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The Song of Lunch
Lunch in Soho with a former lover - but Zanzotti's is under new management, and as the wine takes effect fond memories give way to something closer to the bone. A mock-elegy for the heady joys of old-time Soho, The Song of Lunch displays the full range of Christopher Reid's wit, craft and human sympathy.
80 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2009
3 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Reid
60 books22 followersChristopher Reid, FRSL is a Hong Kong-born British poet, essayist, cartoonist, and writer. He has been nominated twice for the Whitbread Awards in 1996 and in 1997. A contemporary of Martin Amis, he was educated at Exeter College, Oxford. He is one of the exponents of Martian poetry which employs unusual metaphors to render everyday experiences and objects unfamiliar. He has worked as poetry editor at Faber and Faber and Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Hull. In January 2010 he was awarded the 2009 Costa Book Award for A Scattering, written as a tribute to his late wife, the actress Lucinda Gane. The work won in the poetry category, and overall Best Book of the Year, becoming the first poet to take the overall prize since Seamus Heaney in 1999.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
February 25, 2024
The Song of Lunch is a 66-page book of poetry. Two former lovers meet at Zanzotti's, an Italian restaurant.
The poem begins with a little yellow sticky note stating that he will be out to lunch, possibly for a long time.
On the way to the lunch, the man contemplates how the neighborhood has changed. Then, he discovers that the nostalgic, intimate venue of Zanzotti's has changed management, transforming from a Cheers-like environment where everyone knows your name into a cold, sterile, chain-like environment with white tablecloths and laminated menus as big as rafts.
With the wine flowing, how will these two connect over lunch?
This poem has a non-American ending which I really enjoy and is quite surprising. There is also some symbolism is this book that I found to be quite enjoyable as well. This poem is entertaining start to finish and is a great quick read.
If you are interested in purchasing this book, I highly recommend purchasing through Book Depository where The Song of Lunch is currently listed as $5.73 with free international delivery. Yes, that's right. Free international shipping on all books! This is a non-sponsored post.
2024 Reading Schedule
Jan Middlemarch
Feb The Grapes of Wrath
Mar Oliver Twist
Apr Madame Bovary
May A Clockwork Orange
Jun Possession
Jul The Folk of the Faraway Tree Collection
Aug Crime and Punishment
Sep Heart of Darkness
Oct Moby-Dick
Nov Far From the Madding Crowd
Dec A Tale of Two Cities
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The poem begins with a little yellow sticky note stating that he will be out to lunch, possibly for a long time.
On the way to the lunch, the man contemplates how the neighborhood has changed. Then, he discovers that the nostalgic, intimate venue of Zanzotti's has changed management, transforming from a Cheers-like environment where everyone knows your name into a cold, sterile, chain-like environment with white tablecloths and laminated menus as big as rafts.
With the wine flowing, how will these two connect over lunch?
This poem has a non-American ending which I really enjoy and is quite surprising. There is also some symbolism is this book that I found to be quite enjoyable as well. This poem is entertaining start to finish and is a great quick read.
If you are interested in purchasing this book, I highly recommend purchasing through Book Depository where The Song of Lunch is currently listed as $5.73 with free international delivery. Yes, that's right. Free international shipping on all books! This is a non-sponsored post.
2024 Reading Schedule
Jan Middlemarch
Feb The Grapes of Wrath
Mar Oliver Twist
Apr Madame Bovary
May A Clockwork Orange
Jun Possession
Jul The Folk of the Faraway Tree Collection
Aug Crime and Punishment
Sep Heart of Darkness
Oct Moby-Dick
Nov Far From the Madding Crowd
Dec A Tale of Two Cities
Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook Insta
not-to-read
January 27, 2024CatGPT-4 writes:
Album Review: "Finley's Lunch Songs"
In a surprising twist on the musical landscape, the recently released album "Finley's Lunch Songs" has taken the world by storm, one meow at a time. Spearheaded by the rising feline star Finley, this collection of adapted classics is a purr-fect blend of humor, heart, and a hint of hunger.
The album opens with the catchy "You Can't Hurry Lunch," a playful adaptation of The Supremes' hit. Finley's soulful meows and impatient purrs add a new layer of depth to the classic, turning it into an anthem for every pet eagerly awaiting mealtime. It's a strong start, setting the tone for what's to come.
"Need My Lunch So Bad," adapted from Fleetwood Mac's "Need Your Love So Bad," is a bluesy rendition that showcases Finley's surprisingly wide vocal range. The way he articulately expresses the longing for his midday meal is both moving and mildly amusing, demonstrating that the blues genre can indeed be adapted to the feline perspective.
However, it's "All I Need Is Lunch," a whisker-twitching twist on The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love," that truly stands out. The song is transformed into a cheerful, upbeat tune that's bound to get tails wagging and heads bobbing. Finley's interpretation reminds us that sometimes, all we really need is a good lunch to make the world go round.
Throughout the album, the backing band provides a solid foundation of classic rock, jazz, and pop melodies, expertly adapted to complement Finley's unique vocal stylings. The production is sleek yet playful, allowing the humor and heart of the project to shine through without overshadowing the musicality.
In conclusion, "Finley's Lunch Songs" is a delightful, tongue-in-cheek tribute to both the animal kingdom and the classic hits of yesteryear. It's an album that doesn't take itself too seriously, yet provides a surprisingly engaging listening experience. Finley may just be the next big thing in the pet music genre, a niche market that we never knew we needed until now.
Album Review: "Finley's Lunch Songs"
In a surprising twist on the musical landscape, the recently released album "Finley's Lunch Songs" has taken the world by storm, one meow at a time. Spearheaded by the rising feline star Finley, this collection of adapted classics is a purr-fect blend of humor, heart, and a hint of hunger.
The album opens with the catchy "You Can't Hurry Lunch," a playful adaptation of The Supremes' hit. Finley's soulful meows and impatient purrs add a new layer of depth to the classic, turning it into an anthem for every pet eagerly awaiting mealtime. It's a strong start, setting the tone for what's to come.
"Need My Lunch So Bad," adapted from Fleetwood Mac's "Need Your Love So Bad," is a bluesy rendition that showcases Finley's surprisingly wide vocal range. The way he articulately expresses the longing for his midday meal is both moving and mildly amusing, demonstrating that the blues genre can indeed be adapted to the feline perspective.
However, it's "All I Need Is Lunch," a whisker-twitching twist on The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love," that truly stands out. The song is transformed into a cheerful, upbeat tune that's bound to get tails wagging and heads bobbing. Finley's interpretation reminds us that sometimes, all we really need is a good lunch to make the world go round.
Throughout the album, the backing band provides a solid foundation of classic rock, jazz, and pop melodies, expertly adapted to complement Finley's unique vocal stylings. The production is sleek yet playful, allowing the humor and heart of the project to shine through without overshadowing the musicality.
In conclusion, "Finley's Lunch Songs" is a delightful, tongue-in-cheek tribute to both the animal kingdom and the classic hits of yesteryear. It's an album that doesn't take itself too seriously, yet provides a surprisingly engaging listening experience. Finley may just be the next big thing in the pet music genre, a niche market that we never knew we needed until now.
August 22, 2018
And you?
Me? Oh ...
I've no complaints.
And Paris is a fabulous city.
You really should visit.
He has, but is it
the moment to mention
that crazed escapade:
skulking at dusk
in her prim grey square
address folded
in his raincoat pocket
with no real intention
of ringing the doorbell
yet unable to depart ...
No
The Song of Lunch is a deceptively simple single long poem in which nothing much happens, but every nuance, both of the external social world the characters inhabit and their textured Weltinnenraum, is depicted with merciless accuracy. What's more, although our narrator is distinctly unlikeable (and obviously designed to be such), Reid softens our otherwise stern judgment and even manages to evoke genuine moments of affection for him – in sum, The Song of Lunch is a mini masterclass not only in human observation and poetic precision, but above all a masterclass in compelling us/readers to take a step into the largely-uninhabited space between others and ourselves—for only from this space can empathy begin—in spite of the other person's unlikeability.
December 24, 2025
The Song of Lunch by Christopher Reid is a graceful and intimate narrative poem that tells the story of an unnamed middle-aged London publisher who meets his former lover for lunch at a Soho Italian restaurant they once frequented, fifteen years after their romantic relationship ended. As the hour unfolds over wine and the setting drifts between remembered nostalgia and present awkwardness, the poem captures the quiet ache of regret, aging, lost ambition, and the passage of time through richly textured language, sharp observations, and vivid imagery of a restaurant and a city that have both changed. Its compact form reads like a dramatic monologue in verse, blending wit, elegiac sadness, and precise, nuanced portraits of people and place. It was first published in 2009 and later adapted into a celebrated BBC television film starring Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson that brought Reid’s poetic voice to life on screen.
What moved me most about The Song of Lunch is how it feels like eavesdropping on a moment fully lived, not just a meeting, but a lifetime of dreams, choices, and missteps distilled into a single meal. The narrator’s interior monologue is both deeply personal and universally resonant: he is someone who loves language yet yearns for what he cannot retrieve, someone who watches a beloved part of his life slip into memory while trying to make a here and now that feels real.
The sensory richness of Reid’s lines, the smell of wine, the ambient hum of Soho, even the white tablecloths that seem to surrender pulls you into that lunch with remarkable intimacy. Though the narrative seems simple (just two people at a table), the emotional depth is profound, tracking how nostalgia and regret can flavor a conversation as intensely as Chianti.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I’m giving The Song of Lunch four stars because it shines with elegant precision, emotional honesty, and poetic mastery that rewards close reading, especially if you enjoy lyric prose that doubles as subtle drama.
It made me feel the weight of a single moment as though it were a life, and left me thinking about how longing and memory shape who we are. If you’re curious about poetry that feels alive, cinematic, and deeply human, this slender but resonant work is a beautiful, memorable experience.
What moved me most about The Song of Lunch is how it feels like eavesdropping on a moment fully lived, not just a meeting, but a lifetime of dreams, choices, and missteps distilled into a single meal. The narrator’s interior monologue is both deeply personal and universally resonant: he is someone who loves language yet yearns for what he cannot retrieve, someone who watches a beloved part of his life slip into memory while trying to make a here and now that feels real.
The sensory richness of Reid’s lines, the smell of wine, the ambient hum of Soho, even the white tablecloths that seem to surrender pulls you into that lunch with remarkable intimacy. Though the narrative seems simple (just two people at a table), the emotional depth is profound, tracking how nostalgia and regret can flavor a conversation as intensely as Chianti.
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I’m giving The Song of Lunch four stars because it shines with elegant precision, emotional honesty, and poetic mastery that rewards close reading, especially if you enjoy lyric prose that doubles as subtle drama.
It made me feel the weight of a single moment as though it were a life, and left me thinking about how longing and memory shape who we are. If you’re curious about poetry that feels alive, cinematic, and deeply human, this slender but resonant work is a beautiful, memorable experience.
November 26, 2018
This poem, this book is just so good. Especially if you add to this the film adaptation.
Absolutely marvelous. There are simply no words to describe how good this is.
To be honest, to me, this poem is basically Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson.
Because of the film adaptation the poem itself became their adaptation.
If you haven't seen the film, please do so if you can. Trust me, you won't regret it.
And if you have a book on your bookshelf, watch the movie, then after that, listen to the movie while reading the text in the book with the actor.
You. Will. Love. It.
Absolutely marvelous. There are simply no words to describe how good this is.
To be honest, to me, this poem is basically Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson.
Because of the film adaptation the poem itself became their adaptation.
If you haven't seen the film, please do so if you can. Trust me, you won't regret it.
And if you have a book on your bookshelf, watch the movie, then after that, listen to the movie while reading the text in the book with the actor.
You. Will. Love. It.
November 22, 2011
What a visceral poem! Now I can't drink a glass of wine the same way I did before reading this poem. I very much enjoyed the text and imagery.
March 30, 2023
A narrative poem on the hostile loneliness of middle-aged literary men at odds with today’s world.
August 18, 2013
Reid has an enchanting way with words.
Here as in "Nonsense", the story does not amount to much: a literary editor and small poet has a lunch date with an ex-lover in an Italian restaurant he used to like. As the meal proceeds and the bottle of wine empties to be replaced by another and topped by a grappa, the conversation peters out, and all that is left is disenchantment, first with the restaurant, then with the food, and subsequently with the ex and her understanding (misunderstanding ?) of his (small volume of) poetry. He winds up drunk, flees to the loo and thence to the upper floors of the building, and when he returns the ex and all customers are gone. Only Massimo, the onetime owner of the restaurant, is left, as an ageing (not to say decrepit) vestige of the past, not unlike the life and love he unsuccessfully attempted to revive.
The story is broken up into scenes, each of them a poem of one or two pages, in which Reid carefully observes, and describes what goes on inside and outside his character. The charm of the book lies in the sheer beauty of the text, the mastery of rhythm, sound, and lexical choice, whether descriptive or metaphorical, which achieves maximum suggestiveness.
Here as in "Nonsense", the story does not amount to much: a literary editor and small poet has a lunch date with an ex-lover in an Italian restaurant he used to like. As the meal proceeds and the bottle of wine empties to be replaced by another and topped by a grappa, the conversation peters out, and all that is left is disenchantment, first with the restaurant, then with the food, and subsequently with the ex and her understanding (misunderstanding ?) of his (small volume of) poetry. He winds up drunk, flees to the loo and thence to the upper floors of the building, and when he returns the ex and all customers are gone. Only Massimo, the onetime owner of the restaurant, is left, as an ageing (not to say decrepit) vestige of the past, not unlike the life and love he unsuccessfully attempted to revive.
The story is broken up into scenes, each of them a poem of one or two pages, in which Reid carefully observes, and describes what goes on inside and outside his character. The charm of the book lies in the sheer beauty of the text, the mastery of rhythm, sound, and lexical choice, whether descriptive or metaphorical, which achieves maximum suggestiveness.
November 18, 2011
I loved this poem and especially enjoyed the BBV production of it with Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson! Very well done.
April 5, 2016
Ι love how Christopher Reid, gives life to inanimate objects.
November 14, 2022
An unnamed man... an unnamed woman... two old flames/former lovers... one scheduled lunch meeting to catch up and reminisce after many years apart... And over the course of 64 untitled, dynamically narrated and wittily written poems in page-turning sequence, a whole menu of human emotions, experiences and observations are served on the way to and within an Italian restaurant in London's Soho district.
My only quibble was how the last tercet concludes the sequence. It ends on an exclamatory cliffhanger, which could've gone on to extend the narrative a little bit longer; rounding it off in a more satisfactory manner. But that's my personal opinion. If it weren't for this slightly disappointing finale, it would've gotten 5 stars from me.
My only quibble was how the last tercet concludes the sequence. It ends on an exclamatory cliffhanger, which could've gone on to extend the narrative a little bit longer; rounding it off in a more satisfactory manner. But that's my personal opinion. If it weren't for this slightly disappointing finale, it would've gotten 5 stars from me.
March 7, 2022
Captures the broad and the narrow of a meeting and of a lifetime within the span of 66 short pages. Saw the movie on Amazon Prime, and got primed to purchase the book.. So glad that I did.. Its a tour de force that needs to be savored repeatedly..
February 20, 2015
The only problem I had with my edition (and the bookseller agreed with me on that) was it said "A BBC TV programme" because it's not because of the programme this book is this amazing, it's because of this book that the programme is so great! Unfortunately, since no other version was available, I settled for this one and I have no complaints with Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson on its cover.
Now, lets talk about the book. If you think you're not big on poetry, well, go for this book even then! What made The Song of Lunch beautiful to me was the fact that it wasn't poetry like we know it. It was poetry in a very Jean Rhys mixed with Emily Dickinson sort of a way. Dark, deep, witty and even shallow at times, it's a simple story of two former lovers who get together on a lunch date at Soho ( a fact that brought my only trip to London so far back to my mind!) and bring back a lot of memories over alcohol and conversation. Simply superb and a LOT like Good Morning, Midnight!
Now, lets talk about the book. If you think you're not big on poetry, well, go for this book even then! What made The Song of Lunch beautiful to me was the fact that it wasn't poetry like we know it. It was poetry in a very Jean Rhys mixed with Emily Dickinson sort of a way. Dark, deep, witty and even shallow at times, it's a simple story of two former lovers who get together on a lunch date at Soho ( a fact that brought my only trip to London so far back to my mind!) and bring back a lot of memories over alcohol and conversation. Simply superb and a LOT like Good Morning, Midnight!
December 6, 2021
Remarkable narrative poetry that tells the story of two old lovers meeting for lunch. It follows the man's thoughts as he meets again the woman he lost. She is married now with kids and he is still the same editor that he was before.
You can tell he still loves her, the woman he lost to another. He is a sad character who I felt pity for but I could also understand why she left him.
In the end, I think it was past he was mostly in love with. He wished for how the restaurant was in the past and I think it was the woman of the past that he loved.
In the end, he did not see her leave. He went drunkenly to the restroom. He fell in a daze and when he returned she had left.
Christopher Reid is a remarkable poet and I loved this piece.
You can tell he still loves her, the woman he lost to another. He is a sad character who I felt pity for but I could also understand why she left him.
In the end, I think it was past he was mostly in love with. He wished for how the restaurant was in the past and I think it was the woman of the past that he loved.
In the end, he did not see her leave. He went drunkenly to the restroom. He fell in a daze and when he returned she had left.
Christopher Reid is a remarkable poet and I loved this piece.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2013
Having recovered from the intense emotional experience that was Christopher Reid's 'A Scattering', and having enjoyed the most entertaining BBC programme in which Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson played out the characters in Reid's 'The Song of Lunch', I had to buy this book also. I so envy Reid his ease with poetry and his ability to convey the feelings of frustration and disappointment, the dashed hopes and self loathing of the jaded hack who lunches with an old flame. Highly enjoyable.
September 6, 2013
Es un buen poema, sin duda, juguetón, bien construido, sobrio. Todo está muy bien, pero disfruté más la película y la voz de Alan Rickman. Le dieron justo al clavo con el ritmo y salió maravillosa. Me pregunto qué pensaría de haber leído primero el poema. ¿Qué sería mejor? ¿cuál es el orden en que se debe hacer? ni idea. En fin, en resumen, es muy bueno. Buscaré más cosas del autor.
October 25, 2020
I listened to the BBC/Masterpiece dramatized version of this poem (this production had video too, but I didn't realise). It was very enjoyable, and ironically I found the experience much better than printed word. The clever descriptions (of the wine and the waitress in particular) were well presented against the prosaic backdrop of a workday lunch.
January 12, 2022
This was suggested to me as a “feel good” book. And while I wouldn’t say that the story made me “feel good”, I will say that it is such a beautifully written poem that I do feel delightful having read it. It was stunning, elegant, startling, and heartbreaking. I felt compassion for everyone. Absolutely wonderful.
April 29, 2013
Delicious. This wonderfully funny bitter sweet poem about a couple of middle aged ex-lovers meeting for lunch after years apart was performed by Alan Rickman and Emma Thomson a few years back. I would love to find that performance.
March 26, 2016
A fairly short story in lightish free verse. It's all very accomplished and not a bad way to spend an evening, but Parnassus will not tremble on its account.
There's a TV adaptation with Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson; I'm not sure I can even.
There's a TV adaptation with Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson; I'm not sure I can even.
December 12, 2020
The last time I encountered this I. did. not. catch. the. hidden. Dirk. reference.
I can hardly believe it, but I do hear the song now..
Again, again! And next time - with Chianti.
Thank you, friends. X
I can hardly believe it, but I do hear the song now..
Again, again! And next time - with Chianti.
Thank you, friends. X
January 24, 2021
Simply a gorgeous and beautiful book. I wish I had read this sooner, not the longest book in the world but that adds to its charm - each word has been chosen specifically to arouse something within the reader.
December 27, 2011
Typically not a huge fan of poetry (it's usually incomprehensible to me), but I rather enjoyed this book.
August 27, 2012
Love it! Such a unique voice and wonderfully descriptive. And the BBC adaptation with Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson was amazing!
December 5, 2017
Brought to life in a movie with Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman.
January 23, 2014
A beautifully constructed poem novel telling the simple story of a man who meets an old flame for lunch in the restaurant they used to frequent. A perfect lunchtime read.
August 23, 2015
I'm perfectly serious
Ever the escape artist,
ever the clown
The oracle eyes
appear to have tears in them
but too proud to fall
Ever the escape artist,
ever the clown
The oracle eyes
appear to have tears in them
but too proud to fall
February 1, 2018
A beautifully written collection of poems, if a little sad & with a not very likeable protagonist.
January 15, 2019
I constantly return to this read, time and time again. A favourite.
January 18, 2020
A brilliantly layered gem.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews