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yashap's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
onelitchick's review against another edition
3.0
http://larasreadingroom.blogspot.com/2010/02/week-5-tepper-isnt-going-out-calvin.html
heathssm's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
toddtyrtle's review against another edition
3.0
When it comes to movies, there's a certain kind of movie that my partner and I say is really great on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Usually not an Oscar winner, often not even widely known but one that brings a smile to your face and makes you glad you spent the time to relax and enjoy it.
This book is the literary equivalent. "Comfortable" to read and brought a smile to my face.
This book is the literary equivalent. "Comfortable" to read and brought a smile to my face.
msjoanna's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely little book to start off my 2013 reading list. Calvin Trillin is always entertaining, though this was my first introduction to his fiction. His commentary on the silliness of politics and politicians, the amusing and infuriating parking situation in New York City, and the general malaise of much office work were all showcased in this short book. The premis is simple, and silly-sounding: Tepper is a near-retirement direct mail specialist who, basically as a hobby, decides to park his car in legal parking places, then sit in the driver's seat reading the newspaper. Why? Maybe for the pleasure of telling other drivers that he isn't moving the car; maybe for peaceful reading; maybe to cause a news cycle. Despite what seems a silly premise, in Trillin's hands, the book works and served to remind me of some of the frustrations and energy both found in New York.
megklaughtland's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
christythelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
In a nutshell:
Murray Tepper is a middle-aged denizen of New York City who works in the direct mail business and has recently started the habit of reading a newspaper in his parked car. However, he doesn’t need to park on the street as he pays for a garage.
This odd habit bewilders his family and also attracts the attention of strangers. Other drivers are confused and angry that he is not leaving the spot that they want. Members of the public find him either eccentric or a heroic figure: someone who is asserting his constitutional rights, someone who is somehow ‘sticking it to the man’. People seek him as one does a guru, and they sit in his car and tell them about their problems. The mayor, who finds hailing taxis from the street an act of anarchy, claims that Tepper is purposefully causing chaos. Tepper himself is a calm, placid enigma at the center of the hubbub.
Review:
I don’t read a lot of comic novels, so this book was a nice change of pace from my usual reading material. It’s not laugh-out-loud funny, but it is slyly humorous throughout the story. The comedy lies in how Trillin takes mundane things like parking or the direct mail business and makes them the main focal point of characters’ energy and strong opinions.
The mayor in particular is a figure of ridiculousness. He institutes a level of security in the city hall that is at a paranoid level, and fixates on parking as the root of all the city’s ills.
There were some comic bits that didn’t work well for me, such as a repeating joke involving a sushi restaurant, but the best parts were those involving Tepper himself and the ongoing parking saga. The punchline at the end, which ties together the parking and the direct mail themes, was clever. Tepper is made to be a folk hero by most characters but the end hints at a possible different interpretation, leaving it to the reader to make the final judgment.
This is not a book I can necessarily rave about but it was pleasant and enjoyable, and makes me think I should try more straight-up comic novels in the future.
Murray Tepper is a middle-aged denizen of New York City who works in the direct mail business and has recently started the habit of reading a newspaper in his parked car. However, he doesn’t need to park on the street as he pays for a garage.
This odd habit bewilders his family and also attracts the attention of strangers. Other drivers are confused and angry that he is not leaving the spot that they want. Members of the public find him either eccentric or a heroic figure: someone who is asserting his constitutional rights, someone who is somehow ‘sticking it to the man’. People seek him as one does a guru, and they sit in his car and tell them about their problems. The mayor, who finds hailing taxis from the street an act of anarchy, claims that Tepper is purposefully causing chaos. Tepper himself is a calm, placid enigma at the center of the hubbub.
Review:
I don’t read a lot of comic novels, so this book was a nice change of pace from my usual reading material. It’s not laugh-out-loud funny, but it is slyly humorous throughout the story. The comedy lies in how Trillin takes mundane things like parking or the direct mail business and makes them the main focal point of characters’ energy and strong opinions.
The mayor in particular is a figure of ridiculousness. He institutes a level of security in the city hall that is at a paranoid level, and fixates on parking as the root of all the city’s ills.
There were some comic bits that didn’t work well for me, such as a repeating joke involving a sushi restaurant, but the best parts were those involving Tepper himself and the ongoing parking saga. The punchline at the end, which ties together the parking and the direct mail themes, was clever. Tepper is made to be a folk hero by most characters but the end hints at a possible different interpretation, leaving it to the reader to make the final judgment.
This is not a book I can necessarily rave about but it was pleasant and enjoyable, and makes me think I should try more straight-up comic novels in the future.
soundslikesally's review against another edition
2.0
The main character reminded me *very* tangentially of A Man Called Ove, but the plot was not as dynamic, and at the end the whole thing seemed like sort of a self-indulgent commentary of a city I don't live in. I wonder if it was a Gulliver's Travels situation - conceptually, I pretty much like the story on its face, but I don't know enough about the underlying facts to appreciate the satire.