La Bouquinerie

Before Christmas I was walking the dog in the area behind the town hall of the 14th arrondissement when I discovered a wonderful shop: the Oxfam Bouquinerie. link 

Whilst the English are used to charity shops on the high street, France is way behind. In England I would often pop into a charity shop to go through the book shelves, but in France I had only heard of Emmaüs which is The Place where you go to give your old clothes and furniture. On their book shelves you will find old, rather boring and smelly books, but I have bought some French classics there out of a sense duty: one should know the classics of one's new country, right?

Obviosuly, if you want to buy secondhand books, you can go to the bouquinistes along the Seine or to the Marché aux Puces at St Ouen or to one of the many street markets all over town at any weekend of the year, but if you want to support charity, you really do not have much choice. A friend of mine would be upset if I did not mention the shops of Secours Catholique, but as an atheist I am reluctant to support a religious organisation, albeit the Secours Catholique does a brilliant job and helps people no matter their religion.

Behind the bright green door at La Bouquinerie you will find an excellent selection of books in English as well as French novels, art books and much more. I always head for the English section where I find books which have come out in paperback only a year or two ago. I don't have to look for long, and within 15 minutes I hold a couple of books in my hand. Today I chose three books, ranging in price from €0.50 to €4.50. The price is more than reasonable when you consider that any English book in a book store here in Paris will cost around €12.

My dog is welcome in the shop, too, and if I could make a wish, it would be for an armchair where I could sit whilst I make my final selection. And perhaps some good music in the background?

When going through the shelves at La Bouquinerie I cannot help thinking of the person who bought the book - and gave it away to charity.  I just cannot imagine giving away a book. Lend it to a friend? Yes, but give it away as if it were an old shirt? No, I couldn't do that. A book, whether I like it or not, has become part of me and will remain on my bookshelves as a reminder of a good or bad reading experience.

In my house in Marseille I have bookshelves covering a whole wall up to 3 metres high! Dust collectors? Definitely! I cannot even reach the books at the top without a ladder, and more often than not I find myself climbing and holding myself in precarious positions to find just THAT book which is out of reach, of course!

What about public liabraries? They exist in France, but I have never taken to them. In Denmark I would use the public library whenever I wanted to read a book, and in my childhood we would go to the public library on Friday night after the supermarket. The rest of the weekend everybody would be found around the house with a pile of books next to his chosen sofa or armchair..... Books are expensive in Denmark with the VAT at 25%. In France the VAT on books is currently at 5.5%, but I understand that the tax will be increased to 7% as from 1 April 2012. This is still reasonable, so I won't complain, and if I can continue to find good books at La Bouquinerie, then my reading for 2012 is safe!