Sure of You

Tales of the City #6

by Armistead Maupin

In this, the sixth and final self-contained volume of Armistead Maupin's epic chronicle of modern life, a fiercely ambitious TV talk show host finds she must choose between national stardom in New York and a husband and child in San Francisco. Wistful and compassionate yet subversively funny, Sure of You is a triumphant finale to one of the most addictively entertaining series of novels ever written.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Gay, Queer, Gay Fiction, Novels, American

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Armistead Maupin was born in Washington, D.C., in 1944 but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, he served as a naval officer in the Mediterranean and with the River Patrol Force in Vietnam.

Maupin worked as a reporter for a newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina, before being assigned to the San Francisco bureau of the Associated Press in 1971. In 1976 he launched his groundbreaking Tales of the City serial in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Maupin is the author of nine novels, including the six-volume Tales of the City series, Maybe the Moon, The Night Listener and, most recently, Michael Tolliver Lives. Three miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney were made from the first three Tales novels. The Night Listener became a feature film starring Robin Williams and Toni Collette.

He is currently writing a musical version of Tales of the City with Jason Sellards (aka Jake Shears) and John Garden (aka JJ) of the disco and glam rock-inspired pop group Scissor Sisters. Tales will be directed by Jason Moore (Avenue Q and Shrek).

Maupin lives in San Francisco with his husband, Christopher Turner.

Reviews

[Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's testament to the writer's insatiable wit that the last volume in the Tales of the City Chronicles ends with the main protagonists (Mary Ann, Mona, Ana Madrigal, Brian and Michael) at the forefront, no new characters added (Michael's boyfriend was added in the previous, and less successful of the novels, "Significant Others"; plus a returning character from book II stirs up the p(l)ot). We get to down to the basic blocks, the glue that has kept all these characters in each other's company in the first place. We feel nostalgia for the beginning stories, with their naivete now fully replaced by a wisdom that only comes at certain twists & turns of life. Very sad, but very devastatingly REAL (at last, this is "Sure"ly the most realistic in the entire series). This, after all, seems to be the ultimate gift to the modern human: new beginnings.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite one, so far. It's also the shortest, but Maupin packs in a lot of pathos. There's a new level of poignancy and maturity here. It's still a funny and fun read, but this is decidedly a political novel, embodied by Michael's lover Thack. Sure of You definitely moved me. I was tearing up when Michael thought he'd developed KS - don't worry, that's not a spoiler, especially considering the title of the next book in the series.

I was glad to see Mona played a sizable role here. For a while, I kinda felt like she'd been written out. And her relationship with Mrs. Madrigal continues to get stronger, which is great to see - always great to see more of Mrs. M! On the other end of the spectrum, Mary Ann's slide into despicable territory picked up huge momentum here. I won't give anything away, but if you've been following the series you won't be surprised by the development.

There are still two book left (and potentially a new one this year!), but these first six feel like a unit. They were published in 2-3 year intervals, whereas the next one didn't come out until 2007. In a way, I feel like I've lived a whole life in the last six weeks as I made my way through these Tales. I'll be sad when they're over.

If you liked this, make sure to follow me on Goodreads for more reviews!

[Richard Derus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thack seemed to sort something out for a moment.
“Sometimes I watch him when he’s playing with Harry or digging in the yard. And I think: This is it, this is the guy I’ve waited for all my life. Then this other voice tells me not to get used to it, that it’ll only hurt more later. It’s funny. You’re feeling this enormous good fortune and waiting for it to be over at the same time.”
“You seem happy,” Brian ventured.
“I am.”
“Well … that’s a lot. I envy you that.”
Thack shrugged. “All we’ve got is now, I guess. But that’s all anybody gets. If we wasted that time being scared …”
“Absolutely.”

In my mind, this book represents an inflection point in this series. This is less a story than A Lesson, Cautioning Against Shallowness!

It came a cropper compared to the delirious delights of the earlier books, in my eyes, for that reason. One issue is that I've never for a single instant thought that the marriage of Mary Ann and Brian was in any way a good idea or destined to last. It's been doomed to failure from the get-go. So the end, as it's been coming on, hasn't been suspenseful to me so much as impatience-inducing and irritating. Pull your head out! I want to shout at Brian; Stop being such a user! I want to scream at Mary Ann.

So this wasn't a great release of tension but a sour puddle of spilled tea. Not a place for someone to enter the City.

[Laura Grable · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read a lot of reviews for this book and it seems like there are two prominent opinions: people are either really disappointed that Mary Ann became an unfeeling bitch or they have gone back through the series and declared that Maupin always intended her to be a selfish character. For me, I had seen her character taking a turn for the worse since the last two books, but that still doesn't make the dumping of her family and friends a pleasant reading experience. I also think Maupin took it a little too far with her character; I could see her leaving her husband for New York, but leaving her daughter without a second thought seems completely heartless, especially since she makes no mention of ever planning on seeing her again. Overall, though I still mostly enjoyed this great cast of characters, this book came off as pretty depressing. I'm getting ready to read Michael Tolliver Lives and I hope that will make up for the last couple books in this series.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is where Maupin starts to get all sentimental on us - and I just love it! We also get what the "Tales" books have never had before - a villian that we can boo and hiss at. And what do you know? It's Mary Ann! The book is a wonderful study in how relationships change and how we all develop over time. The Mary Ann in this book seems a million miles away from the young ingenue that we met in "Tales 1" and yet she IS one and the same. Michael really comes into his own in this book too; no longer an idealised Gay icon, but a real flesh and blood man with all the insecurities and conflicting loyalties that we all must contend with. The "Tales" books have come of age and just continue to get better from here on in!

[Yaroslav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Мабуть з усіх трьох цьогорічних частин ця зачепила найбільше.
Дуже б хотілося щоб наші видавництва звернули увагу на цю серію.
Мені здається що вона зайшла б багатьом, кожен знайде щось для себе.
Ну й до зустрічі на Барбері Лейн наступного року.
Perhaps of all three parts this year, this one touched me the most.
I would really like our publishers to pay attention to this series.
I think it would appeal to many, everyone will find something for themselves.
Well, see you at Barbary Lane next year.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I was 16, maybe 17, when I read this book first. I delayed buying it as I hated the idea of my relationship with Barbary Lane coming to an end, I didn't really understand the complexity of the plot nor the pain these characters would go through.

Reading it now made me sad to think about the loss and trauma these characters went through not only through the AIDS crisis but also through their own relationships. To find a story that is so expertly written with such humour is rare, but here you have it.

My criticism here is Thack he annoys the HELL out of me! I wish Jon was still alive, and with Micheal. They were the perfect ying and yang for each other.

[Julia Putnam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot stress enough how much I hate Mary Ann. There were several times when I had to put the book down because I was so mad at her. I guess that means the writings good? I just question making the supposed lead character unbearable . Michael is still amazing and makes me cry. I like Brian too and I hate that he loves Mary Ann despite what a b***h she is. Not my favorite for sure. Hopefully we won't have to deal with her in the next book.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t believe this is the last of the published serial. Maupin’s dialogue is some of the best I’ve ever read, and he writes his scenes with unmatched clarity. I prefer Maupin's witty and silly cultural criticism of down-to-earth peoe, which is always page-turning, to the plot about fame and wealth. I'm also just not that interested in stories about fame and ego, so that part isn't Maupin's fault—especially since his observations are so spot-on. I was thrilled to read more about Michael’s new relationship but frankly uninterested in the Mary Ann/Brian sections. I wanted more from a finale.
Anyway, I agree with you, Aubrey, that book #5 is the most exciting of this second installment.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This continuation gives me so much of what I love in a book. The character development over the six books I've read so far is interesting. I've gone from loving Mary-Ann to seriously disliking her and Michael is an angel. I'm looking forward to seeing where we go next since there was a significant gap between the writing of this and the next one.

[Ruby Grad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining installment of Tales of the City. This one includes humor, pathos, heart break, temptation, love, and the characters I've come to know and love. I would have liked a bit more about Mrs. Madrigal, but we did get more of Mona and a strong focus on Michael. We see sides of Mary Ann that we'd hoped weren't there. I'll be getting #7 as soon as I can. I really do love this series.

[Clemens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mit diesem sechsten Band kommt die Stadtgeschichten-Reihe von Armistead Maupin zu ihrem Abschluss.
Die Erzählung hat das Jahr 1989 erreicht. Von den Hauptprotagonist_innen des Romans, die wohnt aus der Mrs. Madrigal niemand mehr in der Barbary Lane 28, dem Zentrum dieser Geschichtenreihe. Die Hippieglückseligkeit der früheren Bände ist nur noch eine Ahnung. So wird in einer kurzen Szene die Rückkehr der Hippiemode als Retrotrend angedeutet.
Es durchzieht den gesamten Roman eine nicht zu leugnende Melancholie. Abschiede künden sich an. Die AIDS-Hysterie ist zwar verschwunden und mit ihr auch die Angst vor dem eigenen Tod bei manchen Charakteren. Maupin bringt schmerzlich zum Ausdruck, wie die Homosexuellenszene San Franciscos sich mit ihrem vermeintlichen Schicksal abfindet. Ein deutlicher Anklang an einen gewisse Fatalismus.
Im Gegensatz zu den Vorgängerromanen gibt es hier keinen speziellen Spannungsmoment, um den Maupin seine Erzählung herum aufbaut. Dafür treten ein paar alte Bekannte aus den früheren Romanen auf, die dieses letztes Buch rund machen.
Wie so viele amerikanische Romane aus den Achtzigern und Neunzigern liest man auch diesen in dem Bewusstsein, dass er von einem Amerika erzählt, das es so nicht mehr gibt. Das verstärkt den melancholischen Gehalt dieses Buches noch einmal.
Zwar endet der Roman mit einem Neuanfang und einem angedeuteten Neuanfang, aber was daraus wurde, erfährt man nicht mehr und so nimmt man am Ende wehmütig Abschied von den Charakteren, die man im Laufe der sechs Bücher ins Herz geschlossen hat.

[Senne Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before Armistead Maupin decided to write four more books in the 2000s and onwards, 'Sure of You' was meant to mark the end of the Tales of the City series. To wrap up the series, Maupin cleverly kept the focus on its beloved core characters.

The plot is not driven by some extravagant external conflict caused by a new character, nor do soap operaesque plot twists keep the story interesting. Instead, much of the intrigue relies on the relationships of the former roommates and the ways they've evolved as people over the years. The story is simple, the humour is witty and the bittersweet ending is, fortunately, not definitive.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am enjoying this series so much. I love the characters and the story is weird enough to be true. Love everything about it.

[John Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lot of tension and angst in this book #6 in the Tales if the City serial, making it, in my opinion, the best of the series so far. Conflict between Mary and Brian; Michael’s escalating health issues, under control, but getting more tenuous; Anna (mother) and Mona (daughter) take a trip to Greece, disapprove of each other’s life-style; Mary Ann’s old beau and past resurface; a wealthy philanthropist and his stunning wife waltz through, creating conflict. Just a slice of life episode.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Armistead Maupin published the first Tales novel in 1978, and the sixth was published in 1989. Of course, he has written a few in the last couple of years, but I am going to hold off on reading them for now (although I own them).

Overall, I am glad I read these novels. I had been meaning to read them for years, and I'm thankful Fenella picked the first one for our book club. They made for quick, entertaining stories. I grew to know and care about the core characters in these six novels, and it saddens me that the "final" book saddened me. It felt like Sure of You and the penultimate Significant Others consisted solely of the characters bickering over and over again. Luckily there were elements of these stories reminiscent of the earlier novels (the fun, lighthearted first three before the character of AIDS entered the scene), but mostly the focus was on the deterioration of relationships I had grown to love. I know people change in the span of a decade, but some of the characters became rather selfish and unlikeable (read: Mary Ann), but I understand that someone has to be the bad guy and not every fairy "Tale" has a happy ending.

I gave five of the six novels 4 stars, which says a lot about my feelings for these books. This particular review consists of a mere 2 stars. You do the math.

Am I glad I read Sure of You? Yes, although I don't need to read it again.

[Rory · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in original cannon has grown on me sine I first read it years ago. Each of the many characters in the series gets a cameo in the story--with the exception of about three--from Connie to Prue and it gives a sense of who and what might been down the road.

Rereading the series and this book gave me a greater sense of how and why Maupin did what he did with the story. Even though I still wihs for better happy ending for the characters, part of the theme of the book is growing up and learning to make adult decisions which can balance between selfless and selfish. I do wish that Mary Anne and Anna each had made better choices for themselves but i understand why and what they do. It helps that some of these story threads are cleared up in the additional books--that and my own jaded viewpoint helps.

In the end, I wish Mona had gotten a slightly better send off than she did. Especially since this really is the last time we spend any serious face time with her. I also wish that there had been some moments about Edgar Halycon as well as the grandchildren but Maupin seems to have left out mirth and memories for the real world. Which kind of sucks

[TA Inskeep · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final “proper” book of the TOTC series is a splendid finalé, mercifully without the big, soapy whodunit plotlines of which Maupin is often fond, focusing on the characters about whom we’ve always cared: Michael, Brian, Mary Ann, Mona, and of course Anna Madrigal. In many ways this may be my favorite of the 6 books. God bless Armistead Maupin for inventing these people and bringing them into our lives.

[Miles Jay Oliver · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easily the most depressing of all the books (so far). To think that this was considered the end to the series for so many years is something of a let-down. Although I didn't care for Babycakes nearly as much as the others, at least the first five novels were filled with quirky storylines and inventive plot devices. Sure of You is almost too realistic for the general tone of Maupin's work. The biggest let-down was the total decompensation of Mary Ann into the antithesis of the heroinne that she was for the first half of the series. There were some beginnings of this change in Babycakes and a few more hints in Significant Others (after Tales and More Tales, the best book in the series), but I had NO idea that she would turn her back on everything and everyone who had molded her into the core of the novels. Major disappointment. I'd like to read (so that I can understand) Maupin's motivation for having her devolve in such a way.

[Eve Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great way of ending the series.
I liked the book so much, I'm gonna leave it at this and not read any more.
I didn't like how things ended for Mrs. Madrigal, I have no idea why Maupin made Mary Ann the way he did and D'Orothea and Dede being main characters in the previous book were invisible in this one again.
But, Michael and Brian, their stories went how they should have and in the end I was left with a little bit of a sad feeling now that their stories are finished for me. Mona was brought back, thank FUCK!, and I loved that she was in this book again, she should have never been left out.
Bye bitch, and I'll remember all of you.

[Dennis Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t really remember what I thought of this originally planned finale to the Tales series when I first read it. Perhaps it was just too long ago or perhaps as a soap watcher all my life I just understood that they always come back and that there would always be more. What I do know is that I am still in love with these folks and very excited that more books exist now in the series that I never read before and that I can go back to Barbary Lane, 90210 for the first time all over again.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In its sixth volume, Tales of the City is more insular and cynical than ever—and that’s only a good thing about half the time.

Where previous books in the series move their plot forward by bringing new characters to Barbary Lane, Sure of You does so by returning to the roots of the series, deepening the relationships of the characters we’ve come to care about over the course of a few hundred pages.

Everyone’s moved away from 28 Barbary Lane in the three years since the last volume: Brian and Mary Ann have a condo together and a daughter starting elementary school, and Michael and Thack have built a home for themselves, too.

This is where the volume’s central tension lies—in moving away, and in moving on, and in the consequences these actions have for our loved ones. It’s about endings and beginnings and the spaces between the two where, most often, nothing makes enough sense. Watching these characters come to terms with transition and loss is nothing new for long-time fans, but this time it’s the center holding everything together.

I appreciated this most about Sure of You; it doesn’t hatch a wacky plot to carry itself forward. The hijinks have been quelled significantly. And that’s not to say that I dislike the hijinks of the past, but this makes sense as an extension of that. It’s obvious that Maupin knows these characters like old friends, now. The brief, humorous interactions have, for the most part, been replaced with complex emotions and decisions. I left the book feeling more attached to the core cast than ever before.

But this shift in tone and plot also ends up making the book the least hopeful of the series yet, at times to an almost off-putting extent. Sometimes one character’s moment of hatred for another is so extreme that it made me want to leave the book behind. It’s like being stuck in the middle of a friend group that’s constantly bickering—who do you take sides with when you love the people on all sides of the argument? It felt like Maupin really did hate some of the things his characters did, and though they’re quite realistic, really, it’s not easy to read.

This volume was the ending to the series for a long while. I think I would have been upset with it as such. No one’s very content at its conclusion; there isn’t much in the way of closing remarks. It left me uneasy.

But, despite its cynicism, Sure of You is for the most part very enjoyable, especially in its moments of small beauty, which Maupin has always written well. It’s not easy to watch your friends moving on, but it is rewarding nonetheless.

[Robin Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have loved all of the books in this series so far, until now. In the previous book, I was disappointed in the person Mary Ann had become. Being a local celebrity had gone to her head. And it's stayed there. I did not like her at all in this book. The blurb on the back of the book says she “must choose between national stardom in New York and a husband and child in San Francisco.” She didn't have to choose. The choice was made the minute a chance at stardom in New York was offered to her. She couldn't wait to shake Brian and Shawna off her coattails and leave them behind. And good riddance. She doesn't show any maternal love to Shawna, and Shawna seems a bit indifferent about her.

The blurb also says this is the author's “most enthralling tale yet”, but I respectfully beg to disagree. I was more bored than enthralled. Michael and Thack are still together, but there wasn't particularly any chemistry coming off the page, and they seemed more discontented than happy. Mrs. Madrigal takes a vacation to Lesbos with daughter Mona, and those sections, though more about Mona than her mother, were the best parts of the book. My heart broke for Brian, but as much as he loved Mary Ann, Shawna deserved better and I can only believe her life will be happier with just the two of them.

I'll continue with the series, despite being a bit disappointed with this entry, and I already have Book 7, MICHAEL TOLLIVER LIVES, which I'm still looking forward to, and Book 8, MARY ANN IN AUTUMN, which at this point I think I'll approach with a little trepidation, but I still have hope that she will get the stars out of her eyes and make me love her again.

Review first posted on my blog.

[audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I'm in the minority in liking this book more than many others in the series, but hear me out. The events in this book feel like they're the natural progression of character arcs that have been built since the very beginning. Michael, Brian and Mary Ann are exactly who you could see them becoming over the course of the previous five books. The Things They Eventually Do, while in some cases cruel, are exactly what I'd been expecting from the very beginning.

And that is delicious storytelling.

I appreciate when authors see that their characters are going to make terrible decisions and let them do just that, rather than trying to force them into being better characters who aren't themselves.

I missed the Barbary Lane setting even while enjoying the subplot of snide interior design critique; The Summit works for this in a way that the earthquake shacks do not. It took me a hot minute to get into the section in Greece, but ultimately that worked as well -- although it made me more cognizant of how much Mona has been missing.

My only real complaint -- now happily rectified -- is that the very, very last page didn't feel like an appropriate ending for a story that's so big and has meant so much to so many people. But luckily now it just makes for an appropriate ending for this particular book.

[cassady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going to finish the series soon.... I recommend Tales of the City to everyone as always....

Probably the least exciting book of the series so far, not too much happens, aside from Mary Ann becoming more unbearable, playing victim and neglecting her family. But the characters are still so real and ever maturing; Michael's HIV status plays a big role in this new depth of character, but it also reveals peoples' naivety and paranoia and inability to handle the present. it's a very difficult and true window into late 80s san francisco.

Regardless, the chosen family theme is hitting strongly and I could only dream of living at 28 Barbary Lane. Queen Anna Madrigal galavanting in Lesbos.... so lovely . Michael remains the superior character and the most relatable as everyone's mediator. I hope to find another book series that feels as homey as this one.

I'm craving to rewatch the miniseries.

[Melissa S · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has taken me 20 years to finish reading this series, which is not great for remembering specific plot points or minor characters, but is great to feel like I have a little imaginary group of friends I drop in and visit every few years and find out what the denizens of Barbary Lane have been up to. Because the first books were written/set in the 70s, most of those pop culture references went over my head, but this is from 1989, which means I made little happy noises at the references to Jem, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Pee Wee's Playhouse. I wanted a little more of Anna and Mona's trip to Greece, but otherwise this is an entirely enjoyable read and a bittersweet end to a literary journey.

[Andrew Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read most of the early Tales of the City books many times. For many years, this volume was the last of the series and you can understand why: Micheal (Mouse) has HIV and he is on AZT and thinks he has found a Karposi Sacoma lesion. Maupin has kept this book very much of its time 1990 - with the life saving medications six years into the future.

When I read the book, when it first came out, it was a sad read. I still cried almost 35 years later (when I read it for the second time). All the innocent fun has gone from San Fransisco. Mary Ann is about to leave Brian, she has turned cold and self-centred too. There are a few light moments with Mona and Anna on Lesbos but no real story that drives the plot forward.

Maupin is charming as ever but feels defeated by life. A book for fans - who want the whole series. If you're starting out, go back to the first three volumes.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am late to discovering this series, but each installment has been a quick, enjoyable read. It's also been fun to encounter one the earlier mainstream representations of gay and lesbian individuals and ponder how relevant the characters' stories are still today. I also appreciate the cultural references and descriptions of life in San Francisco and the sometimes thinly veiled characters based on real-life personalities.

[Emily Lomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seemed to have less substance in terms of plot than some of the others, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It felt slightly lacking in the absurdist escapades and plot twists of the rest of the series, but in its place there was a new emotional depth that felt refreshing. One theme that emerged in this book was that although the straight and queer characters continued to have close relationships, there was a sense that the straight characters never truly understood the experiences of the queer characters, leading to tension. I found this very thought-provoking and sad at times.

[Adam Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much darker than the Tales books that came before - very much reflecting the time. Same familiar chracters but left me feeling slightly anxious throughout. That said, Maupin is a master at capturing real relationships - and real loss