Louis XIV at the Butcher Counter: Waiting, Godot, Suspense, and Marshmallows
Abstract
Waiting, queuing, and delay are cultural practices that speak volumes—albeit slender ones—about what it means to be French or American. While American culture rushes for the destination, France allows the suspense of everyday life to ripen more slowly and fully. Sometimes it even rots on the vine. This essay reflects on waiting while drawing on the practices of everyday life (with a nod to Bourdieu and de Certeau). To the extent that waiting is also part of reading, the essay sidles up along the work of Ross Chambers, with his notion of loiterature.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Samuel Beckett and Modernism
French Literature and Criticism
French Literature and Critical Theory
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Contemporary French and Francophone Studies
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 997–1004
- Publication date
- 8 August 2026
- Language
- EN