CopperandJade

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.

wanderful

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

http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/...shops-dwindle/

kerouac

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."

CopperandJade

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.

cigalechanta

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

CopperandJade

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.

Phread

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.

kerouac

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

toupary6

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.

JoanneH

"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

toupary6

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.

MelJ

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.

cigalechanta

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.

Phread

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.

toupary6

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.

Phread

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.

toupary6

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.

kerouac

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.

Phread

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

Coquelicot

Becherel is a book town in Brittany, with about 20 bookstores (when we were there two years ago), mostly older books, and of course, mostly in French. Their books in English were a treat for us because most were from English, rather than American publishers, so lots was new to us.

Becherel is a great place to go and browse if you're in the area. The town itself is pretty interesting but the bookstores are the real draw.

The tourist office gave us a pamphlet of the book towns in Europe and I think there's a website. We had spent a wonderful afternoon in Hay-on-Wye many years ago and were happy to learn there are a few book towns in the US. It's such a great idea to cluster a lot of bookstores in the same town.

Stores in Becherel are having hard times, too. Selling over the internet probably helps them, but they may have to close their storefront. Anytime that happens, it's a loss to the neighborhood as well as to readers and customers.