Pierre is a veteran bartender in a cafe in the outskirts of Paris. He observes his customers as they come and go-the young man who drinks beer as he reads Primo Levi, the fellow who from time-to-time strips down and plunges into the nearby Seine, the few regulars who eat and drink there on credit-sizing them up with great accuracy and empathy. Pierre doesn't look outside more than necessary; he prefers to let the world come to him.
Soon, however, the cafe must close its doors, and Pierre finds himself at a loss. As we follow his stream of thoughts over three days, Pierre's humanity and profound solitude both emerge. The Waitress Was New is a moving portrait of human anguish and weakness, of understated nobility and strength.
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