All my life, I’ve loved books. And with that comes a love of bookshops too. If you feel the same, I recommend you visit Shakespeare and Company in Paris. It’s truly the most magical bookshop in the world. And here’s why…
Shakespeare and Company is a small bookshop just opposite Notre Dame in Paris. The store opened over 100 years ago, and is filled with history, charm and of course, LOTS of books! You can’t miss it… there’s always hundreds of tourists outside taking pictures, because once you’re in, no photos are allowed.
When it first opened, Shakespeare and Company was a library, until becoming a publishing house and bookstore. It was the only place to publish Joyce’s controversial book, Ulysses in 1922 and from then on it became more and more famous.
The outside is a beautiful dark green colour, with loads of books on stands and in cases for you to browse. It has a beautiful red door too, which leads you into the best place on Earth for book lovers!
BOOKS, TYPEWRITERS AND… A CAT?
Don’t be fooled by Shakespeare and Company on the outside, because it’s like a Tardis on the inside. It looks as though it was once a home, as there’s creaky floorboards, and small walkways to get to different rooms – not forgetting the upstairs area! The store is much bigger than you think, and the amount books in there is unreal!
The store is something out of a Disney movie. It’s got ladders that slide along so staff can grab the book you want… a piano upstairs… a bed that I imagine belonged to someone important… and even a really old typewriter. But the best thing about it, is the cat that actually lives in the bookstore. At first we thought she was a stuffed toy, and then she jumped down off the windowsill and made us jump! It was so cute, and it’s well worth going just to see the cat!
Any genre of book you can think of, it’s there. And there’s some really old, antique ones knocking about that I can only image aren’t cheap at all. It’s why I found Shakespeare and Company to be more of a museum than a book store, so it is well worth going to see as it won’t cost you a Euro! Not unless you buy a book, of course.
For more information on Shakespeare and Company, you can find out more here: https://shakespeareandcompany.com
Are you weird like me and love bookstores? Have you been to Shakespeare and Company before? Let me know in the comments!
For more on Paris, here’s the other articles in my series:
Shakespeare and Company looks amazing! I haven’t been to Paris since I was little, but I’d love to go back and visit this bookshop. I’ve only ever seen it on Pinterest so it’s amazing to read about what it was like inside. Thanks for sharing!
Shannen | https://shannenclaire.co.uk
It was really amazing! Such a unique place, you’ll defo have to take a trip there when you have the chance to go to Paris. Thanks for your comment x