The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 27 September 2008
by Armistead Maupin
Eighteen years after Armistead Maupin published the last in the series of Tales of the City books, he revisited one of his most beloved characters. This time, the author at first claimed this book shouldn't be considered one of the Tales... series. Later, he admitted that, yes, it is part of the series. The reader may see why this book doesn't quite fit into the first string of story arcs. We are reading Michael Tolliver from the first person, now. Much has changed in his life, and other characters from the Tales... series reside more or less in the background, except for Anna Madrigal, who no longer lives at Barbary Lane, but who, at 85, is still a matriarchal presence in the book. Of course, Michael reflects much of the author's own life, and, with the first person narration, it is now harder to separate the author from his creation. So, yes, this book can stand apart from the other six. But, after all this time, we are also coming to reacquaint ourselves with Michael, his city and its gay culture (along with the diverse sexuality of the Millennial generation). In that, the book is warm and inviting. The first six books cannot be read now without a tinge of nostalgia. Maupin reflected (mostly in serialized form) on the world around him and was able to integrate current events into his stories. While they felt immediate in their time, they now read almost like a nostalgic journey to a simpler time. Michael Tolliver Lives is written in the same immediate fashion, and its milieu is much of our time. In twenty years, perhaps, it, too, will have a nostalgic feel. Anyway, our hero has a bit of nostalgia himself. Michael Tolliver is all grown up, fifty-five years old and given to thoughtful reflection on his life (which allows us to catch up with other Tales... characters). He is settled down, married (during the first wave of legal same-sex marriages in San Francisco) to a much younger man who gives him a quiet happiness. Michael's mother is slowly dying in a home in Florida, and this gives him a chance to reconnect with some of the family that had had so much trouble accepting his sexuality. To his surprise, even their homophobia has begun to soften in the new century. When the going gets tough, Michael's husband, Ben, goes with him to Florida, and is with him when tragic surprises sidetrack their lives, and remind them all of the passage of time and fragility of life. This is, after all, what husbands do. That acknowledgment is warming to Michael and to all but the most hard-hearted of readers. In the end, Maupin has a message. This is love, he seems to be saying, it is precious. No-one should be denied their path to love. This is a personal and a political message as the battle over same-sex marriage goes on. But, in this book, we're treated to a warm and reflective story about one man's life, his loves, and the friendships that enrich that life.
Also by Maupin: [Tales of the City]
[More Tales of the City]
[Further Tales of the City]
[Babycakes]
[Significant Others]
[Sure of You]
[Mary Ann in Autumn]
See also: [Armistead Maupin by Patrick Gale]