Senior Planet Book Club: Week 1
Welcome to our first week’s discussion of…
Tepper Isn’t Going Out by Calvin Trillin
We read Chapters 1-11 this week. What did you think? What are you liking so far? What questions are popping up for you?
Start discussing in the comments below!
For next Tuesday, April 21, we’ll read chapters 12-22. Come back to seniorplanet.org/articles/online-book-club/ and we’ll open a conversation in the comments so everyone can discuss what we read!
Haven’t gotten your copy yet? Click here to see how you can join the discussion.
Interested in personalized content? Sign up for free
Create an account and join our vibrant community to get reminders on classes and unlock a more personalized experience.
Comments
This is one of my favorite Calvin Trillin books. Another New Yorker, I am a big fan of his. Thanks for choosing a humorous book to start off!
I am lifelong Manhattanite so the many NYC references and types make sense ro me, make me laugh, etc. I was fortunate to have a garage in my building during the years when I had a car but I have my share of parking stories. I suffer from narcolepsy. So I would often park the car, put money in the meter and take a nap. That said, about the book. I found myself making some observations again and again. These include:
In the way that Elmore Leonard captured the language of his cons and mostly blue collar workers, Trillin is acutely sensitive to the language and mind-set of New-York-Times/New Yorker readers who are, I believe, his his fan-base. (He’s equally good, mind you, with civil servants and NYC blue collar folk too.)
Tepper’s responses, which are always basic but logical, brought to mind Chaucey Gardiner, although again a more upper-class, or at least educated version.
We’ll have to read on to find out the “meaning” of parking and not getting to Tepper (if in fact Trillin chooses to give us won). Maybe it’s Tepper’s “Rosebud,” a kind of Maguffin that doesn’t really explain much at all.
I’m wondering if anyone recognized some of the characters, the authencity of language, the irony of the Catch-22 categories. After all, life is very big, we’re small, we’re only here for a short time–so the meaning of life is illusive.
Freaky, no, that the mayor, while I’m assuming he’s a riff on Guiliani, captures Donald Trump to a tee–14 years or so before anyone would have placed him in the political arena?
I’ve got a few more but I’m waiting until the end . . . .
As a New Yorker from the L.E.S I am enjoying this book and can totally relate to finding parking and not giving it up even when you have paid monthly parking. Finding a spot is priceless it’s like winning the lottery. And people’s reactions are spot on. I love his calmness and willingness to just listen. Everything is so relatable. Even the remark from the reporter who said they renamed the L.E.S The East Village. Pretty funny but accurate.
Who would be interested after we finish the book, in having an online meeting where we can discuss over video chat? Let me know!
I would. Surprised the club is not being run via Zoom or similar platform.
I would love to participate in zoom .I feel we can have a really good dialogue much better than texting. I know I wanted to say do much more but it’s too much of a hassle to text.
Fine by me – Lucy
I’m liking it so far and find it easy n peaceful reading, but not sure what time frame we are in, but also did not read all chapters we were mean 2, yet;)