“I was a fan of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City series from back when it was a feature in the Chronicle.
It's breezy, it's conversational, it's knowing, it's got a lot of nice detail about what it's like to be alive in San Francisco. Michael Tolliver is a gay man of a certain age dealing with growing older, dealing with romance, desire and sometimes the lack thereof, dealing with stuff that's common to people of that age, no matter what their sexual persuasion; aging parents, death — you feel like you're right in the room with him. He's telling you a story, and he's actually watching you to make sure he's not boring you, and then he moves on and feels like he is. He's got an excellent sense of timing.
Unlike the earlier Tales of the City volumes which were drawn from daily columns that he wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle, Michael Tolliver Lives is a novel. It's in longer chapters than the earlier books. I love the effortlessness that Maupin seems to have. I'm sure it takes a great deal of effort to achieve that effect, but you read it and you don't see the writer. You don't see anybody slaving away, trying to come up with the __________. It's just a guy spouting off at the top of his head, or so it seems, and that takes you along for a ride.
It's like a bag of potato chips; and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way, but it's not a nutritious meal. It's delicious, and you keep eating it. It's a nice insider's peak at the city by the Bay. I would give Michael Tolliver Lives four stars.”
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