Did not know the Village Voice, but I'm so sad to hear about The Red Wheelbarrow.

Am sorry to hear about Village Voice, I just "discovered" it 3 years ago. I love bookstores with well-informed and helpful staff where you can tell thought has been put into the selection. Another one bites the dust.

Loved the Red wheelbarrow. So sorry to hear about these closings. Independent book stores have such a tough go of it these days.

They didn't sell French books, did they, they were mainly for expats who didn't want to learn French, or tourists.

Christina,

I find your comment insular and insulting. Every time I was in Village Voice, there were French customers and the manager was often taking orders in French over the phone. Do you actually think no native French-speakers read and enjoy English books?

I have lived in France for three years. Daily I read Le Figaro and La Depêche and usually have one French and several English books on the go as well as magazines, DVDs, etc. I take 5 hours of French a week. I will always be an ex-pat and will always frequent indie bookstores in any location.

I am very sorry about this closure and I expect many French people are as well.

Actually, I am considerably more distressed about the possible eviction of the Céline Poisat bookstore on rue du Cherche-Midi to give way to another trendy clothing boutique.

And the very famous Saint Germain-des-Prés bookstore La Hune is also in danger of eviction to please fashion shoppers of the area.

But all of the historical independent bookstores of Paris are disappearing, because peoples' interests have shifted to other things, and there is no way to save such places without spending your money to buy books there -- which people do not want to do.

So, goodbye to all of these places, which we will remember fondly, but that is all we will do.

Independent bookstores r struggling in the US due to the internet and then electronic books. In DC one independent bookstore after another has closed.

keruac, sorry to hear La Hune maybe gone. As much as I love the internet, though inept at it, They have caused the book stores and other businesses to go under. I miss going to some of the old musty book shops,finding a surprise gem, and I still love the feel of a book in my hand.

Wow, the things one learns on Fodor's!

kerouac, Céline and her shop were downstairs in my building in Paris. I had no idea she was closing. When is this happening?

Someone should tell the trendy clothing boutique about the plumbing leaks in that space.

Now, don't tell me the tea room is being evicted, too!

Interesting. I as watching Telematin on France 2 one morning, and they have a regular feature where a bookshop owner recommends books. After which the host, William Leymergie, mentioned that it would be nice not only if people bought the book, but bought it at a bookshop rather than online. Probably a lost cause here as in North America. (Ex-librarian, now mjor Amazon user speaking)

Just wondering… how is SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY faring? Has its business increased since the release of MIDNIGHT IN PARIS?

I intend to drop by when in Paris next week, in homage to Hemingway, of course.

I was walking in the area of Shakespeare and Co about three weeks ago, stopped in to see if they had G. Robb's book, "Discovery of France" for a friend. They had it in their section on books about Paris and France, which always seems to have lots of choice.

Seemed like a good mix of buyers and tourists, some people taking in the sun in the little courtyard.

Toupary, it is not yet a done deal, since there is a petition to try to save the place. But it is looking grim.

In my recent trip report I remember commenting that the Latin Quarter would be the last place on earth to still have bookstores when they became obsolete on the rest of the planet. I hope Paris keeps its bookstores, at least some of them, at least more than the increasingly desolate literary landscapes of the places I frequent in the US.

But I am at least as guilty as anyone of ordering (in great quantity) from Amazon.

Cathinjoetown, thanks for the update on SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY. I am thinking of drifting in their direction on my first evening from my hotel on the rue Dauphine. The air will do me good and I believe that they are open until midnight, n’est ce pas?

“But I am at least as guilty as anyone of ordering (in great quantity) from Amazon.”

Nikki, I hear you. I usually order books from Amazon only for gifts, especially for my grandchildren.

I read a great deal so could not afford to buy or store that many books. I use our local library for the latest books, CDs, and DVDs. They are most accommodating.

@Nikki, a search of Pages Jaunes for "librairie" (bookstore) in Paris brought 672 responses. Even allowing for some duplication, more than you would ever see in a comparably sized American city. In the 5th arrondissemennt, there are 89.

@kerouac, unfortunately I'm afraid you're right. I've seen other petitions, and although most of the people in the quartier get behind it, it's never quite enough.

La Hune has moved I think. It's now just on the side of Eglise St Germain where Dior used to be. I saw the name briefly when I was going past on the bus and it seemed like it is bigger than before.

But it is in danger again. Saint Germain-des-Prés used to be the literary center of the city, but now it is known as the area in Paris where the most bookstores have closed (more than 50% in the last 20 years).

FNAC, the biggest bookseller in France, even though it is a soulless chain, is moving into the sale of coffeemakers and vacuum cleaners to survive.

From literary center to luxe fashion center in 20 years.

This is indeed, sad news. I confess that I am part of ‘the problem’. I most often take books from the library now, or, buy from Amazon. In my own city (Toronto), many of the small bookstores have been disappearing, unable to compete with the ‘big box’ way of purchasing books---Amazon, electronic….


With each visit to Paris,all of the bookstores mentioned above have been a small but significant part of each trip. Now, I’m extremely worried about my favorite English secondhand bookstore in Paris, the Abbey Bookshop, 29 rue de la Parcheminerie, 75005, Paris. Brian, the owner, moved there in 1989, having been chased out by the high rents in Toronto. I love the Abbey Bookshop, does anyone know how it’s doing?
http://www.alevdesign.com/abbey/abbey_en.html


Thanks for this, Cigalechanta. It has once again, made me think seriously about what is now happening with small bookstores all over the world. Perhaps, it is a lost cause, perhaps not? I am now mulling over the growing movement of people who buy more expensive organic and local food both for health, to support local farmers and the carbon footprint. A rough analogy, yes, but with books, perhaps not that different?


Whatever, I will miss those lovely bookstores in Paris, and the infinite beautiful and inexpensive moments of pleasure that they gave me.

Here's an article in the Times about the closing of Paris bookshops:

http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/in-paris-english-bookshops-dwindle/

There is a glimmer of hope for bookstores in Paris, albeit not English language bookstores. While the stores are being pushed out of the center of the city, a few have opened in my out-of-the-way neighborhood in the past few years, where rents are lower and the local "bobos" are craving a bit more culture in working class Paris, because the advantage of our low prices for everything else (markets, roasted chickens, bazaar items, restaurants) leaves extra cash for us to spend on real paper books. Oh, and we are also getting more and more local theatres and music venues. Too bad for "tourist central."

Good news that some of the bookshops are finding a new home in the cheaper arondissements… perhaps soon to be ‘the’ arrondissements in cultural terms? Last October, I spent 2 weeks in the 10th, near the Canal Saint Martin and found a few fabulous bookstores. My final 2 weeks were in the 12th, again, I found two great bookstores.


Kerouac@’Too bad for”tourist central”.

Please, don’t be too hard on, or, disparaging of tourists.
I am a tourist and have spent about 6 months in Paris in the last 10 years. If you travel alone (as I do), the bookshops are significant and pleasureable. Having spent days and weeks without the luxury of speaking in my native tongue (with all of the nuances, humour etc), it was so good and relaxing to enjoy a book at the end of a great day, or at least have the option.

On one trip, I discovered Emile Zola, having bought ‘L’Assommoir” at Shakespeare and Co. Fascinated by the book (in translation) I rushed the next day to explore the relatively unchanged ‘La Goutte d’Or’ area in the 18th. Then, I read most of the other 20 volumes of Zola’s brilliant series, Les Rougons-MacQuart, Brilliant and intensely memorable.


Of course, it’s most important that the French bookstores survive! But,the few English bookshops are treasured by many of us.

Copper, Have you read Zola's, A Ladies Paradise
and The Belly of Paris=wonderful!

Cigale, Yes, I’ve read The Ladies’ Paradise (Au Bonheur des Dames)and it’s great! Everyone who shops in the ‘grand’ stores’…Au Printemps, Galeries Lafayettes, Bon Marche and the ‘passages’ should read this book.

The two others of Zola’s series that I love are,


The Masterpiece (l’Oeuvre): The story of a 19th century artist in Paris and his friendship with another artist, modeled loosely on Paul Cezanne. (this novel seems to have ended their friendship). Fascinating depiction of an artist’s life in 19th century Paris.


I also love, as you mentioned, The Belly of Paris (Le Ventre de Paris): Simply, a superb story and portrait of the market, des Halles, at its’ most alive and vigourous time in history. For me, it is the most special book of market life ever written. With each visit to any food market, large or small, lush, sensual,vibrant….I always think of this book.

La Hune actually moved BACK to its original space, which according the Mr French, was much better than the one it was in most recently.
I am sad for the bookshop on Cherche-Midi because of its history, but it is an antique bookstore, with expensive books and a proprieter who discouraged browsing. I think it would be hard for the owner to compete with the two other, very friendly antique bookstores on the same block.
I love living near La Hune and L'Ecume des Pages, which are both open until midnight and are popular entertainment' with my kids.
Bookstores are opening across the city because many of the local Mairies are subsidizing their rent.
The English language bookstores, however, are having a hard time competing with Amazon, which 1/ has the books you want, and 2/ is considerably cheaper.
For what its worth, when I moved to an "outer arrondisement" my neighbors asking if I wasn't thrilled to be living away from "tourist central". The answer was a resounding "no". I missed having bookstores, theaters, cinemas and museums within close walking distance. Their answer was... yes, but that gives you a great excuse for a "sortie". Personally, I'm glad to have moved back to the center where it is a part of my daily life and "craving culture" is a non-issue.

I was not disparaging tourists. I just said that the bookstores are disappearing faster in 'tourist central' than other areas.

I don’t think Céline’s target clientele was ever drop-in browsers -- not really the nature of an antiquarian bookstore.

The possible closing of that store has less to do with anything she did wrong -- or right -- than with the changing neighborhood.

Antiquaires all over Paris, no matter what their specialty, are having similar problems. You can't compare this to a bookstore.

"I was not disparaging tourists. I just said that the bookstores are disappearing faster in 'tourist central' than other areas."

Is correct. As a bookseller, 35+ years, I know from first hand experience, it is not only the internet and Amazon but the Big box's who sell the books for less than the bookseller can buy them for and then get into P------matches with each other over the hot titles reducing the prices even lower. For the buyer this is of course great news, for the small shop it is a killer. Add to that many people these days are coming into shops checking the stock out then buying on line, in effect the smaller shops are becoming showrooms for the on line book business.
In order for a smaller used and new shop such as I have you need some of that quick turn best seller gravy. I can fully understand why they have decided to close faced with higher rents, less readers, and other issues in the book biz. You can only fight these things so long in a business before you reach the point of is your life worth it.
What few people fail to understand is they are becoming victims of what the big box's want you to read and what they can make a quick buck on, with little chance for new and interesting authors to get published as they use to, when publishers were willing to take a flyer on someone new, now they can't afford to do it. Big Box's want proven sellers. Amazons policy has also cut into the publisher base with many well known names, disappearing or having to merge to keep alive. That is what the Apple case is all about, publishers wanting to set a fair price for audio books, Apple wanting them basically free to public or close to it.
Also few people know these days that books are among the last remaining items still with price printed on them so no allowance can be made for increased shipping, or other costs which the big box's can build into their price on other items they sell.

Off the soap box

JoanneH, I don't know if you're in Paris or in the States, but the problem is everywhere.

We (my famimly) try, as much as possible to support indy bookstores. I have seen so many fall to the wayside, and it is so sad. You can't browse and sit and sip tea and pet the store cat online.

When we buy something, it is not just to possess that item, but the total experience. I realize not everyone sees it that way.

I love my Kindle for quick access and easy transportation of books, but I will never give up the pleasure of holding a book in my hands. Visiting bookstores when traveling is a small, but important part of the visit. It's one of the few places where time often appears to have stood still (aside from sterile museums). I love browsing, finding and leaving with a special little package and, when I return home, these books, when held, place me back in the dusty little shop on a Paris side street or Charing Cross in London for a moment or two.

We had so many here that closed and I especially miss the second hand book stores where often you would find something tucked into the pages, a missile, a poem . whatever. Holding a book in your hand is something special a kindle can't give you. The smell of musty pages, of old leather and linen bindings and ones imagination of the previous owner.

toupary, I am not a drop-in browser. I am a neighbor and my Dad is a collector. I like to give my kids precious books for important birthdays. I am educated on the subject. Celine is not really in to welcoming new clients. Tried several times. Her store is over crowded and hard to sift through. Even Mr French had a hard time with it and he is patient about this sort of thing. The street she is on has several antique booksellers and they are great about helping you find what you're looking for.
I write for a living, I love books and will not Kindle. That said, I gave up on Eng bookstores in Paris ages ago.

Sorry, Phread. I didn't mean to hit a nerve. I hadn't realized the thread was about you.

Let me put it simply: that store has never depended on drop-in business. It is a destination, and Céline has an established clientele. I doubt that she even needs a storefront.

And, I must say, I have always found her to be welcoming.

If that store happens to survive the economic factors that are affecting all antiquaires and, in fact, all small businesses, comments such as yours are not helping.

My understanding, based on the articles posted on her door, is that Celine is in danger of closing because her landlord wants more rent, and not because of outside economic factors that effect antique dealers as a whole.
Somebody she tell her that she doesn't need a store front, because she seems to think otherwise and is fighting pretty hard to keep it. She also keeps several boxes of used books for sale in front of the shop to attract the drop-in business she doesn't depend on.

And you don't consider a hike in rent to be an economic factor?

Let's allow this thread to get back on topic, rather than commenting on what you perceive to be her motivations. You are clearly basing your comments on your own personal experience.

My experience with her has been positive.

I have read that most independent bookstores in France are living on the razor's edge for profitability -- generally just 1 or 2%. So any change in rent wipes most of them out.

Of course its economic, I simply consider her situation unique from what other antiquarians are facing today, mostly because the shop itself is historic.