"The business of books..."

It is safe to say that a quote that starts with the line „The business of books” would attract the attention of anyone interested in literature, and even more so of anyone studying literature.

 It is no surprise then that one of the first places I and a fellow literature student went to was Shakespeare and Company, the renowned – and very crowded – English Language bookshop in the Quartier Latin. It also came as no surprise – to myself at least – that I didn’t manage to leave the shop without buying a book. I rarely manage to avoid buying a book when I wander into a ‘normal’ bookstore, thinking ‘Oh, I’ll just browse a little’, but in a locale as famous – and as lovely – as this Paris institution, who would be able to resist? (Also, when it comes to books, I agree with Erasmus of Rotterdam, they’re just higher on the list than food and clothes.) Add to that the fact that Shakespeare and Company sells new as well as used books, and there’s no way out.
            The book I bought was Margaret Atwoods terrific The Blind Asassin, which I had been meaning to read for ages anyway. And it was one of the already mentioned used books. So who was I to ignore that hint?

However, even if you can control yourself and not buy anything, a visit to the store is always well worth it. Especially because it’s a refreshing sight when one has gotten used to the slick interior of the big bookstore chains. Shakespeare and Company is a whole different story. It crammed, and old, and some would even say a bit run down, but all that serves to show is it’s years of history, and it’s meaning for Paris and the city’s English literature scene. Also, the walls are not only adorned by scores and scores of books, but also by pictures of famous authors. Some of them have even enjoyed the hospitality of the store and its late owner. The official website lists Henry Miller, Anaïs Nin and Allen Ginsberg and others among the guests that were treated to refreshments by George Whitman.

            But there is even more to this. Every Monday Shakespeare and Company hosts readings by authors, sometimes including an after party with drinks and music as on September 9, when the reading for Careless People: Muder, Mayhem, and the Invention of The Great Gatsby by Sarah Churchwell was followed by cocktails and jazz in front of the store. The store also hosts philosophic lectures, an English/French conversation evening, awards a literature prize and hosts workshops for aspiring writers. Thus it as every right to claim the title of an “institution” on its website.

If you buy a book at Shakespeare and Company, it comes in a brown paperback featuring a quotation of the shop’s founder George Whitman: “The business of books is the business of life.” For this store, its founder and its employees, this couldn’t be a better motto.