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Last Night at the Lobster
 
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Last Night at the Lobster (Paperback)

by Stewart O'Nan (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (28 Oct 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0143114425
  • ISBN-13: 978-0143114420
  • Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 12.7 x 1.3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 569,144 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #6 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > O > O'Nan, Stewart

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Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Short But Sweet, 11 May 2008
This review is from: Last Night at the Lobster (Hardcover)
As a native of Connecticut I am familiar with the setting of Last Night at the Lobster. So for me this story also brought me memories of my home state.

O'Nan evokes the feelings of 'being there' with his beautiful descriptive passages. I could almost feel the biting wind driving the swirling snow of the early hours of the blizzard.

By now you'll know that the story centers around the manager of a chain restaurant that is literally on the verge of closing. Not a glamorous job by any means, however, Manager Manny DeLeon has embraced the position and is a study is corporate loyalty. Not so his employees with whom he must deal on this closing day.

The cast of characters is as complex as life itself. The reader is given much to digest in a short space but the facts are succinct and easily understood. There's Eddie the handicapped employee who arrives via van, Ty the Executive Chef, Roz the head waitress, Jacquie who was at one time Manny's lover (and whom he still thinks he loves), and several disgruntled others who will shortly be out of work.

The blizzard conditions and lack of customers only deepen the clarity with which we see the behind the scenes areas of a corporate outpost.

The story is original, the cast unique, the entire novel a truly wonderful read especially on a snowy day.

My only question is: what happens to the lobsters in the tank?
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Gem -- A Good Book About Work, 31 Jan 2009
By A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
There's a dearth of good fiction set in the workplace -- much less the non-white collar workplace. This short gem of a novel is a great corrective, as it follows a crew of workers at a snowbound Red Lobster in Connecticut over the course of a single day. But what makes it truly compelling is that the location is being closed by headquarters, and it's the staff's final day together before they disperse to uncertain futures. The staff is an engaging cross-section of America, from the weed-smoking sous chef, to the developmentally disabled dishwasher, to the lifer waitress, to the pretty college girl hostess, and so on.

One person whose future is certain is the hard-working, conscientious manager Manny DeLeon, who is being sent to a nearby Olive Garden and demoted to assistant manager. He is the hero of this story, as he struggles to keep things running smoothly on the last day, while faced staff ditching out, minimal morale among those that are there, a dwindling supply of food, the logistical hassles of an impeding snowstorm, and the everyday hassle of demanding patrons. There's also the depressing reality that he will no longer be working with his ex-mistress, who is a waitress at the Red Lobster, but won't be moving to the "OG" with Manny and a few others.

On the one hand, the book is a vivid behind-the-scenes look at the job of a restaurant manager -- much of which involves keeping competing waitresses from killing each other, and keeping the chef and servers on an even keel, not to mention a keen lookout on a light-fingered bartender. And on the other hand, it's an ode to the honor and dignity to be found in doing honest day's work. Manny soldiers on through this miserable last day, making sure every task is carried out according to Red Lobster rules, even though one could argue there is no point in maintaining a routine that will cease to exist the very next next day. It's an excellent book, and one that's unfortunately timely, as so many Americans are losing their jobs.
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