Book Whore: The Days of Anna Madrigal

The Days of Anna Madrigal by Armistead Maupin

Okay--it's hard to do a book review on someone who's work is so spoilery and plot twisty as the works of Maupin--and I really wouldn't want to ruin the final book in the 'Tales Of The City' series but I also dont feel like I should give a pass on this one because it really needs to be called out.

WTF did the fans do to you Maupin?

So the book is primarily told in  flashback about the early life of Anna Madrigal--things that we have learned throughout the series are expanded on and explored like where her name came from, her relationship with Mother Mucca as well as something that is very unique... Maupin uses the story to try and explain how if feels to be transgender, what the difference is between transgender and gay, and he does a really good job to his credit.

But he also spends a lot of time in this book attempting to wrap up all the other characters as well: not just his favorites like Brian and Michael but also the new characters like Shawna and Jake as well as a surprising return of a previous character. Once again, I have no complaints about these choices and was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed some of the decisions.

And there are calls backs to previous characters who have long passed--some well loved and some shortly woven through out the story. Which makes sense in the final book in a series, to try and respect the fans, the characters and give both a long and touching good-bye.

And then there is the rest of the book and where the problem lies:

Mary Ann Singleton--as well as Dede and D'or.

Mary Ann is the main character of the series from the first paragraph--we survive a lot with her through these books... Then Maupin decided at some point in the series that he didnt like the character anymore so he basically made her into a horrible person to justify getting rid of her and her story. It was something that didnt ring true with the fans and he later addressed with the previous book--creating a great story for her, redeeming her into the character we knew but also spending the time to bridge the gap between the two different personas. It was the last book that made fans happy and marked a return to his greatest skill and most loved characters.

And she is not remotely in this book--outside of two scenes--which only read as something done to placate the audience than any desire to revisit or finish off the character. Now that only feels like a slight to the fan base--but he then finishes the job by making some really terrible and odd digs at the character in the story through other characters.

But at least she gets some space in the book--unlike Dede and D'or who both get made fun and insulted by the writing without ever even getting a final appearance in the story. Now before you think this is some kind of Misery/disgruntled fan thing, it is actually symbolic of a larger problem that Maupin seems to have had as the series progressed.

He doesnt seem to like his female characters very much--and slowly insults or tears down each of them as the series progressed. There are many examples of this throughout the story: the illogical demonizing of Mary Ann, the dismissal of Mona and her terrible reappearance before her final exit, the handing of Dede as a character and the exclusion of her as a main character, the fact the all the females are at some point dropped out of the novels for odd reasons then are brought back after the fans cried foul. And it takes away from the magic of the series to see them made to be flakes, snobs, bitches or harpies.

I actually wish the series had ended after book three.

It is just a shame that something so special and such a huge part of gay literature, San Francisco lore and the world of serial novelization has been so broken down and died such an ungraceful death.

So is the last book worth reading? If you are into transgender issues then most certainly--if you are into Anna alone as a character then very much so--if you want solid endings for Brian and Michael then that too... But for this reader the need to attack half of the series characters just feels so odd and unneeded--and makes me sad that Maupin felt forced to write about things he didnt want to, He should have just done another different series.