Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan

I will admit that I am a sucker for a book that takes place in New England, especially if the word ‘lobster’ (one of my favorite things in the world) is in the title.  The ‘lobster’ referred to in the title of this book is “Red Lobster”. 

The book concerns the closing of a Red Lobster in a strip mall in a sleepy New England town. It is four days before Christmas and the last day of service for this location.  Manny is the manager and he takes us through the day from the time he enters the parking lot in the morning.  On one level it seems a bit mundane but there is something about it that keeps you reading.  Mr. O’Nan has been called “the Bard of the Working Class” and I think that is pretty accurate.  He has a way of turning normal ‘work-a-day’ situations into moving prose. 

4 Stars (Rated PG-13 for a few F-bombs)