Tepper Isn't Going Out: A Novel

"Tepper Isn't Going Out" is a delightfully irreverent take on authority, moral courage, and the joy of finding the perfect parking space. The book oscillates between sly social commentary and outright satire as the titular Murray Tepper stands up in defense of his right to sit in a (legally parked) car. Populated by memorable characters this book will delight anyone who enjoys seeing mad bureaucracies brought down a few notches.

This is a little novel that actually ends up saying quite a lot – about the city of New York, about the modern idea of celebrity, about the seemingly random connections that give order to a chaotic universe. But mostly it’s about parking.

The main character, Tepper, is a hobbyist parker. He finds a legal spot and squats there, because he actually isn’t going out. This strange habit eventually makes it into the newspapers, turning Tepper into a kind of modern-day guru on the mountaintop. New Yorkers make the journey to his current parking spot to ask his advice on any subject.

Eventually, Tepper’s parking habit entangles him with the mayor of New York, who is obsessed with keeping order (and who is not-so-subtly modeled on pre-9/11 show more Rudy Giuliani), and so the story gets rolling, culminating in street riots, demonstrations, trials – but all conducted in a very quiet, orderly manner. It’s a subtly humorous book that will make anyone want to go parking, but not go out. show less

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.

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 show more 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. show less

It helps to be a from New York to enjoy this book. It’s sort of an inside joke. It’s ethnic humor which I’m betting is an acquired taste. Most people won’t get half the illusions in this little book. The author, a New Yorker writer, is clearly in the Seinfeld mold. He takes the simplest of things, sitting in a car reading a newspaper and makes it in to something much much more. People form New York, especially from Manhattan obsess with parking, even more than driving. The central character, Murray Tepper, a quiet unassuming list broker, sits in his car, parked legally and continually turns away those who think he may be getting ready to move and make his desirable parking space available to someone desperately in search of a show more place to park. He also know the rules of different streets and how to paly the alternative side parking rules to maximize his staying put legally.

He gets noticed to the point where people seek him out and want to talk with him while he’s sitting there. The papers pick up the story to the point where even the mayor gets involved, wanting to disperse the crowds that Murray seems to passively attract. And people start contacting him wanting to either support him or seek his words of wisdom. The list keeps growing and become the magic list for those wanting to sell anything. How does this all go anywhere? A reporter finally notices that Murray has been parking exactly where media types would eventually notice him and confronts Murray whose been able to sell his business, his car and retire to England. Now does all this make sense? Maybe not, but it is fun reading, especially if you’re in on the jokes. Are you? show less

Murray Tepper has a parking spot in a garage. But, every night, he goes searching for an on-street spot where he can park his car. There, he sits and reads the paper, waving away other parking spot seekers who ask if he is going out. Because he isn't.

Why is he doing this? Nostaligia for the days when he couldn't afford a garage and finding a legal, long-term spot was both a necessity and a triumph? Mid-life crisis? Or some deeper plot? All Murray will say is that he is legally parked and not going out.

This is a funny book -- a bit of a satire on city politics, fame and folk heroes. A real pleasure to read -- you'll like Murry Tepper and, like so many characters in the novel, want to sit in the car with him and listen to what he doesn't show more really say. show less

Is Tepper a brilliant planner who wants to retire or just a simple New Yorker with a parking fetish? You'll have to read this rollicking hysterical book about people with poor listening skills, insanely paranoid politicians, New York City, and parking to find out.

Good read but you may have to be a New Yorker to appreciate all the nuances.