Inscribed: "Of this special edition of the Tales of the City series 150 have been specially bound and slipcased. Each volume in the set is signed by the author and numbered. This is number 95." ( )

This sixth, and final, volume of the Tales of the City series finds the now-former residents of 28 Barbary Lane dealing with the late '80s. Michael, after finally finding love with Thack, now must cope with being HIV-positive. Mary Ann's success as a talk-show host puts a fatal strain upon her marriage to Brian. Mona, with Mrs. Madrigal, vacations on the island of Lesbos searching for spiritual roots. Just as the characters have grown and matured over the course of the series, so, too, has Maupin's writing, producing a work that both serves as an appropriate ending for a terrific series and stands on its own as a novel. The publisher will repackage and re-issue the rest of the series upon the publication of this book. ( )

Maupin’s Tales of the City series (this is No.6) set in San Francisco is easy to read, gently amusing, lightweight, often sentimental and saccharine. Probably a big influence on TV shows like Friends and Sex In The City. More recently, Alexander McCall Smith has successfully emulated Maupin's achievement of writing his novels in the 44 Scotland Street series as daily newspaper instalments (in The Scotsman). ( )

This is the sixth (and final) book in the Tales of the City series.

Had a trip to Sydney recently and needed something to read on the plane. So I picked this one - and it was an inspired choice.

The characters are just as I remembered them, as is Barbary Lane. It was like visiting old friends. I will make an effort to find and reread the whole series now.

I wonder if the series ever made it to video or DVD? There's another thing for me to chase down. ( )

Maupin's delightful and fascinating characters find their way through San Francisco in the late 70s. AIDS and social awareness has crept into the lives of the inhabitants of Barbary Lane. The party is winding down. People are growing up. ( )