I’m on a trip to Paris for a few days more. This might have been discussed quite recently, but I can’t find it. Can you recommend any bookstores with classics? Calepinus, which has been praised on Textkit, is no more, or has moved to another city. Gibert Joseph does have quite a nice section. Any other tips? Thanks!
Hi Paul, yes it depends what you’re after: new books or rare ones. For new books, you can also check out e.g. Librairie Guillaume Budé Les Belles Lettres on 95 Bd Raspail, 75006.
If you’re after rare books, please let me know: I went to most of the stores again a few months back; there are some that don’t appear easily on an online search; you’ll need to ring the bell and a minute later the venerable proprietor will emerge smoking a cigar and allow you to step over the piles of books dating back to the 1500s to find your way to the shelves on the walls. If you like poring through piles of books and manuscripts literally floor to ceiling with a knowledgeable bookstore owner, check out A la 42ème Ligne, 24 r Fleurus, 75006: I spent many hours in there in September, it’s amazing; I helped translate a passage in Greek from one of the rare medical textbooks for the owner while flicking through quite rare bound manuscripts.
Calepinus’ store in the left bank closed quite a few years back, and they moved online. Other stores closed too, e.g. Picard shut down about 8 years or so ago and has been replaced with another bookstore that is less focused on classics.
If you are in Paris on a weekend, also check out the outdoor (covered) book market in the 15th: 104 rue Brancion. I just found an article on it here: https://www.itinari.com/the-best-paris-markets-georges-brassens-book-market-u4uq . You can pick up rare books there for good value: I picked up a 1600s Lucretius there, and a few other nice books; randomly, while we were walking our dogs through that market once, some filmmakers on site asked to put our dogs in their movie (we had to sign away any dog royalties, which was hilarious).
Cheers, Chad
Thanks. I’m mostly after ”useful” books, i.e. those that help me with Greek texts - books both new and old. I have many books from the second half of the 1800’s I regularly use, but not many beyond that or of those that one would call ”rare”. Those more are like curiosities to me, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be tempted if I find something that interests me. But it would have to be quite special to make me pay hundreds and thousands of euros. It all depends… I might feel uneasy disturbing the gentleman’s cigar smoking and leaving without buying anything!
Hi Paul, yes I agree. Your best bet is to check out the store on boulevard Raspail that I mentioned above, Gibert Joseph (as you mentioned), FNAC, and (for commentaries and secondary literature on philosophical works, in many languages) Librairie philosophique J. Vrin, which is on the square out the front of the Sorbonne.
I too only buy rare books if they are “useful”, where they contain insights (in any form) on the texts from past classicists: that Lucretius I mentioned is a Delphini, and so has a helpful running prose version in Latin, plus notes in Latin. From Bénelli Jacques (where you ring the bell) I got a nice rare 4-volume edition of Cicero’s speeches, where every argument has been summarised in Latin in the footnotes — useful commentary for reading the text which has dropped out in the relatively standardised format of modern commentary publishing.
Cheers, Chad
I visited À la 42ème ligne and it was just like you said - the proprietor is a very knowledgeable and slightly eccentric fellow. I had lengthy discussion with him, and when I noticed I didn’t have cash on me (of course he doesn’t take cards) he took me to the nearest automatic teller. I had a little problem with the teller and he wanted to offer me a coffee at café to recomfort me… I was a already in a bit of hurry so I declined, but what nice man! Anyway, I bought a nice cheap Iliad from the early 19th century and another book from the first republic era in French out of curiosity. He promised to look for more books in Greek in case I manage to drop by again on Saturday.
At the Budé store I bought a new edition of Arrianus’s Anabasis (the first 2 books). It’s quite new (I didn’t know about its existence) so I couldn’t find any review, I’ll see what it’s worth. I’ve long wanted to read that author.
I also visited librairie Epsilon, which had a nice collection of Budés. The proprietor is a lady who bought the store just a couple years ago, so she still in the process of cataloguing her collection, but she was very helpful as well.
Sounds great. If you’re loaded up with books now, I’d suggest you head back to boulevard Raspail one last time on Sunday morning and get a galette de pomme de terre (the same guy has been making them for years), then head down to the 15th for the outdoor book market which really does have some great classics books, 104 rue Brancion.
There are also some very nice bookstores on rue de Seine if you just want to browse and dream about very expensive books well out of reach (they will often ask you for your budget when you walk in and ask for classics books: above EUR100k? Um, not quite… you can see some beautiful books though).
Cheers, Chad
I can only wish I were in a position to browse these Parisian bookstores, but could you give some more information about that edition of Cicero, Chad? Is it available on Google Books vel sim.? It sounds quite useful.
Hi, it’s the Delphini edition of Cicero’s orations. Here is an example:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/M_Tullii_Ciceronis_Orationes_cum_delectu/pwQkWjsliJkC?hl=en
I wouldn’t use these alone (e.g. I also used Kinsey’s commentary when reading Cicero’s first oration in this collection), but it’s always helpful supplementing with these older notes.
Cheers, Chad
Thanks, Chad.
Have you tried Shakespeare and Company? Also, there are numerous book stalls along the Seine. You’ll certainly find something scattered throughout. (I realize this is old, but it might help future Google-ers!)
Epsilon is on 33 Rue de Vaugirard, and the proprietor’s name is Laure, and somehow she’s got a lot of books about Greece, modern and ancient. And a lot of French poetry and ballet books. Her shop is really unique.