France will save the world (of books)

Books will never go out of print for as long as the French are around!

One of my dreams has always been to open a coffee shop that is also a great bookstore. Because I love books. And one of the things I’ve noticed about Paris life is that people love to read.

there are great bookstores all over Paris

Interestingly, 88% of French people consider themselves regular readers, with at least 92% having read at least one book within a one-year period. That’s according a 2019 study by the National Book Center in France. (read more here)

Imagine if books went away like many American newspapers have. Quel horreur!

But for as long as the French are around, that’s not going to happen.

reading is a beloved pastime in France

First, bookstores don’t rip off customers by offering only high-priced books. Sure, you can go that route, but you have other options too. In France, there is something called les livres de poches which is literally translated to ‘pocket books’.

These books are small and much cheaper to print. And they publish all kinds of genres: detective/crime thrillers (these are very popular and are called policiers in French), romance, classics, humor, cartoon books - you name it.

source: Le Livre de Poche

The first Livre de Poche books were printed in 1953 and included some of the titles pictured above, like Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, and L’Ingénue Libertine by Colette.

Second, reading is almost contagious. There is nothing like seeing someone engrossed in their book on the metro, in the park, or sitting on a bench anywhere around the city at any given time. I enjoy seeing young and old people alike slipping under the spell of a good book. It makes me want to head over to my nearest bookstore and start browsing.

Finally, there is a lovely bit of ceremony around buying books as gifts. I went to a nice bookstore in May, where there was a line of people buying books and having them wrapped up with beautiful paper. (I am also a lover of nice paper so this really delights me.) Aside from the holidays, it doesn’t occur to me to buy a book as a gift, but the French do it with charm any time of year.

bouquinistes in Paris

Let’s not forget the bouquinistes! These revered booksellers who line the Seine with their little green huts are a Parisian icon I have written about before. These biblio-pros have all kinds of fun reads, from antiquarian tomes to modern-day novels. You can even ask them for recommendations (if you speak French), which is a delicious experience.

One more thing: before you head over to your nearest French bookstore, the French word for bookstore is librairie (while the word for library is bibliotheque). So don’t get caught out by the ‘false friend’ that is a cruel joke played on us English speakers.

Happy reading!