Such a wonderful collection of books that showcase the character’s journey in life starting in the 70’s with this book and continues through to the present when you read the whole collection.

Such a joy to revisit Tales of the City, this time in graphic format. The illustrations were well done and gave me a feeling of nostalgia throughout. This is a series that I read in print years ago and it was like eating popcorn, had to read the next one immediately. I also loved the mini-series. Reading the graphic novel (volume 1) makes me want to read the entire series again and I think I will!

Having just recently read the first book in this series again I was wondering how they would fit everything in; the answer is by omission, Brian and DeDe suffered the worst. Well maybe Edgar’s wife Frankie… Which was expected I’m just perplexed by what they omitted and what they kept in and how many times they changed who was saying dialogue from the source material and in many instances this changed the import of scenes. There’s a reason Michael wears tighty whities and is envious of the leopard print… But more importantly I felt the biggest omission was the city of San Francisco. The city is one of the characters and this did not come through in the adapting. The art style is interesting if uneven and might have worked better if it wasn’t so constrained to it’s grid structure and it’s source imagery occasionally lifted directly from the original miniseries. I did enjoy Armistead Maupin’s cameo. Though perhaps they should have fixed the French signs in the background because it comes across as lazy, much like two misspelled names. In the end I don’t know who this was for, fans will feel the omissions and new readers will be turned off of picking up the original books. And after thinking about it for awhile I now realize if they want to continue forward how are the going to fix that Norman really looked like he died and Connie and Brian didn't hook up...

Not as good as the book but it definitely captures the feel of the book, the time, and the place. Judging by the cover I thought the art would be too cartoonish, but it really works and captures the characters well. Reading this now though also almost feels sad, grief for a San Francisco that doesn't exist anymore.

'Tales of the City Vol. 1' adapted by Isabelle Bauthian with art by Sandrine Revel is a graphic novel adaptation of the novel by Armistead Maupin.

The story is all about the loves and lives of those who live at 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco in the 1980s (maybe late 1970s). Mary Ann is a fresh naive newcomer to the city. Anna Madrigal is the enigmatic landlord. Michael aka "Mouse" is the personable young gay man. They are all looking for love with varying results.

I loved the novel when I read it years ago, and this is a great adaptation of it. It's a story that does a great job of capturing a time and place. The art fits very nicely.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Ablaze, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Well, this book was a lot darker than I was anticipating. However, I got swept up in the story of the city and can see why it is a cultural touchstone.

This was a great graphic novel. I loved all the characters and how all of their stories intersected. I'm very excited to keep reading about all of these characters in the next volume. If you're a fan of slice of life graphic novels, then this one will be right up your alley!

Nice adaptation with beautiful artwork. Illustrations lend themselves well to this classic, retro but timeless classic in queer lit!

I couldn't even read this because if the poor quality of the netgalley app and the way it distorted the page.

Tales of the City, with its bright, fresh, and clean illustrations, is a retelling of Armistead Maupin's stories from San Francisco in the 70's. This is a light, abbreviated version of the original that is a quick read and a delightful introduction to some classic literature.

Was it really fifty years ago?
Armistead Maupin's classic book on the people and culture of 1970s San Francisco is presented as a graphic novel, and it works very well. Readers will identify with the daily tribulations, fears, and joys of Mary Ann, Mona, Michael, and Mrs. Madrigal. Even if you've read the books and/or watched the television adaptation, you'll want to read the graphic novel again, even if just for the memories.

Highly recommended: five stars

I love Maupin's work, I just need to say that now. I read the books and watched the tv series and for me I really needed a comic version and this filled that void. The panels were beautifully illustrated and no major parts were lost when they were condensed to this graphic novelisation.
For those who do not know the Tales of the City; we see our protagonist fresh off the bus, in her case, looking for somewhere to allow her to make her break, which isn't with a roommate who also has frequent guests. Luckily, a flat is available at 28 Barbery lane, a place where everyone is accepted, except for the mysterious man who lives on the roof. A tale filled with affairs, lust, friendship, mystery and the realities of being LGBT+ in the 70s in San Francisco.

I read Tales of the City a long time ago and loved the series. It's been quite a treat to come back to Barbary Lane with this graphic novel. I really enjoyed being immersed back in this world. The interpretations of the writer and artist were fantastic. Some parts were passed over a little quickly though, I think I would have loved this to be longer.

All in all, I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to volume 2.

Thank you to @diamondbookdist @ablazepub @netgalley for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
I’m a fan of the original! The Tales of the City series is a collection of nine novels written by Armistead Maupin from 1978 to 2014. The first book is considered a LGBTQ classic literature and has become a cult classic and sensation. I’ve only read the first four books many years ago, and this graphic novel made me want to read the whole series. The illustrations were nostalgic and quite a return to the 70s. This version was a good introduction to the characters but it misses what makes this series great: getting to know the characters deeper, growing and learning with them. But, I’m speaking from a “fan of the novels” perspective. It’s still a good version. I’d recommend to read this, then read the novel.

Originally written by Armistead Maupin as a serialized feature in the San Francisco Chronicle about a group of gay, bi, straight and trans friends and lovers, Tales of the City expanded into nine novels, eight radio series, three television limited/mini series, a stage adaptation, and now a graphic novel. It may be redundant to state that Tales of the City has a passionate and devoted following, largely because it prominently featured LGBTQ+ characters long before it was de rigeur to do so.Unfortunately, the graphic novel does not hold up. Plotlines are slashed to fit into 120-odd pages, which only die-hard fans will likely be able to follow. With so many characters and so little time, the graphic novel doesn’t allow the reader to fall in love with the characters in the same way that the novels do. In the end, I did not love this iteration of Tales of the City, but it did make me nostalgic for the original novels. Maybe it is time to revisit the novels. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first introduction to Tales of the City, and I suspect that a graphic novel is not the best format for a first encounter. Sandrine Revel’s art suited the story, but I kept feeling like I was missing something. This seems to be a slice of life story about a group of connected characters in San Francisco in the 1970s, but it felt choppy and rushed.

I liked Mrs. Madrigal, but she’s a bit of a mystery, and that mystery doesn’t get resolved in this volume. I didn’t care much for the other characters, who seem to make questionable life choices. After a while, it becomes difficult to keep track of who is sleeping with whom.

Thank you to Ablaze for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.

The artwork in this graphic novel definitely evokes 1970s SF - all of the vibes are right! There were a lot of characters with a lot to juggle, but it makes me intrigued to engage with other versions of Maupin's work!

Tales of the City is one of my favorite books and I was curious to read this graphic novel as I wanted to see how they elaborated the text.
I think it worked and it could be a good introduction to the series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City has had many lives. From serialised chapters, to novels, to TV, and a stage musical by Jake Shears. Now it’s been turned into a charming graphic novel by creators Isabelle Bauthian and Sandrine Revel, potentially the first of a series.

Step back to the 70s and rediscover San Francisco with the disarming Mary-Ann Singleton, Mouse, Mona and Mrs Madrigal. This volume covers the events of the first novel faithfully over its 129 pages, hitting the well known scenes and characters with economy and enthusiasm.

Revel’s art is vibrant and cartoonish, coloured with beautiful hues that accentuate the innocence of the moment, that moment post 60s sexual liberation and the AIDS crisis. There is a humour to her storytelling that translates on the page. Mrs Madrigal’s cheeky demeanour, Mary Ann’s shock and Mouse’s heartache are clearly conveyed. The style does struggle slightly with the books' darker later chapters but I’ll be intrigued to see how it evolves as the later books move forward in time.

Bauthian’s script adaptation is concise, accentuating the episodic nature of the scenes but mainly knows when to step back and let Maupin’s words lead the scene. However the pace of the book feels too measured, hitting all the “greatest hits” of the novel but lacking its own sense of story.

Returning to Barbary Lane is always a welcome retreat in all of Tales of the City’s various iterations and this adaptation provides a new chapter in the life of an enduring piece of LGBT literature. As an entry-point to Maupin’s world, this may be somewhat lacking, but as a companion piece it will make a sweet addition to the bookshelf.

I've never read any of the original books, I haven't even seen the Netflix series, so I stepped into this with fresh eyes. I do like to read short stories, and I enjoyed the stories here, with overlapping characters. There are a lot of those, which can give the whole thing a breathless quality. There are also a couple of eyebrow raising surprises towards the end, and I'm not sure how to feel about how they were handled - I think the sense of rushing through the material works against the storytelling here.

I liked the art a lot, it's warm and clear. Nice.