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Last Night at the Lobster | 
 enlarge | Author: Stewart O'nan
Publisher: Viking Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $4.49
You Save: $15.46 (77%)
New (10) Used (9) from $4.45
Avg. Customer Rating:  51 reviews
Sales Rank: 3672
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.7
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
ASIN: B001BSOU7O
Publication Date: November 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: New....may have a remainder mark. FAST SHIPPING! All addresses welcome..
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Product Description
Stewart ONan has been called the bard of the working class and has now crafted a frank and funny yet emotionally resonant tale set within a vivid workaday world seldom seen in contemporary fiction.
Perched in the far corner of a run-down New England mall, The Red Lobster hasnt been making its numbers and headquarters has pulled the plug. But manager Manny DeLeon still needs to navigate a tricky last shift. With only four shopping days left until Christmas, Manny must convince his near-mutinous staff to hunker down and serve the final onslaught of hungry retirees, lunatics, and holiday office parties. All the while, hes wondering how to handle the waitress hes still in love with, his pregnant girlfriend at home, and the perfect present he still needs to buy.
Last Night at the Lobster is a poignant yet redemptive look at what a man does when he discovers that his best might not be good enough.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 46 more reviews...
 Another O'Nan winner! November 8, 2008
Last Night at The Lobster is, once again, Stewart O'Nan at his finest. O'Nan has the gift of taking a single day and weaving an intricate story out of the details. Who knew one day at Red Lobster could be so interesting?
Clearly, Mr. O'Nan does copious amounts of research. His subject knowledge, in this case of Red Lobster kitchen and dining room procedures, makes the reader feel like a fly on the wall, watching the day unfold. From the first page, the characters come alive. The weather and restaurant atmosphere are so aptly described as to make the reader FEEL the story, not just read it.
O'Nan is not for those seeking a light-hearted story. The characters are fully revealed, flaws and all; the ending is not happily-ever-after. If, however, a reader appreciates excellent story-telling, and great command of the language, Stewart O'Nan is the author you seek!
The Magic's In the Details August 6, 2008
Last Night at the Lobster chronicles the last day of business for a New Britain, Connecticut Red Lobster location from the perspective of the restaurant's long-time general manager, Manny DeLeon. I can't imagine a more banal subject, but O'Nan handles the narrative with supreme grace and sensitivity and with plenty of empathy for his characters. Manny is sweetly sentimental as he goes through his last-day tasks and interacts with the staff he's grown to love. The entire novel spans just one day, and this limited focus gives O'Nan plenty of room to focus on the details (like the six steps Manny must follow to turn on the snow blower he uses to clear the parking lot of the effects of a winter blizzard). Although unapologetically limited in scope, Last Night at the Lobster is perfect for what it is trying to accomplish.
An unsparing look at working-class, service-industry America August 4, 2008
This is a short, highly-readable slice of life that rings utterly true. Lord knows I've eaten often enough at Red Lobster restaurants and always enjoyed it, while scarcely giving a thought to those who work there. O'Nan takes you inside their world, in which blue-collar professionalism flourishes here and there but is always under siege by corporate indifference and difficult personal circumstances. And, sometimes, the weather. If you suspect we're drifting toward "two Americas" you need to read this small masterpiece.
 The Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan June 21, 2008
3 out of 8 found this review helpful
Last Night at the Lobster I purchased this book for 4 reasons:
1.) The cover grabbed my attention
2.) The size of the book....not for a shorter read, but because for some reason, I have always managed to pick up this sized book, and it has always been an enjoyable, thoughtful read for me. A touch of fiction with some reality mixed in.
3.) The back cover recommendations
4.) I always look at the first page to see if I like the writing style of the author....especially in the summer months.
Unfortunately, the old saying, "Never judge a book by it's cover," seemed to fit this go around for me....I did like Stewart O'Nan's writing, but I kept waiting for something to happen....
Manny, the manager is a down-to-earth, hardworking guy, who is the manager at a restaurant that is closing that night. He's sensitive, and always thinks about others--his customers as well as his employees...but also is a worrier and a dreamer...what if....?, seems to be his mantra's life story. I realize the importance of looking at everyone's situation, and seeing the little guy in the picture of life...but for entertainment purposes, which is the way I looked towards this book, it wasn't for me.
I felt the storyline didn't really go anywhere...it just ended. I just kept waiting for something to happen, and nothing ever did. I would not recommend this for a comfortable, relaxed read.
The writing was my style, I suppose the theme wasn't!
Perfect afternoon read... June 21, 2008
For the last night at another chain restaurant, this story is a one afternoon read for any restaurant working veteran. The everydays that make a restaurant's pulse race as well as slow are channeled through a narration is captured concisely and swiftly. The book almost makes one proud to be part of a culture of restaurants, but at the same time is striking as to how so many of our clubs are the same all over the strip malls to the hole in the walls to the big cities. Funny, touching and a bit sad. Lonely but conjoined. Worth the time to read.
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