Waiting for Bojangles

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For the film based on the novel, see Waiting for Bojangles (film).
Waiting for Bojangles
First edition cover
AuthorOlivier Bourdeaut
Original titleEn attendant Bojangles
TranslatorRegan Kramer
Cover artistValeriy Kachaev
LanguageFrench
PublisherÉditions Finitude
Publication date
7 January 2016
Published in English
19 March 2019
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages160
ISBN978-2-36339-063-9
OCLC936301573
843/.92
LC ClassPQ2702.O967 E5 2015

Waiting for Bojangles (French: En attendant Bojangles) is the debut novel by Olivier Bourdeaut, published by Éditions Finitude on 7 January 2016.[1] It was an international bestseller.[2] An English translation by Regan Kramer was published by Simon & Schuster on 19 March 2019.[3] A film adaptation of the same name was released in 2021.

Plot[edit]

The novel tells the story of an eccentric couple, Louise and George, and their young son. They live together in their apartment, which also accommodates Mademoiselle Superfluous, a pet demoiselle crane from Numidia, and, occasionally, the Senator. Nobody opens the mail. Each day the couple dance to the song "Mr. Bojangles", as covered by Nina Simone.[4] The narrative depicts Louise's battle with mental illness and how the family struggles to cope. The novel is written partially in rhyme and is interspersed with entries from George's diary.[3]

Background and publication[edit]

Olivier Bourdeaut was a real estate agent in Nantes when the loss of his work led him to devote himself to literature. He spent two years writing his first novel, a dark and cynical work over 500 pages long which was rejected by publishers. While residing with his parents in Spain he devoted himself to writing the opposite, a more lighthearted work. Waiting for Bojangles was written in seven weeks. In April 2015, Bourdeaut sent the manuscript to Éditions Finitude, who enthusiastically accepted.[5][6]

Reception[edit]

Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Its part-rhyming structure almost always feels organic (only occasionally reading as cutesy or forced) and lends the narrative a sense of flow and momentum. But it's the irresistible, childlike sense of delight—even in the face of unimaginable sorrow—that renders the novel a genuinely enjoyable reading experience and one that sparks complex and conflicting emotions".[3]

French critic Bernard Pivot praised the novel for its "absurdity made all the more irresistible because it's smart and under control".[6]

Accolades[edit]

The novel received several French literary awards, including:

Adaptations[edit]

See also: Waiting for Bojangles (film)

In 2017, a theatre adaptation was produced by Victoire Berger-Perrin with Anne Charrier, Didier Brice and Victor Boulenger in the main roles. It debuted in July 2017 at the OFF Festival of the Festival d'Avignon. The play was staged at the Théâtre de la Pépinière in Paris beginning in January 2018.[9] Charrier was succeeded by Julie Delarme in later productions. The play was broadcast on France 4 on 3 April 2022.[10]

On 7 September 2017, the novel was adapted for the radio programme Samedi noir and broadcast on France Culture.[11]

The novel was adapted as a comic by Ingrid Chabbert and Carole Maurel, published as a comics album by Éditions Steinkis in November 2017.[12]

In 2020, Éditions Finitude published a new edition of the novel illustrated by cartoonist Christian Cailleaux.[13]

A film adaptation of the same name was directed by Régis Roinsard, starring Romain Duris and Virginie Efira in the roles of the father and the mother. It premiered in October 2021 at La Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festival. It was released theatrically in France on 5 January 2022.[14][15]

From 11 to 23 January 2022, an exhibition of paintings by Susana Machado inspired by the story of the novel and the shooting of the film was presented at the Galerie du Génie de la Bastille in the 11th arrondissement of Paris.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Nantes. Le roman du Nantais Olivier Bourdeaut fait sensation". Presse Océan. Ouest-France (in French). 26 January 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Waiting for Bojangles". Publishers Weekly. 15 January 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "WAITING FOR BOJANGLES". Kirkus Reviews. 23 December 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  4. ^ Gorin, François (10 January 2022). "De Nina Simone à Hugues Aufray... "Mr Bojangles", une chanson pleine d'histoires". Télérama (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  5. ^ Corty, Bruno (28 January 2016). "Olivier Bourdeaut, un premier roman qui rafle la mise". Le Figaro (in French). Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  6. ^ a b Grey, Tobias (9 May 2016). "'Waiting for Bojangles': Great Expectations for Olivier Bourdeaut's Debut Novel". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Durand, Marine (17 March 2016). "Olivier Bourdeaut lauréat du Prix du Roman France Télévisions 2016". Livres Hebdo (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Blois : le prix Roblès à "En attendant Bojangles" d'Olivier Bourdeaut". La Nouvelle République (in French). 3 June 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  9. ^ Jouve, Sophie (16 July 2017). "Totalement subjuguée par "En attendant Bojangles" au Off d'Avignon". Franceinfo culture (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  10. ^ Bouhadjera, Hocine (16 March 2022). "L'adaptation théâtrale d'En attendant Bojangles diffusée sur France 4 le 3 avril". ActuaLitté (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  11. ^ "En attendant Bojangles de Olivier Bourdeaut". Radio France. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  12. ^ Blachon, Jérôme (24 November 2017). "En attendant Bojangles, par Ingrid Chabbert et Carole Maurel : vivre d'Amour et d'insouciance, c'est de la folie ! Vraiment ?". ActuaBD (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Pourquoi vous devez absolument lire le roman En attendant Bojangles". Le Parisien (in French). 31 January 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  14. ^ Dalmaz, Véronique (6 January 2022). ""En attendant Bojangles" : le best-seller d'Olivier Bourdeaut a vu le jour grâce à un couple d'éditeurs bordelais". Franceinfo culture (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  15. ^ Cattan, Léon (6 January 2022). "Box-office France : "En attendant Bojangles" domine les entrées". Les Inrockuptibles (in French). Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  16. ^ "En attendant Bojangles / Susana Machado". www.legeniedelabastille.com. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
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