FURTHER TALES OF THE CITY

Beware of listening to this production in public because you’ll laugh and gasp, and probably talk back to the characters, and thus unnerve those nearby. Otherwise, I recommend abandoning yourself to the pleasures of Frances McDormand reading the third of Armistead Maupin’s novels about the naughty, touching, funny, and occasionally bizarre lives of the inhabitants of Barbary Lane, San Francisco, circa 1981. Whether she’s voicing Michael frolicking with the Gay Men’s Rodeo, Mrs. Madrigal rolling a joint, or society columnist Prue falling for a mysterious derelict in Golden Gate Park, McDormand’s nuanced characterizations and perceptive timing are spot-on—and her delight in the book is itself delightful. Originally written as a newspaper serial, this is social commentary plus outrageous gossip. Yum. A.C.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2013]