A funny story of a man curiously obsessed with finding the perfect parking space. ( )

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 of 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. ( )

This is the best satire I’ve read in years. At times I laughed so hard I could hardly breathe. It is a tremendous “send up” of our society and how the news media portrays it. The “hero”, Murray Tepper, is very likable and you really root for him. All he wants to do is park legally and use the quiet time for reading his newspaper. Trillon is brilliant in how he shows how this develops into a item of national interest and ends up in the courts. As this silliness is going on you have the realization that this could really happen in our whacky society! The ending is quite satisfying, too. ( )

Parking in Philadelphia isn't nearly as difficult as parking in any of the borroughs, but I do think of Tepper every time I try to park around the Convention Center. Trillin is a brillant non-fiction writer, but he truly shines in this fictional work. It's funny, sweet, and endearing. It's simple and enjoyable. I love it. ( )

I am eagerly awaiting Trillin's next fiction book! This has interesting characters and a plausible story line based on the quirks of city living. It's short but very worthwhile.