Bookstalls in Paris authentic
The “bouquinistes’ (= Paris’ bookstalls) are traditional secondhand booksellers located along the quays of the rive Seine. It’s the largest open-air bookshop in Europe. One of the most iconic symbols of Paris. Paris wouldn’t be the same without its bookstalls!
In “A moveable feast” Hemingway mentions the bouquinistes; Hemingway used to visit the bookstalls and buy second-hand books there, especially on the left bank (Hemingway has spent all his Parisian years on the left bank (first in the Latin Quarter, then, in Montparnasse, then in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and finally in the South part of Montparnasse).
“In the bookstalls along the quais, you could sometimes find American books that had just been published for sale very cheaply…if the people (in the Tour d’Argent’s rooms) who lived there left any books behind there was a bookstall not far along the quai where the valet de chambre sold them and you could buy them from the proprietress for a very few francs…. After that bookstall near the Tour d’Argent, there were no others that sold American and English books entitle Quai des Grands Augustins” (in A Moveable feast – Chapter 4 – People of the Seine)
Among the other most famous customers, François Mitterrand, who liked to “browse” the quays, then walking back home (rue de Bièvre – Paris 5) followed by his two bodyguards!
Some figures:
- Around 1000 boxes
- 240 booksellers
- 3 kms along the river Seine
- Since the 16th century
- More than 300 000 items: books and magazines and many others items
- Opened daily from the morning to sunset (but generally from 11am). Then the “boxes are locked with padlocks
Bookstalls in Paris – 1920
Where does the word “bouquiniste” come from?
Bouquiniste is formed with the word “bouquin”. The Bouquinistes are the shopsellers who sell “bouquins”! (The term “bouquiniste” appeared in the dictionary of the French Academy in 1762.)
Bouquin doesn’t mean exactly “book”. The classic and exact French translation for book is : “livre”. Actually, “livre” and bouquin” are synonymous but with a slight difference (more details/explanation below).
The word “bouquin” was originally used to depict an old book. Nowadays, “bouquin” is more often used to depict a book in a familiar way, a bit closer to French slang for book. It’s not rude at all to use the word “bouquin”, but it’s a much less elegant way of speaking… less litterary!!! The word “bouquin” come from the old dutch word (17th c): boeckjijn ou boekin
My personal note : The bookstalls are so much a part of Paris’ landscape that I believe unfortunately, we Parisians (including myself), sort of forget about them.
Both planning to write this article, and taking my visitors for tours nearby and along the Seine gave me the opportunity to rediscover these iconic bookstalls much better (!) , And it made me want to spend more time browsing them. It reminded me of how pleasant it is to stroll along this huge open-air bookshop in the wonderful setting of the Seine and with Notre Dame, the Conciergerie or Le Louvre in the background. So thank you for that !!
What bookstalls sell ?
What do they look like and where to find them?
They are 240 of them, dark green color. In French, we call their color : “green wagon”. It refers to the dark green of old train carriages. The color has been strictly defined since 1891, so as to be in harmony with the Wallace fountains and the Morris columns.
And we call them : “boîtes” (= “boxes”). They are made with metal and they are hanging on the parapets of the banks of the Seine.
They are all the same size : The size was fixed since 1930 :
- Length: 2 meters
- Between each box: 20cm.
- Width: 0.75 meters.
- The upper edge of the opened cover mustn’t be higher than 2.10 meters above the ground.
- They are registered on the UNESCO world heritage since 1991.
There are 240 of them extending for 2,8 kilometers along the banks of the Seine:
WHERE?
On the right bank from Marie bridge (= Pont Marie Paris 4 – Marais neighborhood – Metro stop Pont Marie or Saint Paul) to Louvre bank ( = Quai du Louvre – nearby Le Louvre)
On the left bank from Tournelle bank ( = Quai de la Tournelle – Paris 5 – Latin Quarter) to Voltaire bank ( = Quai Voltaire, nearby Orsay Museum and the rue du Bac)
Being a bookseller:
4 boxes are allowed for each bookseller (4 boxes of 2 meters long for each bookseller). The booksellers don’t pay any tax nor rent but they need to get a license ( a yearly renewable license, issued by the City of Paris). They must be open at least 4 days a week.
A beautiful paint of bookstails in Paris near Notre-Dame
