Rating: 
Summary: Tepper Thrills Readers
Review: "Tepper Isn't Going Out" is such a fun read. I can't remember
the last time I have enjoyed a book more. I am a big Calvin
Trillin fan, and he certainly did not disappoint with this one. It is cleverly written and gave me insight into the amusing New York parking scene.
Rating:
Summary: As delicious as a "nice" whitefish
Review: A humorously acerbic novel that is as delicious as a "nice" whitefish. The critics have made a big tsimmis about this book -- rightly so. If you have your car in a space that is GFT, good for tomorrow, this book is worth leaving the space to purchase and read. Murray Tepper loves to park his car in Manhattan. He knows all the parking rules; he enjoys sitting in his parked car and signaling to other drivers that is not 'going out' of the space. Tepper's behavior sometimes irritates the people who covet his spot. Murray has perfected a flick of his hand, not too aggressive, to tell people he isn't moving. It is the same finger wag used by the city's vindictive mayor in a barricaded City Hall to admonish his critics. Tepper irritates the mayor, Frank Ducavelli (read as RUDY), known in tabloid headlines as Il Duce-who sees Murray Tepper as a harbinger of what His Honor always calls "the forces of disorder." Rudy, I mean Ducavelli has enforced an arcane rule that people cannot hail a taxi from the street, but must hail it from the sidewalk. He has also attempted to enforce a dress code for city parks. TRILLIN captures NYC so well, that it is hard to believe that the book is fiction. The book is filled with those observant nuggets, like food workers who wear gloves, but the gloves are dirty; or the cast of political entrepreneurs who take advantage of issues to promote their causes. After a story on Tepper in the post-modern East Village "Rag" weekly, fellow New Yorkers become aware of Tepper, a direct mail list maven. Counter men from Russ and Daughters and even Upper East-Siders come to sit and chat with Tepper in his car. This is the book that should be selected as the citywide read in 2002.
Rating:
Summary: He's Funny
Review: All right, I loved this book. But I have to admit it might be because I'm an ex-New Yorker living in the South. Tepper was such an accurate potrail of an ex-coworker of mine that I could hardly believe it.Anway, it's a lot of fun and I'd recommend it to anybody, but particularly those who have lived in Manhattan and may now be living somewhere else.
Rating:
Summary: He's Funny
Review: All right, I loved this book. But I have to admit it might be because I'm an ex-New Yorker living in the South. Tepper was such an accurate potrail of an ex-coworker of mine that I could hardly believe it. Anway, it's a lot of fun and I'd recommend it to anybody, but particularly those who have lived in Manhattan and may now be living somewhere else.
Rating:
Summary: Enormously Enjoyable
Review: As a critic in the New York Times Book Review so aptly noted, much of this book's appeal is lost if one does not know, cannot understand, and has never experienced the relationship that any Manhattanite has with a parking space. A New Yorker would kill for a good space. He would maim and pillage if the result might be a spot right in front of his building. He understands, and knows not to question the logic of, alternate side parking. Trillin has proven himself a New Yorker. His formidable knowledge of traffic laws and patterns is often what gives this book the grain of truth it might otherwise lack. But Mr. Trillin understands more than just the city's traffic; he understands the city. His fictional Mayor Ducavelli bears such a resemblance to former mayor Giuliani that, as his successive crackdowns upon the 'forces of disorder' become more and more draconian, you may find yourself wondering why Rudy never thought of some of his antics. Meanwhile, Trillin understands the heart of the city, and he knows how one thing leads to another; thus it seems perfectly normal that a man like Murray Tepper would compel levels of compassion not generally attributed to New Yorkers on his way to cult stardom. But most importantly, it's just a funny book. I particularly liked several conversations with Murray's friend Jack, who insists on ordering sushi medium-well ("That means no pink showing") and the unlikely recurrence and significance of the somewhat bizarre phrase 'ya jerky bastard, ya.' So buy a copy now, and enjoy the book, before the forces of disorder become too great to ignore.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fun Read
Review: Don't read this if you're looking for philosophy, great insights into the human condition, or even fully-developed characters. If you just want to lie back in your recliner for a few hours and have a few laughs, though, this is your book. There's next to no plot, and there are more than a few New York in-jokes and Yiddish phrases to get in the way, but Trillin's writing is, as nearly always, delightful. There's even a little twist to what passes for a plot at the end of the book.
Rating:
Summary: A great summer-or winter- read
Review: I found Tepper to be a very likeable character. The story was not flat but rather entertaining. Calvn Trillin has created a book that is easily a one day read. I would suggest this to anyone who is looking for a light but intellectual read. Great by the pool or on your lunch break!
Rating:
Summary: A silly story
Review: I found this book in the library and checked it out because I enjoy the author's writing and sense of humor. Parts are funny, but mostly it is a waste of time. I've given it four stars for the few laughs. It is a silly story that could only happen in Manhattan. I'm glad that I didn't buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Hillarious
Review: I read this book in one sitting and really enjoyed it. I have been enjoying articles by CT for some time and this book confirms my view that Calvin Trillin is one of the finest humorists in the U.S.
Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable enigma
Review: I read this over the course of an afternoon. Tepper Isn't Going Out is enjoyable, especially if you have ever spent any time in a crowded neighborhood, circling for a parking spot. By the end of the book, however, you will know less about Tepper's penchant for parking and reading the paper than when you start. Calvin Trillin's writing is very dry and witty. There are not a lot of wordplay pyrotechnics or intricate plots or even a lot of characters to keep track of. An enjoyable spin (or park) through a small story that becomes very big.
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