Lobster

by Guillaume Lecasble

'There was a Lobster-shaped hole in world literature which has now been filled by this remarkable work.'
Nick Lezard in The Guardian

Aboard the Titanic, Lobster watches Angelina devour his father, before being plucked out of the aquarium himself. Just as he is put in the boiling pot, the ship hits the iceberg and the pot is thrown to the floor. Lobster survives, with some he finds himself sexually attracted not only to a human, but to the very human who ate his father. He gives her one life-changing orgasm before their tragic separation, following an ugly incident in one of the lifeboats.

'A fable of crustacean love. Our hero is a lobster aboard the Titanic. From his tank, he watches his father being eaten by a pretty girl. Then the boat founders and Lobster escapes. Aboard the sinking ship, Angelina, the girl who ate his dad, knows a brief but shattering moment of physical love with Lobster. Then they are separated. They pine for each other. Angelina tries having sex with another lobster, with disastrous results. Death smells of bay leaves.'
Sam Leith in The Daily Telegraph

'In terms of abusing the natural world, Lobster by Guillaume Lecasble is in a league of its own. The surrealist tale of a lobster on board the Titanic which finds itself helplessly attracted to a human female, the book hinges on the life-changing orgasm the fishy amorist gives Angelina as the boat sinks in the icy water.'
Tom Fleming in The Literary Review

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, France, Animals, Literary Fiction, Translated Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2003

About the author

Guillaume Lecasble was born in 1954. He started painting at the age of nineteen and had a first solo exhibition eleven years later. From his artwork—and particularly the portrait of a chorus of monks—he became inspired to experiment with new approaches to filmmaking. Various short films yielded a pair of characters (bonhomme & bonfemme) who then reincarnated themselves in a series of highly praised books for children. Painting continues to inspire and accompany his written and cinematographic work. Lobster, his first novel, was published to critical acclaim in France in 2003. His second novel, Cut, was published in 2004.

Reviews

[Mel || melodrama_musings]

You know… sometimes words fail. I’m speechless. Easily the weirdest thing I have ever read. I wouldn’t say I necessarily enjoyed the experience but I applaud and can’t help but reward the insanity of it.

What I would give to know if Leos Carax, Julia Ducournau or Gaspar Noé have read this… they’re the only benchmarks I can think of for French audacity that comes even close to matching the level of freak of whatever this was.

[Jessie]

This novella starts out with a literal bang: A sentient lobster and the lady who ate his dad, *ahem* "know each other in the biblical way" onboard the sinking Titanic. Yes, THAT Titanic, though Jack and Rose this is decidedly NOT.

Somehow it only gets weirder and more uncomfortable from there.

A beautifully-written, melancholic, surreal fable that I am pretty sure I.... enjoyed... is the wrong word. This book is an EXPERIENCE. That being said, I am not sure The French™️ should be allowed to write fiction. I will however, be adding this to my Staff Picks at work.

Get this book for the friend who insists they read "everything." Either you'll call their bluff, or you will, to paraphrase a review quote on the back cover, fill the "lobster-shaped hole" in their life.

[Amanda]

Hang it in the Louvre.

[Katie Fellows]

Not entirely sure I know what I've just read....

[Val]

5 stars because it was so ridiculous and in being so brought me joy. How did this get published AND TRANSLATED??? WHAT??

[Francis Bass]

BEE MOVIE if it had the courage of its convictions and was about a lobster

[Deanna]

Slutty lobster.

[Alexandria Mount]

All I can say is “what did I just read”. This book made my v@gin@ clench and not in a good way. This book found me, as all strange books do, and it took my all of 20 minutes to read.
I don’t know if I would seriously recommend this to anyone but would totally give it as a strange gift to a really good friend

[Aidan Jones]

Step aside Jack and rose, a new (horrifically freakier and inherently more French) bomb-SHELL has entered the villa!!!!

[☆]

going into books blind really takes you places

[Zia Sampson]

the answer is yes. almost immediately. by far the weirdest book I’ve ever read

[Julia Mohler]

I guess...there's something to be said for a book that gleefully resists any kind of coherent structure? A book which I PROMISE will surprise you many times with its utter insanity, depravity, and whimsy. An offense against...so much. It wasn't the ending I wanted, but I don't know that I've ever encountered a book that cares less about what I might want. I wouldn't call it a "good" book, but it provided much entertainment, and I'm quite certain I will be cursed to remember it until the day I die 🤣

[lola]

just two creatures that match each other’s freaks (ft a lobster orgy)

p.s i would like to preface that i rated this 1 stars, not because of the strange premise and the ideas explored but rather because i found the writing so unappealing and boring that i almost dnf

[Linde]

Well that was weird.

[PJ Jacobs]

Read if you like:
-animals who are sexually attracted to humans
-humans who are sexually attracted to animals
-lobster orgies
-titanic fan fic
-consuming the flesh of someone who affected you emotionally
-dads assuring themselves they don't want to bang their daughters
-genital mutilation
-bay leaves

Don't read if:
-you want a romantic plot
-you dislike body horror
-if surrealism isn't your thing and you'd like a more grounded and straightforward story
-if any of the above list bothers you

[Wessel Mulder]

Dit was zo ontzettend leuk. Compleet onverwacht heb ‘m in één smak met veel plezier uitgelezen. Een verhaal over onmogelijke liefde, SEKS, herinneringen, geuren, laurierblad & al deze dingen geserveerd met kreeft. oprecht ontzettend mooi en af en toe jaw-dropping lol. elke review “well that was weird” moet even kappen met zo SAAI zijn go eat some grass. 10/10

“Lobster was sinking. Slowly. Unconscious. In a halo of Angelina’s tears.”

[Tayla McCloud]

genuinely so difficult to give a star rating to the most bizarre book i've ever (will ever?) read.
reading experience was prob 3 stars but gotta give the extra star for creativity and really committing to the bit. nothing but respect

[dom]

is insanity truly the desire for something else when you are really quite desperate. at my very lowest, having never experienced the rupture and reckoning of an orgasm, a lobster of all People giving me a good rogering would cause me to reckon with my life to the edge of my desperation. but Lobster (capital L) is himself a fascinating little fucker, tasting human flavours and smells and feelings and is compelled to suffer. i admire his agency and his drive, one of the top ten compelling crustaceans.

[Ashley Merrill]

what a lil freaky book

[Teylor Wilkins]

probably the worst thing i have ever read and i respect that

[Anum]

The absurdity of the book would have landed better with a happy (ew) ending.

[Samantha]

first in my bloodline to use my free will and privilege to read this #noregrets

[Spencer Joseph]

Yawn… if you’ve read one erotic novella about the connection a woman and a lobster have after he gives her an orgasm on the sinking titanic then you’ve read them all.

[Catherine Smith]

Even if I never read another book ever again, I could rest easy knowing I’ve officially read the weirdest one of them all.

[Elizabeth Tharp]

what the helly

[Tori Hillier]

Fucking insanity from start to finish lmao whatttt tf

[Riley]

What just happened?

[Ben Rose]

What it says on the tin, glad I picked up this great short story on a lobsters journey from a tank on the Titanic to the streets of Paris.

[Kerry]

Wowie zowie that was a weird fucking trip. Can’t wait to talk about this one at the bookshop tomorrow.

[Shelby]

I think this book might really be for those of you who don’t think bay leaves actually do anything. . .