Michael Tolliver Lives
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Michael Tolliver Lives [Hardcover]

Armistead Maupin
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


2 new from £10.83 23 used from £0.01 1 collectible from £60.00

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Hardcover --  
Save up to 50% on selected titles in New Releases, 1000s of Paperbacks and Favourites.

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Product details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Doubleday (18 Jun 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0385612400
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385612401
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.7 x 3.3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 246,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Armistead Maupin
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Visit Amazon's Armistead Maupin Page

Product Description

Product Description

Michael Tolliver, the sweet-spirited Southerner in Armistead Maupin's classic "Tales of the City" series, is arguably the most beloved gay character in fiction. Now, almost twenty years after ending his groundbreaking saga of San Francisco life, Maupin revisits his all-too-human hero, letting the 55-year-old gardener tell his story in his own voice. Having survived the plague that took so many of his friends and lovers, Michael has learned to embrace the random pleasures of life, the tender alliances that sustain him in the hardest of times, "Michael Tolliver Lives" follows its protagonist as he finds love with a younger man, attends to his dying fundamentalist mother in Florida, and finally reaffirms his allegiance to a wise octogenarian who was once his landlady. While Maupin insists that this book is not, strictly speaking, a continuation of "Tales of the City", a reassuring number of familiar faces appear along the way. As usual, the author's mordant wit and ear for pitch-perfect dialogue serve every aspect of the story - from the bawdy to the bittersweet. "Michael Tolliver Lives" is a novel about the act of growing older joyfully and the everyday miracles that somehow make that possible.

From the Inside Flap

Michael Tolliver, the sweet-spirited Southerner in Armistead Maupin’s classic Tales of the City series, is arguably the most beloved gay character in fiction. Now, almost twenty years after ending his groundbreaking saga of San Francisco life, Maupin revisits his all-too-human hero, letting the 55-year-old gardener tell his story in his own voice.

Having survived the plague that took so many of his friends and lovers, Michael has learned to embrace the random pleasures of life, the tender alliances that sustain him in the hardest of times. Michael Tolliver Lives follows its protagonist as he finds love with a younger man, attends to his dying fundamentalist mother in Florida, and finally reaffirms his allegiance to a wise octogenarian who was once his landlady.

While Maupin insists that this book is not, strictly speaking, a continuation of Tales of the City, a reassuring number of familiar faces appear along the way. As usual, the author’s mordant wit and ear for pitch-perfect dialogue serve every aspect of the story – from the bawdy to the bittersweet. Michael Tolliver Lives is a novel about the art of growing older joyfully and the everyday miracles that somehow make that possible.


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Michael Tolliver Lives
36% buy the item featured on this page:
Michael Tolliver Lives 3.8 out of 5 stars (24)
Michael Tolliver Lives (Tales of the City)
25% buy
Michael Tolliver Lives (Tales of the City) 4.2 out of 5 stars (12)
£5.49
Sure of You: Tales of the City Sequence, Volume 6
14% buy
Sure of You: Tales of the City Sequence, Volume 6 4.7 out of 5 stars (6)
£5.99
Significant Others: Tales of the City Sequence, Volume 5
13% buy
Significant Others: Tales of the City Sequence, Volume 5 4.8 out of 5 stars (6)
£5.49

 

Customer Reviews

24 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Catching up with old friends, 16 July 2007
By E. Goodman (Leicester, the very centre of England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Michael Tolliver Lives (Hardcover)
This book gets three stars - mainly because it takes us back to San Francisco, to familar faces and lets us catch up with old friends. I think that's how this book shoudl be viewed, and nothing more. On it's own, it is not a masterpiece, there is no earth shattering storyline, but it throws you enough nice surprises to keep TOTC fans happy. My problem with the book is simple - it is obsessed by the fact that Michael and Ben have an age gap. I don't really care - Armistead Maupin (who has a real life younger husband) obviously does. Finally, the sex scene is uncecessary, the first six books did not need graphic sex scenes so why does this one? I do look forward to more, as I enjoyed catching up with my old friends, but I hope they are not all written from Michael's point of view, as you get the impression you are hearing Maupin's views, thoughts and ideas rather than those of one of the series' most beloved characters.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A long time coming but well worth the wait, 26 Oct 2007
By Mrs. K. A. Wheatley "katywheatley" (Leicester, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Michael Tolliver Lives (Hardcover)
Tales of the City are my favourite series of books ever, in the whole world. Maupin takes an excruciatingly long time to write novels and this is only his third since he 'ended' the Tales of The City series all those years ago. Luckily for us, he felt the need to update us on the doings of Michael Tolliver, or Mouse as he is affectionately known in the books. It is no good starting this book if you've never read the others, as the story and characters are as comfortable as an old pair of slippers and you really need to know the back plot to make sense of it. In the first few books, the plot line was often enough to carry you through not being familiar with the characters, but here we are just catching up with old friends and tying up some loose ends. Despite this if you like, 'lack of action', Maupin still has all the characteristics that make him such an excellent writer, compassion, love and tolerance, along with the ability to create wonderful characters and a thoroughly believeable world. It was worth the wait.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, but not Tales of the City, 22 Sep 2007
By Mr. T. S. Guy (York, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Michael Tolliver Lives (Hardcover)
The other reviewers are right - this definitely is not a Tales of the City book. In terms of structure it is much, much closer to Maupin's later works "Maybe The Moon" and "The Night Listener".

I say this because unlike the other Tales books there is a single narrative, instead of a collection of sub-stories going on all at once. Personally, I enjoyed this book, but then I also enjoyed the two books mentioned above. Yes, I missed the excitement of following several intertwining stories that I so enjoyed in the earlier Tales books, but it does a pretty good job of holding its own.

There are some downsides to it - about three quarters of the way through you get a lot of rushed, un-necessary run-downs on what the old characters are up to now, which just seems shallow and detrimental to the novel as a whole, as well-loved characters from earlier titles are just brought up without adding to the story in the slightest. Maupin also repeated the unthinkable and killed off a much-loved character "off-screen", just like he did between Further Tales and Babycakes. I won't say who or how as that would take away from reading it, but it bothers me that he can be so blasé in killing off characters we all liked without even chronicling it properly in one of the stories.

Other than these shortcomings, it's still a good read and Maupin still has a great way with words. The story has plenty of Anna Madrigal in it which is never a bad thing, and Michael's biological family are portrayed well and have a good storyline. There are some likeable new characters such as Ben and Jake who the reader could easily warm to just as much as we did with the old characters if Maupin decides to continue the series in the future.

In summary, no it's not a Tales book, and no it's not Maupin's finest hour. But it is thoroughly readable and a welcome return from some of the characters so well-loved the first time around. I'd give it three-and-a-half stars if that were possible, but as it's not I'll give it four.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Light reading
Like most people, I loved Tales of the City but, for some reason, I missed this book when it first came out a couple of years ago. Read more
Published 15 months ago by viciousidol

5.0 out of 5 stars Trip down memory lane!
I, too, bought this book and then put it on the shelf for a few weeks. I was afraid that it wouldn't do justice to my memories of Tales Of The City. Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2007 by K. Cleavely

4.0 out of 5 stars Tying up the loose ends
For me this is definitely a new Tales of the City book. Maupin writes with his usually flowing and easy to read style, concentrating on the late middle aged Michael Tolliver and... Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2007 by Amsterdamned

2.0 out of 5 stars A complete downer even if you were taking Viagra
Well, I am with the people who bitterly regret that Armistead Maupin put pen to paper to continue with the lives of the former residents of Barbary Lane. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2007 by J. Cooper

3.0 out of 5 stars Still got it....just.
So, it's not part of the Tales of the City series. Well that what Mr Maupin would have you believe and I guess his right. Read more
Published on 12 Aug 2007 by N. Baker

2.0 out of 5 stars If it leads you to read the original 'Tales' then great, otherwise not worth breaking into a sweat over.
I so wanted to like this book. I took it away with me on holiday so I had the perfect space to enjoy it, but I only vaguely enjoyed it compared with the pacy, witty, interwoven... Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2007 by S. J. Bradley

5.0 out of 5 stars the family you choose
Yes, Armistead did it again. Although this is not strictly a follow up to the Tales of The City series, the title couldn't be more self-explanatory: Michael Tolliver Lives... Read more
Published on 2 Aug 2007 by bagoas

5.0 out of 5 stars A great visit to old friends...
I have to say, I bought this and then deliberately left it on the shelf for a few weeks (even when I went on holiday!) because I didn't want to be disappointed. Read more
Published on 31 July 2007 by M. Hughes

5.0 out of 5 stars A novel full of the challenges, disappointments and delights of mid-life!
Maupin is in good form with this latest novel, which I found hard to take a brake from reading.

At times, I felt sad at how some of the original and much loved... Read more
Published on 17 July 2007 by Mr. J. O'Reilly

1.0 out of 5 stars avoid!!!
I was so looking forward to this and bought it as soon as it came out. But it's rubbish! Cliche after cliche. Badly written, assuming the readers are thick. Read more
Published on 16 July 2007 by Bruno

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback



Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.