The Lobby

Welcome to the Shipley Hotel, one of San Francisco’s premier way stations servicing California natives and travelers from around the world. Follow the stories of over four dozen of its patrons as they embark on second honeymoons, brave high school reunions, greet old friends, and partake in a bit of adultery. Sit back and watch as D-list movie stars try to regain former glory, business folks make awkward small talk following an alcohol-soaked annual conference, and hopeful staff members embark on new lives. Drama, suspense, and inspiration can all be found in The Lobby!

Before diving into Sherman’s latest novel, make sure to brace yourself. The characters come thick and fast; new faces are introduced in close to every chapter, almost right up to the end. Some folks’ stories get more than one scene, but the majority are trotted out, spun around, and then hurriedly rushed off-stage so the next player can enter. The situations and people start out interesting, but Sherman allows neither time nor space for any of them to mature. Instead the characters are dressed up in laughably clichéd accoutrements, served up in a veritable avalanche of exposition, and then tritely concluded, leaving the reader bored and disappointed.