Name: Last Night at the Lobster
Rating: 3.533333333333333 (15 reviews)
ISBN: 9780670018277

Stewart O'Nan

Last Night at the Lobster

Phil

I enjoyed this book. It was very well written and showcased unusually expert character development. The author provides such interesting and accurate detail, especially of minutiae, that it made me feel like I could see each scene, object or person he described. This precise observational prose (details of food service, procedural minutiae, and sensory description) grounded the story and created verisimilitude. Although the novella prioritizes character and atmosphere over a strong plot arc, and despite the fact that it didn't provide a clear take-away message (other than, perhaps, the idea of impermanence) I still enjoyed it. The tight temporal frame (one final night) could have been boring, but O'Nan made it interesting and enjoyable. I think a 5-star rating should be reserved for books that not only have the level of character development and excellent writing found here, but also have either a great message, really gets me thinking about philosophical issues, and/or has an exciting plot. So I've given this book 4 stars.

Jeannette Ordas

A short, quick read about the last night of operations at a Red Lobster. It's more of a short story than a novel, but it's really well told and quiet. 3.5 stars.

Last Night at the Lobster

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