BOOKSTORES OF THE WORLD

A tribute to literary oases.

Mollier and Sorel are French, so it makes sense that the scholars of the history of bookselling begin their global photographic tour of bookstores in their home country. Beyond any practical considerations, there’s good reason to start in France: It is, they write, “a world leader in book outlets per capita, and the first country to pass a law to protect ‘bibliodiversity’”—restricting online retailers from undercutting the country’s 3,500 independent bookstores. “Bookdealers have always been highly vulnerable,” the authors add, “whether burned at the stake in the sixteenth century (like Michel Servet in Geneva and Étienne Dolet in Paris), heavily fined in London in the late nineteenth century (like Henry Vizetelly, guilty of selling the English translation of Émile Zola’s allegedly ‘obscene’ The Soil), or imprisoned in Brazil in the late twentieth century, for selling Marxist literature during the military dictatorship.” This book can therefore be read as a celebration of a trade that has existed against all odds. Readers will be familiar with many of the beloved shops featured here. In Paris, there is Shakespeare and Company, the English-language store that has attracted readers since the 1950s. Vibrant photographs capture its charm, from its wood beam ceilings to its upright piano. We see graceful interior and exterior shots of London’s capacious Foyles, as well as the equally mighty Strand Bookstore in New York City and Powell’s Books in Portland. Happily, the book highlights many lesser-known stores, including ones in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. In Cameroon, the authors write, the Librairie des Peuples Noirs—the Black Peoples’ Bookshop—“symbolizes the struggle of its founder, Mongo Beti, and of all African people to make their rights and cultures known.” As the authors observe, “Bookstores are surprisingly diverse and inventive….Gigantic or tiny, with or without a roof, fixed or itinerant, bookshops all convey the same love of books—a love that brings people together.”

A gorgeous and thoughtful overview that will bring joy to any bibliophile.