Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan (2007)

Map showing locations of North American Red Lobster's. 

1001 Novels: A Library of America

 Last Night at the Lobster

by Stewart O’Nan (2007)

New Britain, Connecticut

Connecticut: 1/9

    Connecticut and Rhode Island close out the New England chapter of the 1001 Novels: A Library of America with nine title each.  I'm going to finish off  New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, do the non-Boston metro books of Massachusetts's(all of nine of them) then close out New England with the Boston area titles (21 books).   Then I'll cut it all down to two posts and pick my top ten New England books from this list. 

  Last Night at the Lobster is just what it says it is, a novella almost about the last shift at a New Britain, Connecticut area Red Lobster.  The narrator is Manny, the restaurant manager, who has ample cause to reflect on an evening where severe weather limits the number of diners.  O'Nan is exceptionally sympathetic to his subjects and to the Red Lobster itself, which comes across as humbly dignified community meeting spot.  As for Connecticut, there isn't much to say- I looked up a map of all the Red Lobsters in North America and there is nothing New England/Connecticut specific about the chain.  Other than the snow, the only local flavor is the backstory of a waitress whose partner is an undocumented West Indian immigrant who is well know for his cricket prowess in the area. 

  At least Last Night at the Lobster escapes the bedroom suburb milieu of most of the other Connecticut titles on the list.   Those books promise to try my patience.