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xiaoyi's review against another edition
4.0
Short read. Finished in a few hours when I was a little sick but it definitely made me feel better afterwards. I wish that the author could depict the main character in more details to make the novel a little richer considering it has actually 200+ pages....
krebs31's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bucketheadmary's review against another edition
5.0
Murray Tepper appreciates a good parking place like some people enjoy a bench with an excellent view. "A beautiful spot," one might say in either situation, and hang out for a while to enjoy it. Or at least for as long as the meter allows. And if some people take Tepper's parking as political activism and elevate him to folk hero status, well, there's always something.
angelena's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I loved this book. Tepper isn’t going out because alternate side parking in NYC has become his obsession. Wonderful premise. I love stories set in NYC. References to NYC places like Russ and Daughters. Like Calvin Trillin himself, this story has a deadpan kind of ironic humor.
pussreboots's review against another edition
3.0
About three years ago Tepper Isn't Going Out by Calvin Trillin first appeared at our local BookCrossing group. Someone grabbed it and that's that last most of us thought of it. Until it reappeared earlier this year. Suddenly it was the hottest book in our group. Curious about it, I grabbed it when it reappeared at the most recent meeting.
Tepper works in marketing research. His day job it to figure out the magic product that would bridge the maximum number of demographic groups. Right there I have a point of love for Tepper as my mother is in the same line of work and I've skimmed it with my work in web marketing.
But the book isn't so much about that magic product or service. It's about Tepper needing a little time to himself and his quiet act of rebellion through parking. New York City has notoriously complex parking rules. Tepper though has figured them out. The only place he can get peace and quiet and the time to read his paper is in his car.
Unfortunately a person in a car draws attention. Hopeful drivers see him in his car and hope he's "going out" of the spot. If there's time on the meter or his time is otherwise not up, he isn't. When Tepper's parking and reading develop into a routine, he gets the attention of the mayor of New York. He sees a threat to his authority and possibly some sort of espionage.
Tepper Isn't Going Out is dry and slow book. You have to be in the right mood to read it. I struggled with it but it grew on me and continues to do so even though I've passed it along to a new reader in our book club.
Tepper works in marketing research. His day job it to figure out the magic product that would bridge the maximum number of demographic groups. Right there I have a point of love for Tepper as my mother is in the same line of work and I've skimmed it with my work in web marketing.
But the book isn't so much about that magic product or service. It's about Tepper needing a little time to himself and his quiet act of rebellion through parking. New York City has notoriously complex parking rules. Tepper though has figured them out. The only place he can get peace and quiet and the time to read his paper is in his car.
Unfortunately a person in a car draws attention. Hopeful drivers see him in his car and hope he's "going out" of the spot. If there's time on the meter or his time is otherwise not up, he isn't. When Tepper's parking and reading develop into a routine, he gets the attention of the mayor of New York. He sees a threat to his authority and possibly some sort of espionage.
Tepper Isn't Going Out is dry and slow book. You have to be in the right mood to read it. I struggled with it but it grew on me and continues to do so even though I've passed it along to a new reader in our book club.
lookingforcarmensandiego's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
quodfelix's review against another edition
4.0
A short little book I read in two days - ah the joys of vacation. There was a delightful twist at the end. The description of New York "characters" was fun, although a bit stereotypical. The hero is not as heroic in the end, but it still all made me smile.
emilybolivia's review against another edition
3.0
Endearing, silly, and irresistibly charming. This book did not change me in any way and it wasn't a page turner but the charm of the characters kept me coming back. It is a short book and a quick read so go for it!
elsie07's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
edwarde3ddd's review against another edition
5.0
What a great book....a book about New York...about how one man living his life in the way that he dictates rather than the way politicians, the media, or society says is acceptable. It is also a story of maturing love between Ruth and Tepper. There is also an element of making connections between seemingly unrelated things (and people). I had trouble deciding if this is the best book I've read because it was funny or that good or so different than all the other things I've read. Still, I'll find it very easy to express my enthusiasm for Tepper Isn't Going Out to anyone I talk to in the near future.