Last Night at the Lobster

Praise

“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 dared himself to make it engaging. The fact that he pulls it off is a testament to his precision and empathy.”
–The Washington Post Book World

“In prose as wondrously spare as the lives of the characters, O’Nan exposes their pathos, a stripped-down fragility made all the more poignant by their fledgling efforts at resilience. These are dutiful characters, with modest dreams and deep humility, yet with a persistent, almost instinctive fortitude that enables them to get up each morning and try again.”
–The Boston Globe