Last Night at the Lobster [Paperback]

A frank and funny yet emotionally resonant tale set within a vivid work day world, from the author ofEmily, AloneandHenry, Himself--named a Best Book of the Year byThe Washington Post, theSan Francisco Chronicle, andEntertainment Weekly

A Finalist for theLos Angeles TimesBook Prize

Perched in the far corner of a run-down New England mall, the Red Lobster hasn't been making its numbers and headquarters has pulled the plug. But manager Manny DeLeon still needs to navigate a tricky last shift--just four days before Christmas and in the midst of a fierce blizzard--with a near-mutinous staff and the final onslaught of hungry retirees, lunatics, and holiday office parties. All the while, he's wondering how to handle the waitress he's still in love with, his pregnant girlfriend, and where to find the present that will make everything better. 

Stewart O'Nan has been called the bard of the working class, andLast Night at the Lobsteris a poignant yet redemptive look at what a man does when he discovers that his best might not be good enough. A deeply moving novel about how we work, how we live, and how we get to the next day with our spirits intact. If there was ever a book that embodies what's best in us, it's Stewart O'Nan's Last Night at the Lobster.
--Stephen King

[O'Nan's] vivid portrait of the Lobster ultimately conveys, somewhat miraculously, the warmth and comfort the restaurant provides Manny. . . . O'Nan's empathy for his characters is one of his greatest gifts as a novelist, and it is an impressive achievement that Manny's misplaced affection for Red Lobster is not risible, but tragic.
--The New York Times Book Review 

A masterful portrait. . . . The scope and emotional range of this poignant story are surprisingly narrow, as though O'Nan locked himself in a narrative box, tied one hand behind his back and then darlsl