Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Favorite Bookstores

Like most avid readers and book collectors, I have my favorite bookstores.  Some of them are local, some are one or two states away from Houston; others are across the Atlantic.  One that I've mentioned before is Shakespeare and Company, a Paris bookstore that has to be seen to be believed.

George Whitman and daughter Sylvia in his bookstore bedroom
Painting by Rosy Lamb
Shakespeare and Company, in its current incarnation, was reborn in 1961 when George Whitman opened up his English-language bookstore in the heart of Paris.  Whitman, who was born in 1913, plans to live in the bookstore until he reaches his hundredth birthday.  Thankfully, his 30-year-old daughter plans to keep the store open even after her father leaves the business.

This is a must-see spot for book lovers but, despite its proximity to Notre Dame, it is easily missed unless one is specifically looking for it.  This video gives a taste of what the bookstore is like, but hardly does justice to the real thing:



This April 21 Los Angeles Times article brings the Shakespeare and Company story current - and what a story it is.

1 comment:

  1. Shakespeare and Co. certainly has an atmosphere unlike any other bookstore I've been to! Upon walking in, it's like you have entered a playground for books :) Love it.

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