The Waiter

By: Matias Faldbakken

Narrated by: Jacques Roy

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.

Moon boots

I wondered from the beginning where the restaurant could be? Such attention to the descriptions of seemingly ordinary and daily tasks brings the reader inside what it’s like to be in the career of service. It wasn’t until Chapter 24 that it was revealed to me as to where this lively place could be? As well as all along the feelings and emotional ups & downs that waiting on people. Wonderful!

feels unfinished and brief

This is a book of descriptions and observations, not a real atory. it takes place in a restaurant over a few days and never gets to the point.