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  • The Days of Anna Madrigal

  • A Novel (Tales of the City)
  • By: Armistead Maupin
  • Narrated by: Kate Mulgrew
  • Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (123 ratings)
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The Days of Anna Madrigal

By: Armistead Maupin
Narrated by: Kate Mulgrew
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Summary

Inspiration for the Netflix limited series, Tales of the City

The eighth novel in the beloved Tales of the City series, Armistead Maupin’s best-selling San Francisco saga.

The Days of Anna Madrigal, the suspenseful, comic, and touching novel, follows one of modern literature’s most unforgettable and enduring characters - Anna Madrigal, the legendary transgender landlady of 28 Barbary Lane - as she embarks on a road trip that will take her deep into her past.

Now 92, and committed to the notion of “leaving like a lady”, Mrs. Madrigal has seemingly found peace with her “logical family” in San Francisco: her devoted young caretaker Jake Greenleaf; her former tenant Brian Hawkins and his daughter Shawna; and Michael Tolliver and Mary Ann Singleton, who have known and loved Anna for nearly four decades.

Some members of Anna’s family are bound for the otherworldly landscape of Burning Man, the art community in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert where 60,000 revelers gather to construct a city designed to last only one week. Anna herself has another destination in mind: a lonely stretch of road outside of Winnemucca where the 16-year-old boy she once was ran away from the whorehouse he called home.

With Brian and his beat-up RV, she journeys into the dusty troubled heart of her Depression childhood to unearth a lifetime of secrets and dreams and attend to unfinished business she has long avoided.

©2014 Literary Bent, LLC (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers

What listeners say about The Days of Anna Madrigal

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Read the book

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This is a difficult book to listen to due to the narrator. With so many characters and much of the book being dialogue it is virtually impossible to differentiate between who's supposed to be talking.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

It's great to catch up with the Tales of the City characters, although this seems to lack some of the intertwining magic of some of the other books

What didn’t you like about Kate Mulgrew’s performance?

I think Kate is perfectly cast as Anna, and even the narrator. But she can't do voices, so there needed to be a couple of other actors recording other roles to help understand what's going on!

Any additional comments?

As an audiobook with various performers this would have been ideal, but with one reader who can't do accents or voices it was so monotonous that I stopped half way through and got the book

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Such a delight, I didn't want it to end.

What a joy to have Kate Mulgrew narrating this wonderful story. I wish Netflix had done these stories for the revival, although it was still enjoyable.
This was a much more fitting finale and after listening to these new tales, the tv revival felt a little disappointing and even wiped out some of the characters and storylines from books 3-6.
Listen and enjoy.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Catch up with old friends

Loved catching up with old and new friends from Barbary Lane! Kate Mulgrew was perfect

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awful narration

Would you try another book written by Armistead Maupin or narrated by Kate Mulgrew?

Yes I would definitely try another book by Armistead Maupin. His 'Tales of the City' series are some of my all time favourite books. Sadly Maupin's fantastic cast of characters have been hugely let down by the narration of Kate Mulgrew. Her voice as Anna Madrigal is fine but she struggles to voice any other character.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Days of Anna Madrigal?

Sadly I didn't find out as I gave up due to the appalling, grating narration.

How could the performance have been better?

Why was Kate Mulgrew used ? Maupin himself, Laura Linney, Cynthia Nixon...all would have made great narrators for this book.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I did not get very far due to the appalling narration. I feel very frustrated as now I will never know what happens in the final installment of one of my favourite series of books. For those of you who have never read a 'Tales of the City' book do start at the beginning- the narrators for the rest of the series are excellent.

Any additional comments?

Maybe this is cheating but I have given this book 5 stars for the story as all Maupin's previous books in this series have been fantastic. It is just a shame that the narrator didn't do his words justice.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Last hoorah from my old friends from Barbary Lane

What made the experience of listening to The Days of Anna Madrigal the most enjoyable?

It is very hard not to come at this review without impressing my love and many years entanglement with all Maupin's Tales books. I probably can't stand outside it and tell you how it reads as a first timer. You simply have to start at the beginning with Tales of the City and you will see what I mean.
My experience of reading is that I was meeting old friends and discovering secrets that have been kept buried for years.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Anna Madrigal - the landlady of all Tales Fan's souls

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Maupin is writing of beloved characters that he has been writing about for many many years, you cannot help but see how invested he is in his main characters and they are very real.

Any additional comments?

I have read all Armistead Maupin's Tales books set in the 70s/80s which tell the story of the lives and loves of friends living in San Francisco. I was so pleased when he began writing books set in the present. I believe "The Last Days.." is the last of the series. I will truly miss these people, they have become old friends!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Al
  • 21-10-20

Happy/Sad

Having read the book when published I downloaded all the ‘Tales’ books for these uncertain times and listened to them all. Apart from Armistead’s own narration I have to say Kate Mulgrew has to be the best one!
From the story ( and Anna’s backstory) the whole thing was a joy. The only thing was the knowledge that Anna’s tale was coming to an end.
My only (small) point is that we don’t find out how Wilfred, Mouse’s friend and adopted son of Mona’s, is at this time.
If only Netflix had chosen this book (and the previous 2) for their limited series and given Anna (and Olympia Dukakis) a fitting goodbye.
I’m sure there are enough open plot points for Armistead Maupin to write another volume.
How is Michael?
Shauna and her ?baby
How is Jake after Anna?
Mary-Ann?

Please another volume!!! And please bring Kate back as narrator.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Farewell Tales

An exquisite final soirée for the Tales family..

Very thoughtful of Armistead to finally lay to rest some of the who, how and when’s of the one and only A.M.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I want Captain Janway to read all the books

On a serious note, Mulgrew makes an outstanding performance on this recording. It’s astonishing how each book in this series is bettering on the story.

Read this, get past the first couple if it’s a struggle as this saga is has all come together beautifully.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Abyssinia

I never wanted this to end. I literally cried it was so moving but also roared with laughter several times.
Fabulous narration

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

my favourite so far.

I have loved every one of these books. I was fortunate enough to discover them only a few years ago and so could live through the 70s/80s/90s and 00's with three wonderful characters in a fairly short space of time.
How marvellous to have a book all about everybody's favourite landlady, Mrs Madrigal. To see her growing up as Andy, her relationship with Margaret and how the events of her teens helped shape who she is today was wondrous. The continued adventures of the other characters were fab too. I hope we will be hearing all about Jake and Shauna (Tales of the City: The Next Generation) for years to come. Thank you again, Armistead Maupin.

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