Jeremy Mercer - Books, Baguettes & Bedbugs (2nd Hand Paperback)
Synopsis
Subtitled : The Left Bank World of Shakespeare & Co.
'Shakespeare and Company' in Paris is one of the world's most famous bookshops. The original store opened in 1921 and became known as the haunt of literary greats, such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Bernard Shaw, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein and James Joyce.
Sadly the shop was forced to close in 1941, but that was not the end of 'Shakespeare and Company' . . . In 1951 another bookshop, with a similar free-thinking ethos, opened on the Left Bank. Called 'Le Mistral', it had beds for those of a literary mindset who found themselves down on their luck and, in 1964, it resurrected the name 'Shakespeare and Company' and became the principal meeting place for Beatnik poets, such as Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, through to Henry Miller and Lawrence Durrell.
Today the tradition continues and writers still find their way to this bizarre establishment, one of them being Jeremy Mercer. With no friends, no job, no money and no prospects, the thrill of escape from his life in Canada soon palls but, by chance, he happens upon the fairytale world of 'Shakespeare and Co' and is taken in.
What follows is his tale of his time there, the curious people who came and went, the realities of being down and out in the 'city of light' and, in particular, his relationship with the beguiling octogenarian owner, George.
Details
- Format : Standard 2nd Hand Paperback
- Condition : Very Good
- Category : Non-Fiction - Europe
- Published : 2005 (This Edition 2006 - Phoenix / Orion Books)
- ISBN : 9780753820582
- SKU : B002868
- PPC : LL300gm
- RRP : £8.99
- Quantity Available : 1 only.
External Reviews
"An enchanting memoir of a struggling writer living and working in the eccentric Parisian bookshop, 'Shakespeare and Company'. Completely riveting . . . a vivid picture of modern Paris' - The Observer.
"An affectionate, revealing slice of life at the most singular, eccentric & magical of bookshops." - Michael Palin.
"The portrait of Paris's most famous bookstore . . . readings on the banks of the Seine, idealistic banter and impulsive philanthropic gestures - is alluring." - The Times.
"There are enough shocks and secrets to make this account that unusual thing - the story of a bookshop that's a real page-turner - a small classic of literary life." - The Sunday Times.
"He entertainingly tell the story of his time there and the weird and wonderful people he meets." - City Life.
"This is a book, and a writer, with heart." - The Herald.
"With such stories to relate, the book cannot help but be charming." - The Guardian.
The Author
Jeremy Mercer is an author and journalist whose books include Time Was Soft There and When the Guillotine Fell. He has also translated Robert Badinter's Abolition into English for University Press of New England. He is a founding member of the Paris arts collective Kilometer Zero.
Internal Reviews
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