Last Night at the Lobster

July 23, 2007
Set on the last day of business of a Connecticut Red Lobster, this touching novel by the author of Snow Angels
and A Prayer for the Dying
tells the story of Manny DeLeon, a conscientious, committed restaurant manager any national chain would want to keep. Instead, corporate has notified Manny that his—and Manny does think of the restaurant as his
—New Britain, Conn., location is not meeting expectations and will close December 20. On top of that, he’ll be assigned to a nearby Olive Garden and downgraded to assistant manager. It’s a loss he tries to rationalize much as he does the loss of Jacquie, a waitress and the former not-so-secret lover he suspects means more to him than his girlfriend Deena, who is pregnant with his child. On this last night, Manny is committed to a dream of perfection, but no one and nothing seems to share his vision: a blizzard batters the area, customers are sparse, employees don’t show up and Manny has a tough time finding a Christmas gift for Deena. Lunch gives way to dinner with hardly anyone stopping to eat, but Manny refuses to close early or give up hope. Small but not slight, the novel is a concise, poignant portrait of a man on the verge of losing himself.

Starred review from October 1, 2007
O'Nan's tenth novel (after "The Good Wife") demonstrates once again why the author is known as the "bard of the working class." It's December 20, closing day for the New Britain, CT, Red Lobster restaurant, abandoned by headquarters owing to mediocre sales. Manager Manny De Leo had to let most of his employees goonly five can transfer with him to the Olive Gardenand is counting on the good will of a few to run the place. As he opens, we hear in intimate detail about routine tasks (changing the oil in the Frialator) and tacky decorations (the shellacked marlin on the wall). Manny will miss it; it's his shop, and he takes pride in it. He'll also miss Jacquie, the waitress with whom he had a brief, intense affair. As snow falls, Manny handles the regulars, Christmas parties, the mall crowd, and his small crew with aplomb, constantly aware of his losses. This slice-of-life novel is funny, poignant, and exquisitely rendered. Strongly recommended for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 7/07.]Nancy Fontaine, Dartmouth Coll., Hanover, NH

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2007
ONans short novel is a day in the life of a Red Lobster, or more accurately the last day in the life of a Red Lobster. The story follows manager Manny DeLeon as he juggles disgruntled cooks, a waitress hes recently, and reluctantly, ended an affair with, and unreasonable patrons over one last shift before the restaurant is closed down. All the while a massive snowstorm percolates outside, shrouding his quietly valiant effort to make something meaningful out of this last night. Much like Nicholson Baker, ONan revels in the mundane yet telling details that so often go overlooked, and with striking notes of lamented lost chances, uncertain futures, and overblown nostalgia, he paints a sympathetic portrait of a man struggling with the end of an era. The place study steals this show, however, as ONan captures the brisk rushes and dreary lulls of the insular restaurant world that will strike chords with the untold masses whove ever worked in food service. An intriguing but limited piece of writing that stretches, rather than flexes, ONans considerable talent.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)