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Last Night at the Lobster
Last Night at the Lobster
Author: Stewart O'Nan
Perched in the far corner of a run-down New England mall, the Red Lobster hasn't been making its numbers and headquarters has pulled the plug. But manager Manny DeLeon still needs to navigate a tricky last shift. — With four shopping days left until Christmas, Manny must convince his near-mutinous staff to hunker down and serve the final onslaugh...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780143114420
ISBN-10: 0143114425
Publication Date: 10/28/2008
Pages: 160
Rating:
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
 36

3.4 stars, based on 36 ratings
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Last Night at the Lobster on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Highly recommended. This is a simple book, in all the best sense of the word, about a man facing his past, his present, and his future. Many of the classics used similar formulas (see Les Miserable!)but in this case the hero is the Manager of a Red Lobster in suburban Connecticut and not the hero of the revolution!

O'Nan is great at capturing little moments that in other hands could be wasted words, such as the little ways Manny, the protagonist, gently arranges items on tables as he walks by. Compared to the cast of characters joining him as the restaurant prepares to close and some head off to the Olive Garden to start over, those little moments reveal a lot.

An easy read, at 140, pages, and a great intro to O'Nan for newcomers. And anyone who has ever worked at a chain restaurant will just appreciate the attention to detail (O'Nan supposedly got a Red Lobster manager's handbook off Ebay).
reviewed Last Night at the Lobster on + 1154 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Beautiful writing and character study. O'Nan's descriptions of the protagonist's car on the first page, the diners who lived through the Depression who moved from thrift to greed, and the lead's imagining himself in a Bruce Willis Die Hard role were high points for me. Some book group members complained "nothing happened." If you're looking for a page turner, take a pass on this one. If you want a realistic view of life for the working class, this tale of the final night at a Red Lobster forced to close down is a great one. Those who had worked in restaurants found it to be fully accurate.
knitter avatar reviewed Last Night at the Lobster on + 64 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
A sad but beautiful story, with real people in an all too real situation. My late husband would have loved it too - he was in the fast food business and this book brought to mind many of the stories he told me about adventures in running a restaurant.
reviewed Last Night at the Lobster on + 228 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Wow, what an writer! I read this book in an afternoon and it was a fantastic bit of prose only 142 pages of life in the working class of america. A real gem.
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reviewed Last Night at the Lobster on + 7 more book reviews
An enchanting little book that offers insights into the operation of the restaurant business and the people who work there.


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