The waiter

Title:

The waiter

Author:

Faldbakken, Matias, 1973-

Added Author:

Menzies, Alice,

Personal Author:

Faldbakken, Matias, 1973-

ISBN:

9781501197529

9781501197536

9781982107857

Edition:

First Scout Press hardcover edition.

Physical Description:

247 pages ; 24 cm

General Note:

"Originally published in Norway in 2017 by Oktober as The Hills. Published by agreement with Salomonsson Agency. Translated by Alice Menzies"--Title page verso.

Abstract:

"In the tradition of modern classics The Dinner and A Gentleman in Moscow comes The Waiter, in which the finely tuned balance of a grand European restaurant (that has seen better days) is irrevocably upset by an unexpected guest. In a centuries-old European restaurant called The Hills, a middle-aged waiter takes pride in the unchangeable aspects of his job: the well-worn uniform, the ragged but solid tablecloths, and the regular diners. Some are there daily, like Graham "Le Gris"--Also known as The Pig--and his dignified group of aesthetes; the slightly more free-spirited drinking company around Tom Sellers; and the closest one can get to personal friends of the waiter, Edgar and his young daughter, Anna. In this universe unto itself, there is scarcely any contact between the tables ... until a beautiful and well-groomed young woman walks through the door and upsets the delicate balance of the restaurant and all it has come to represent. Like living in a snow globe, The Waiter is a captivating study in miniature. Everything is just so, and that's exactly how the waiter needs it to be. One can understand why he becomes anxious when things begin to change. In fact, given the circumstances, anxiety just might be the most sensible response ... With the sophistication of The Remains of the Day and the eccentricity of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, The Waiter marks the North American debut of an exciting new voice in literary fiction"-- Provided by publisher.

In a centuries-old European restaurant called The Hills, a middle-aged waiter takes pride in the unchangeable aspects of his job: the well-worn uniform, the ragged but solid tablecloths, and the regular diners. There is scarcely any contact between the tables-- until a beautiful and well-groomed young woman walks through the door and upsets the delicate balance of the restaurant and all it has come to represent. -- adapted from jacket

Subject Term:

Middle-aged men -- Fiction.

Restaurants -- Fiction.

Waiters -- Fiction.

Genre:

Humorous fiction.

Psychological fiction.

Summary:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Belmont	Book	FICTION FALDBAK	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Ginter Park	Book	FICTION FALDBAK	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Main Library	Book	FICTION FALDBAK	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

In the tradition of modern classics The Dinner and A Gentleman in Moscow comes The Waiter , in which the finely tuned balance of a grand European restaurant (that has seen better days) is irrevocably upset by an unexpected guest.

In a centuries-old European restaurant called The Hills, a middle-aged waiter takes pride in the unchangeable aspects of his job: the well-worn uniform, the ragged but solid tablecloths, and the regular diners. Some are there daily, like Graham "Le Gris"--also known as The Pig--and his dignified group of aesthetes; the slightly more free-spirited drinking company around Tom Sellers; and the closest one can get to personal friends of the waiter, Edgar and his young daughter, Anna.

In this universe unto itself, there is scarcely any contact between the tables...until a beautiful and well-groomed young woman walks through the door and upsets the delicate balance of the restaurant and all it has come to represent.

Like living in a snow globe, The Waiter is a captivating study in miniature. Everything is just so, and that's exactly how the waiter needs it to be. One can understand why he becomes anxious when things begin to change. In fact, given the circumstances, anxiety just might be the most sensible response...

With the sophistication of The Remains of the Day and the eccentricity of The Elegance of the Hedgehog , The Waiter marks the North American debut of an exciting new voice in literary fiction.

Reviews (1)

Kirkus Review

Disturbances in the routines of an old restaurant unhinge the head waiter in this droll, understated debut novel by a Norwegian artist and writer.The Hills restaurant in central Oslo dates from the mid-1800s and aspires to a Continental ambience, although it has succumbed to grubbiness and grime over the years. As the unnamed waiter opens the narrative, he mentions tradition, alludes to regularity, and defines his role: "I wait. I please." But something is off. A normally punctual regular known as "the Pig" is 11 minutes late. Worse: One of his expected guests is even later. When she does appear, she's an attractive young woman who "looks like debauchery dressed as asceticism." Is the waiter smitten? There are other disturbances over the course of several days. The Pig wants to do business with another patron. Regulars leave their usual tables and commingle. A meal is ordered in reverse, starting with the cheese trolley. The waiter makes a serving error, then another. He injures his hand in the cellar, and the chef performs surgery on the resulting blood blister in a stomach-turning scene. The waiter inexplicably finds himself in the kitchen putting cherry tomatoes through a garlic press. The chef orders him to get replacements from the cellar, and there begins the odyssey of the Romanesco, a sort of cauliflower that tickles the waiter's fancy. He presents it to the chef instead of the tomatoes. He carries it with him to wait on the young lady. He leaves it on the bar. It's all so out of character. And what horror does the waiter discover on the mezzanine, where Johansen plays piano nonstop? Bringing to mind Mervyn Peake and Wes Anderson, with some of Nathanael West's deadpan grotesque, this is a beguiling, quirky entertainment. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.