Book review - Last Night at the Lobster

Book review by The Movie Snob

Last Night at the Lobster, by Stuart O’Nan (Viking 2007). This tiny novel (146 pages) was well-reviewed in a couple of my magazines, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. It’s not bad. Manny is the manager of an underperforming Red Lobster restaurant somewhere in New England. Management has decided to close the store, and the book covers its last day of operations. As a manager, Manny is responsible and omnicapable; as a person, he’s a bit of a mess. He’s got a pregnant girlfriend that he doesn’t seem to be in love with, and he is in love with one of his waitresses who has moved on to another boyfriend. As a small slice of life in the restaurant industry, it’s kind of interesting, and even as a personal story it’s not bad. But I wouldn’t rave about it.