Shakespeare & Company, Latin Quarter, Paris

There is no other way to describe Shakespeare & Company than utterly enchanting. Hidden away in the Latin Quarter of Paris, the shop is truly a gem. As soon as you enter the shop, you can see the converted three-storey house is literally filled with books of all genres and ages, and you can immerse yourself in them for hours. The owner George; a writer himself, rents out rooms to aspiring or struggling writers and has made the atmosphere in the shop homely and comfortable. There is a piano at the back of the first floor which is almost always occupied, which is amazing background when you are flicking through a book. On the second floor there is a wall of pictures and notes from visitors, which is truly touching, as well as newspaper cuttings about the shop and it’s visitors all around the place. I visited this shop advised by my grandfather who was allowed to stay by George when he was younger, and it was an experience I will never forget. This shop is one in a million, if you are a literary addict in Paris you MUST visit, you will not regret it. ...And don’t forget to chuck a couple of euros in the well for a cup of tea for the writers.

Can you give five stars for aura?? If so, then that’s what I put down for Shakespeare & Co. Every time I’m in Paris, I stop in here just to browse the shelves and look around. It’s a nice feeling, artsy with a hint of pretension, which is always down in Paris, one of the few cities that can get really away with it. The prices are rather on the high end, around €15 per title, but they usually have some sort of sale on -- a few times I collected 10 books for between €5 or €10 for the lot, depending on the time I went (“proper” books, too, classics, modern novels, bios, etc.). It’s right across from Notre Dame and is open until 11pm, so nighttime is my choice to browse here -- as you walk out, the lights at the cathedral and along the Seine are gorgeous.

Pretentious and overpriced, dodge camera-happy tourists and head somewhere else. There are two superior second-hand English bookshops just a few minutes walk away near Odeon, and if you want new books a better selection at better prices can be found at WH Smith. Shakespeare & Co. trades off the famous name of a completely unrelated, long-defunct bookstore, and markets itself as a center for creativity while essentially milking romantically-inclined tourists who wish to call themselves ‘writers’ with the several writers’ workshops it hosts upstairs in the library.

If you’re a tourist, go ahead. If you’re a writer, or a reader, don’t bother.