In this Day and Page

1        Where is the book on the narrative continuum? 2          þ     Highly narrative (reads like fiction)   2          What is the subject of the book?              Getting sober- the transition from a life of late-night partying to one of self-respect and conscious decision making   3          What type of book is it?               Personal Memoir; also falls under the sub-genre “Quit-Lit”   4         Articulate appeal   What is the pacing of the book?   Fast-paced; this book reads quickly   Describe the characters of the book.   This book is character-driven; it focuses on the author herself, Sarah Hepola , a magazine writer from Texas who moves to New York City; he...

  Last Night at the Lobster Stewart O'Nan 2007 146 pages Viking Press   Synopsis : The snow starts to fall as soon as Manny DeLeon arrives to open the Red Lobster one last time. For ten years the rhythms of managing this restaurant have ordered Manny’s thoughts and fueled his pride. Now, a few days before Christmas, Manny looks unhappily toward the future dictated by his corporate overlords when he will be transferred and demoted to assistant manager at the Olive Garden, separated forever from Jacqui, the waitress he still loves regardless of their doomed affair. In spite of the mounting blizzard outside and an indifferent staff who have already been fired, Manny is determined to squeeze meaning and satisfaction out of the lobster’s last night. O’Nan nails the culture of low-wage restaurant work, the interplay of hostess, server, chef, dishwasher, boss and customer, with realism, heart, and melancholy.   Literary Fiction Appeal: Last Night at the Lobster offe...