed but in a totally perfect way. They are multi-dimensional and interesting and I can see having them as friends (and enemies!)
• The chapters are short but poignant so it’s easy to enjoy reading just a few pages while on public transit and it’s just as easy to get lost in a hundred pages at a time.
• Maupin has an uncanny ability to describe things in a way that makes you think twice. I have literally laughed out loud as I read the description of a character’s reaction.
• Plot twists actually have caught me off guard. I find most books to be predictable because I’ve read so many but this one actually has managed to surprise me more than once.
• There is an interconnectedness between the characters that extends through multiple books in the series.
• It’s set in San Francisco mroe than twenty years ago so many of the city’s details are the same as what I’m used to now but some are different enough to make me feel like I’m learning something about the history of the city as I read.
• It’s fun.

Anyone who likes general fiction, chick lit, and character-driven works will probably find this series to be enjoyable, especially if those people happen to live in San Francisco!

 [Tags] maupin, tales of the city, san francisco, book, writing, reading, recommendation [/Tags]