Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Victory for the little guy!, 30 Nov 2008
This was one of those books that once spotted, had to be purchased. An author with an intriguing name, an intriguing title, a great cover, and it was an American import that shouted 'quirky' at me. There's nothing I enjoy more than a novel with a bit on quirk in it, and I wasn't disappointed.
Tepper isn't going out by Calvin Trillin is a novel of the triumph of the little guy over bureaucracy. It's set in NYC, where each street seems to have it's own set of parking rules like alternate side parking on various days to allow street cleaning. You mustn't park too close to a fire hydrant, or re-feed meters once parked. So you can imagine that finding an overnight parking space that is 'good for tomorrow' is a real challenge. Add to that the Mayor(who is a bit crazy) is obsessed by the city's parking problems - he seems to think that if he can control parking, the rest will follow.
So meet Murray Tepper, an ageing mild-mannered businessman, partner in a direct mail targeting company, who likes nothing more than to find a metered parking spot and sit in his car reading his newspaper until his time on the meter is about to expire, on evenings after work and Sunday mornings. This exasperates many New Yorkers who think if he's in his car, he must be 'going out'. One Sunday, while parked (legally) in one of his favourite spots, a worker from the deli who has spotted him before, pops out for a chat and ends up telling Tepper his problems. Tepper gives him some straight-forward advice which does the trick. Next week, when he parks, there is a queue waiting to talk to him ... and as you might guess, word spreads and it starts to get out of hand, especially once the Mayor gets involved for getting his arrested for causing a disturbance when all he wanted to do was legally park and read his paper. The whole situation escalates, but throughout Tepper remains unphazed and convinced that it'll all work out.
We never do find out why Tepper likes to park and read ... but it's an immensely amusing and enjoyable read, with some light satire about Mayors, lawyers and stupid local ordances. Best of all, it celebrates the little guy who doesn't give in.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amusing big New York City satire, 12 Nov 2006
When someone knows the minutiae of parking laws, times and places, and wants to get the absolute most out of time on the meter, they are definitly from the big city and probably from New York City. To those of us that travel there, it is a confusing set of signposts that may often result in an encounter with NYC Parking Po-lice. To Murray Tepper, it is a well known, well marked (mostly) and well travelled map.
Tepper Isn't Going Out is amusing satire, laugh out loud in a few places. Great characterizations (other than Murray himself, the mayor, the pollster, and many of the people on the street) and a plot that borders on ridiculousness while still taking bits and pieces from today's newspaper headlines.
Highly recommended, would make a nice read for a long plane ride or weekend vacation.
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