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A Novel Bookstore

Laurence Cossé,

Alison Anderson (Goodreads Author) (Translator)

3.50 · Rating details · 3,702 ratings · 726 reviews

Ivan, a one-time world traveler, and Francesca, a ravishing Italian heiress, are the owners of a bookstore that is anything but ordinary. Rebelling against the business of bestsellers and in search of an ideal place where their literary dreams can come true, Ivan and Francesca open a store where the passion for literature is given free rein. Tucked away in a corner of Pari ...more

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Paperback, 416 pages

Published August 31st 2010 by Europa Editions (first published 2009)

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Aug 25, 2012 karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: distant-lands, books-about-books-about-books

this is a novel that is ideal for those of us who can lose ourselves for hours in a bookstore. any bookstore; whether it be a giant chain box store, or a dusty used-bookstore. this is a book for people for whom coming across a book that is just perfect for your mood or place in your life can be the highlight of your week.

this is a book for me.

imagine coming across a bookstore that only carried "good books." now, this assessment is of course fraught with problems, "what makes a good book??", and ...more

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Sep 30, 2019 Glenn Russell added it

There you are, a booklover in Paris, walking the streets on a crisp day in autumn. To your delight, you've read there's a new bookstore recently opened, one specializing in fine literary novels from around the world. You know the address and you look forward to an enjoyable visit to The Good Novel.

For avid readers of excellent literature, such a bookstore would be a dream come true. If you are nodding your head in agreement, then A Novel Bookstore is for you. Really for you. Laurence Cossé's nov ...more

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Jul 12, 2010 Kelly rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Kelly by: Elizabeth

Shelves: bibliophilia, europa-editions, tres-francais, owned, fiction, grande-dames, 21st-century

I would like to say before I begin this review that I am a liar. Those five stars above are in many ways undeserved. They are certainly not given for any objective literary merit. They are not given for superior plotting (darlings, you thought I was that blind?) or suspense, for consistently admirable positions- whether political or otherwise (there is a reason that all the blurbs on the back of this book are taken from French newspapers that are standard bearers for the political right), for a ...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Richard Derus rated it it was amazing

Real Rating: 4.9* of five

The Publisher Says: Ivan, a one-time world traveler, and Francesca, a ravishing Italian heiress, are the owners of a bookstore that is anything but ordinary. Rebelling against the business of bestsellers and in search of an ideal place where their literary dreams can come true, Ivan and Francesca open a store where the passion for literature is given free reign. Tucked away in a corner of Paris, the store offers its clientele a selection of literary masterpieces chosen b Real Rating: 4.9* of five

The Publisher Says: Ivan, a one-time world traveler, and Francesca, a ravishing Italian heiress, are the owners of a bookstore that is anything but ordinary. Rebelling against the business of bestsellers and in search of an ideal place where their literary dreams can come true, Ivan and Francesca open a store where the passion for literature is given free reign. Tucked away in a corner of Paris, the store offers its clientele a selection of literary masterpieces chosen by a top-secret committee of likeminded literary connoisseurs. To their amazement, after only a few months, the little dream store proves a success. And that is precisely when their troubles begin. At first, both owners shrug off the anonymous threats that come their way and the venomous comments concerning their store circulating on the Internet, but when three members of the supposedly secret committee are attacked, they decide to call the police. One by one, the pieces of this puzzle fall ominously into place, as it becomes increasingly evident that Ivan and Francesca’s dreams will be answered with pettiness, envy and violence.

My Review: Well, okay, see, this is a French novel, and it's really, really hard for a Murrikin like me to disentangle what French novels are about, like what the author set out to do, because the French don't really have the same rules we Murrikins do for novel-writing. It seems to be about two people, a rich, smart woman and a poor, smart man, who sorta kinda fall in love in a way and yet they don't because she's married to a major Philistine a-hole and he's in love, for some unfathomable reason, with this dreary little chickie half his age who seems drippy, useless, and uninteresting to *me* and, I suspect, to the rich lady too. So the rich lady does what rich people do best and unbelts with a big pile of gelt for the poor-but-smart dude to start this bookstore that will sell only novels, and only the best, the finest, the most ut of the lit'ry output of the planet, chosen by eight of the best (French) writers now writing. Hijinks ensue, which are frankly completely incredible (in its literal sense), but are lots of fun. What this book is *not* is any species of thriller or mystery; it's a French novel. That's what it is. No more, no less, no different. So, in the end, the Philistine husband and the poor-but-smart dude part ways but the store must go on, and the book's narrator is revealed, though I have to say it's not a huge surprise, though I think it's intended that way. The end, happily ever after but sadder and wiser.

I gave the book a generous 4.9 stars because it's one of those books that, while reading, goes wildly up and down the star scale; but in the end, cover closed, glasses chewed upon, assumes a different shape than the one that the reading process creates.

I'd recommend this book to all and sundry if only because of this passage, beautifully translated by the very talented Alison Anderson, on page 150 of the Europa edition:

Literature is a source of pleasure...it is one of the rare inexhaustible joys in life, but it's not only that. It must not be dissociated from reality. Everything is there. That is why I never use the word fiction. Every subtlety in life is material for a book....Have you noticed...that I'm talking about novels? Novels don't contain only exceptional situations, life or death choices, or major ordeals; there are also everyday difficulties, temptations, ordinary disappointments; and, in response, every human attitude, every type of behavior, from the finest to the most wretched. There are books where, as you read, you wonder: What would I have done? It's a question you have to ask yourself. Listen carefully: it is a way to learn to live. There are grown-ups who will say no, literature is not life, that novels teach you nothing. They are wrong. Literature informs, instructs, it prepares you for life.

If that passage rings you like the bell you wondered if you might be, then this book will speak to you and shape you a bit differently than you were before; if it seems tediously long, avoid this book like it's got herpes, because you'll hate it.

*gooonnnggg* goes my spirit. ...more

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Oct 23, 2019 Connie G rated it really liked it

Shelves: france, books-about-books, mystery

"A Novel Bookstore" is a beautiful tribute to fine literature. Bookseller Ivan and heiress Francesca open a bookstore in Paris that sells only good literature chosen by a secret committee of eight novelists. The store with its high quality books and comfy couches is very successful at first. But then the bookstore comes under attack online and in other media by what seems to be an organized group determined to stop a new trend quickly. Is it a publisher, a writer, or a prize judge whose books ha ...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Greg rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-about-books, fiction, girls-girls-girls, europa

First things first, thank you so much, Elizabeth, for this book!

I loved this book, and it wasn't just because I saw a little bit of Karen and myself and the ways we try to promote 'good' books over the onslaught of 'not-so-good' books. Of course we work in an evil corporate bookstore, but along with others at our particular evil corporate bookstore I think we do a fairly good job at fighting the good fight, so to speak. Elizabeth already wrote an excellent review for this book, and it has the q ...more

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May 27, 2011 Fionnuala added it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-french

A bookshop with space to linger and permission to read as much as you like.
A bookshop where the latest prize winners aren’t automatically promoted.
A book shop where you won’t come across stacks and stacks of current blockbusters.
A bookshop full of good novels you already know and many more waiting to be discoverd.
Such is the uncomplicated dream of this novel’s main characters when they decide to open Au Bon Roman on rue Duypuytrin in the centre of Paris.
But who should decide what is good?
A ...more

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Dec 14, 2010 Felice rated it it was ok

Umm...yeah. Part of the premise of this novel is that the bookstore of the title only stocks the best novels available. All I need to tell you is that they would not stock A Novel Bookstore.

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Sep 28, 2011 Elizabeth La Lettrice rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Elizabeth La Lettrice by: Elizabeth

Shelves: europa-editions, favorites, france, not-your-typical-love-story, books-for-book-lovers, living-vicariously

"He is eager to deliver his letters rogatory, and is somewhat excited: a rather unusual matter, just imagine, the victim is literature."

I am not sure how best to describe how much I loved this book. It is impossible not to love. If you are a lover of literature, bookstores, and well.. all things literary, then this is definitely the book for you. I was so pleased to see how contemporary it was. At times, the author/narrator took moments to reflect on the "greater" issues going on in the world. T "He is eager to deliver his letters rogatory, and is somewhat excited: a rather unusual matter, just imagine, the victim is literature."

I am not sure how best to describe how much I loved this book. It is impossible not to love. If you are a lover of literature, bookstores, and well.. all things literary, then this is definitely the book for you. I was so pleased to see how contemporary it was. At times, the author/narrator took moments to reflect on the "greater" issues going on in the world. This only helped give the sense of how the main characters (and bookstore founders), had such little intentions of creating a stir in the politics of the world (how they were wrong!) - which made the reactions that followed all the more serious. They thought that by opening a store that featured only "good novels" chosen by a secret commitee of contemporary [French] literary greats, they would create their own ideal bookstore. However, the ramifications of their unexpected success turned the publishing world completely upside-down. Some direct results of their project, mirrored in the sales of the store and later slowly trickling outward, included out of print titles becoming increasingly popular, calling for reprints - and new titles from "pop" authors going largely unnoticed.

This concept is incredibly interesting to me. Though I always favor printed books, I do own an ereader and occasionally stroll through the ebook sites for new reads. You cannot ignore the massive amounts of self-published GARBAGE out there. Yes, I said it. GARBAGE. Not all of it is, I'm sure. However, I can't help but wish there was some sort of "quality policing" out there. As much as editors can be fickle and miss out on some great works, I truly believe the filtering that is a major part of their jobs is a benefit to us fickle readers. I don't want to waste my time on garbage. There is simply not enough time in this world for me to read all of the Good Novels as it is. There is a quote that I am going to steal from Elizabeth's review that gives a great feel for the general theme of this novel and is a quote that so many can relate to:

"We want necessary books, books we can read the day after the funeral, when we have no tears left from all our crying, when we can hardly stand for the pain; books that will be there like loved ones when we have tidied a dead child's room and copied out her secret notes to have them with us, always[...].

We have no time to waste on insignificant books, hollow books, books that are there to please.

We have no time for those sloppy, hurried books[...].

We want books that are written for those of us who doubt everything, who cry over the least little thing, who are startled by the slightest noise.

We want books that cost their authors a great deal, books where you can feel the years of work, the backache, the writer's block, the author's panic at the thought that he might be lost: his discouragement, his courage, his anguish, his stubbornness, the risk of failure that he has taken."

With this is mind, that is why I love Goodreads. ANY book that I have an inkling of interent in must pass the tests of the faithful Goodreads reviewers. YOU GUYS ARE MY COMMITTEE. The best part, however, is that I can get a feel from your tastes to gage how I will take your review. Someone with completely different interests as mine will not have a review that I take as seriously.

This was my first reading of this novel and I was so completely absorbed that I couldn't possibly stop to note all of the titles that I wanted to look into or all of the quotes that I wanted to save. (In fact, I was completely surprised that more quotes weren't listed on the title's Goodreads page.) This book definitely deserves a second reading. There is just so much to take out of it for us book lovers to devour. If you shared this dilemma, I suggest the Good Novel website which actually lists all of the books mentioned in A Novel Bookstore under the tab "Books at the Good Novel"(it appears that way anyway):

http://www.thegoodnovel.com/?page_id=8

Let me know what you think! :) ...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Jenny rated it it was ok

I don't know. I didn't get this book at all. Really, the plot is very simple: a wealthy woman and a bookseller decide to open a store called "The Good Novel" where they sell only, wait for it, good novels. This is supposed to be some kind of revolutionary movement that will change society for the better. Then they, and the famous authors who decide what constitutes a good novel, begin to be attacked. Because this store is so threatening. Also there are random love affairs. And then midway throug ...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Paula rated it liked it

Well,now, what to say about this literary non thriller set in Paris. Let's see, it has a terrific opening that led me to believe it would be a mystery about books and book lovers. But that hope was dashed when the owners begin telling the tale of the Novel Bookstore to the police. Convoluted to say the least and really not all that riveting, but I was charmed by the idea of a bookstore devoted only to great literature. The problem being, of course, who is to decide what constitutes great. The ow ...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Julie Christine rated it really liked it

Recommended to Julie Christine by: Queen Anne Books

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, best-of-2010, read-2010, france-french-theme-setting

The gentle tone of this understated novel belies its passion. The passion lies not in the wistful but tepid love affairs of its principal characters, Ivan and Francesca, nor in the acts of spite and revenge committed by anonymous villains. Its passion is centered on a devotion to literature, on a celebration of the novel in its purest and finest form.

Francesca, the lonely and elegant wife of a Parisian captain of industry, and Ivan, an erstwhile adventurer and seller of comic books and classic The gentle tone of this understated novel belies its passion. The passion lies not in the wistful but tepid love affairs of its principal characters, Ivan and Francesca, nor in the acts of spite and revenge committed by anonymous villains. Its passion is centered on a devotion to literature, on a celebration of the novel in its purest and finest form.

Francesca, the lonely and elegant wife of a Parisian captain of industry, and Ivan, an erstwhile adventurer and seller of comic books and classic novels, combine forces to open a bookstore in the heart of Paris that has one simple goal: to sell only good novels. They form a secret committee of eight celebrated writers, asking each to submit a list of six hundred titles. These, along with their own choices, form the inventory that fills the shelves of their dream book boutique, The Good Novel.

Little do Francesca and Ivan anticipate or understand the firestorm of derision, envy and loathing they unleash within the publishing industry and literati by opening a bookstore that narrowly and exclusively defines what is a Good Novel. Though The Good Novel quickly builds a worldwide following of admirers and subscribers, its owners become the target of vituperative editorials by untraceable academics and libelous slams by internet prowlers. Members of the secret selection committee become targets of attacks that veer perilously close to attempted murder. The thread of the novel follows loosely the path of investigation into these threats by a sympathetic, erudite detective inspector.

My enthusiasm for A Novel Bookstore is less for the confectionery characters and a playfully surreal plot (though it is hard to resist Cossé’s delight in unspooling this tale; it reads in the same refined and distant manner as The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which must be a signature style of translator Alison Anderson). Rather, it is for the way its passionate intent makes me feel and think. I reflected on the power and beauty of the novel and, even more importantly, on what is truly worthy of my reading time. In their well-lighted space with its strategically placed sofas, Francesca and Ivan want nothing more than to offer their customers the opportunity to discover literature that was written with integrity, passion and truth.

Francesca uses an open letter in a respected Parisian daily newspaper to respond to the attacks from writers whose works were deliberately excluded, from literary prize committees that have long assumed the role of arbiter of novels, and from the powerful publishing agencies that serve as cultural gatekeepers. Her cri de cœur articulates beautifully the vision of The Good Novel:

"...masterful novels are life-giving. They enchant us. They help us to live. They teach us. It has become necessary to come to their defense and promote them relentlessly, because it is an illusion to thing that they have the power to radiate all by themselves.

We want books that cost their authors a great deal, books where you can feel the years of work, the backache, the writer’s block, the author’s panic…the risk of failure that he has taken.

We want splendid books, books that immerse us in the splendor of reality and keep us there; books that prove to us that love is at work in the world next to evil, right up against it... We want good novels.

We want books that leave nothing out: neither human tragedy nor everyday wonders, books that bring fresh air to our lungs.

And even if there is only one such book per decade… that would be enough. We want nothing else.”

The imaginary bookstore has a real presence on the web: www.thegoodnovel.com You can peruse some of what’s on offer and imagine what your dream bookstore would carry. Alas, amidst the Austen and Twain, my shop would feature sections overflowing with tomes on food and wine, heaps of travel literature and guides. Feel free to curl up in an overstuffed wing chair near the 18th century Europeans and lose yourself for an afternoon…
...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Lyndsay rated it really liked it

Though the idea that anyone can decide what is a "good" book is a difficult premise to support, I think most book lovers understand and possibly support the concept (If being discerning makes me an elitist then sign me up! I'm not hurting anyone but myself). As much fun as it is to read the latest bestseller, we know in the back of our heads that it is candy for the brain- not food for the soul. Hey, I've read Twilight just like everyone else. It didn't change my life. But it did make vacation w ...more

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Nov 18, 2010 Christine rated it really liked it

Shelves: literature-french, minority-and-women-writers

Over a year ago, I went into my local Borders to buy a copy of Last Watch. The woman behind me in line had a copy as well. We turned to each other and said, "Don't you love him?".

That's what books do.

Now, my local Border's is nothing like the bookstore in this novel, though my local Borders tends to hire readers as booksellers so as long as you know something about the book, they can find it. And as much as I enjoy the Watch books, they aren't really part of the 600.

But books are important. Read ...more

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Dec 12, 2010 Garnette rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Gripped with excitement for the first half, then dismayed by change of plot direction. However, I DO see that the author had no where else to go but to increase the tension after the blissful first half. Planning, designing, gathering, publicizing, inviting readers, finally launching even a gorgeous Parisian bookstore does not a book make. Except maybe to me and other aficionadas of the independent bookstore. So plot must take its place. I suppose. Still I read on, delighting in the writing, the ...more

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Aug 22, 2017 Kirsty rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, august-2017, read-on-holiday

Laurence Cosse's beautiful, bookish A Novel Bookstore proved the perfect tome to take on holiday to France. It has been wonderfully translated by Alison Anderson, and reads so fluidly. Cosse ties together different genres seamlessly, and there are so many interesting threads of story which run through the novel in consequence. The idea behind A Novel Bookstore is simple yet clever, and surely any bookworm's dream. I ended up adding an awful lot of new tomes to my TBR whilst reading. The only thi ...more

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Mar 09, 2012 K rated it liked it

Recommended to K by: M

Shelves: mysteriesthrillers, should-ve-been-shorter

What do French novels and Seinfeld have in common?

Well, if I got your attention with that question, my first answer is a disclaimer -- I have limited exposure to both and probably shouldn't be making judgments. But I won't let that stop me from offering my second answer, which is that both seem to create a great deal of drama around a nothing premise.

Maybe "nothing premise" isn't really fair or accurate. There was a premise here. "A Novel Bookstore" is yet another addition to the books-are-aweso What do French novels and Seinfeld have in common?

Well, if I got your attention with that question, my first answer is a disclaimer -- I have limited exposure to both and probably shouldn't be making judgments. But I won't let that stop me from offering my second answer, which is that both seem to create a great deal of drama around a nothing premise.

Maybe "nothing premise" isn't really fair or accurate. There was a premise here. "A Novel Bookstore" is yet another addition to the books-are-awesome-and-change-lives genre. (As a little aside, I must once again reference Daniel's review where he asks why books feel this constant need to justify their existence, particularly when they're clearly preaching to the choir -- if you're choosing to spend your limited leisure time reading this book, you probably already think books are pretty awesome.)

Having said that, this is arguably one of the better examples of this genre. A wealthy heiress and off-the-beaten-path bookseller collaborate to open a bookstore which is clearly meant to shove it in the face of all those mega-bookstores out there -- instead of a large multi-story complex, this small bookstore is highly selective and only includes "good novels" -- those nominated by a secret committee of high-brow authors.

And here's the rub -- the members of the committee are top secret! Oh, if this gets out! Whatever shall we do? Well, maybe I just don't get French culture but I couldn't understand why Renee, the concierge in The Elegance of the Hedgehog, was so desperate to hide her literary interests and here too, the need for absolute secrecy wasn't at all clear to me. But it created drama, so I guess we'll just have to accept it.

What was even more dramatic was the reaction to this bookstore's initial wild success. Oh, the anger. Oh, the wrath. Again, maybe I just don't get France. Isn't it a free country? Can't anyone open whatever kind of bookstore they want to, selective, mass-market, whatever? Can't people simply vote with their feet if they don't like the bookstore? Why all this intensity?

But what starts as internet flaming eventually culminates on physical attacks on a few of the secret committee members (gasp! How did the secret ever get out?), and now there's a mystery to be solved about who engineered this. There's also a love story which was pretty unimpressive. I hate to say it, but it's kind of ironic when a novel glorifying good novels doesn't manage to be one.

Okay. I'm being a little harsh here. It kept me reading until the end, and I was in fact charmed by the fantasy of a selective bookstore stocked with only good novels (although I have to add here that in my experience, authors actually aren't always the best sources of book recommendations. I wasn't crazy about many of the book's on Stephen King's must-read list, and I also haven't been thrilled with a lot of other author's recommendations). And I think some of my distance could be attributed to the not-particularly-eloquent translation, for which I can't blame the author or the book.

So I'll give this three stars because it had its redeeming features, and probably most goodreaders would appreciate the fantasy of a store which is kind of like goodreads in real time. ...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Triciareader added it

I love Europa editions. I had to buy this book because I loved it so much - I want to go through the book and make a list of the books which they recommend and start reading them. There are two pages mid-book that I want to see as a poster ... a manifesto for good books, not merely what is popular.

"For as long as literature has existed, suffering, joy, horror, grace, and everything that is great in humankind has produced great novels. These exceptional books are often not very well-known, and ...more

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Apr 15, 2011 M rated it really liked it

For a very long time now I have fantasized about opening up a bookstore - not a bookopolis ala B&N, or a cozy used bookstore per se, as much as one that instead of sporting categories such as fiction, non fiction, etc, mine would have 'I really loved this and everyone must read it,' 'this is really dark but so worth reading,' 'I couldn't finish this but everyone else seems to like it' shelves. In essence it would be the living breathing physical version of my goodreads list.
I think that most peo For a very long time now I have fantasized about opening up a bookstore - not a bookopolis ala B&N, or a cozy used bookstore per se, as much as one that instead of sporting categories such as fiction, non fiction, etc, mine would have 'I really loved this and everyone must read it,' 'this is really dark but so worth reading,' 'I couldn't finish this but everyone else seems to like it' shelves. In essence it would be the living breathing physical version of my goodreads list.
I think that most people who love reading have such fantasies, because we know what it is to walk into a bookstore and need help, far more help than the formal labels of mystery and historical fiction can ever give. I want an average star rating, I want Amazon comments, I want to know what to read and what won't waste my time and money.
For this reason, A Novel Bookstore was bound to steal my heart for the premise alone- a bookstore that is built upon a desire to have only truly good reads in the bookstore.
This highly appealing concept prompts a world of issues, inevitably, as what determines a truly good book? The store at first takes Paris by storm - but soon enough people resent the elitism, the snobbery, and the insult that comes with selection. Things turn ugly as the top secret selection committee is hunted down and, person by person, stalked and attacked so as to settle the score of such prejudice.
I don't do mystery, but this was no cliched whodunnit with you guessing all the suspects and finding there to be little merit to the storyline otherwise. Rather, this is a love letter to literature, and then (raising it from three stars to four for me, more on that later) the novel transcends even this and serves as a fascinating metaphor of the general question of capitalism versus communism - is there a place for mediocre literature, is there an inherent problem in having standards, will a store like this reenergize the publishing world by encouraging people to be placed in such a store or does it insult the variety that literature offers by being an array of flavors and even quality?
The novel itself, by being translated and taking place in Paris is at times stilted and, yes, pretentious - but who can blame the book for that? Paris would not be Paris without its pretentious charm, and a book about snubbing books can be no other way as well (and as an unabashed book snob, I can only applaud its stance). Indeed, the novel, through its characters, shows the reverse snobbery that occurs as well as people grapple with have and have nots, quality and sub par and who can be the judge.
I love books about books, and I love the idea, fantastical though it may be, that such a store could exist and thrive. A business built purely on ideals, while making the story wholly unrealistic, is certainly refreshing to read about, and for anyone who feels not much good has come since the early 1900s where literature is concerned, this is certainly a validating read.
...more

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Oct 06, 2010 Steffi ~mereadingbooks~ rated it really liked it

Recommended to Steffi ~mereadingbooks~ by: Elizabeth

Shelves: literary-fiction, 2010, books-reading, france

It took me some time to make up my mind about this book. The reason for this is that it triggered two different reactions in me. I couldn’t decide how to feel about the concept of the bookstore portrayed in the story. On the one hand this is a story about the love for reading and literature and I certainly felt a connection to the characters. I also couldn’t help but think: “What a bunch of snobs!” Even though my overall feeling while reading was a rather warm and fuzzy one, this sentence went t It took me some time to make up my mind about this book. The reason for this is that it triggered two different reactions in me. I couldn’t decide how to feel about the concept of the bookstore portrayed in the story. On the one hand this is a story about the love for reading and literature and I certainly felt a connection to the characters. I also couldn’t help but think: “What a bunch of snobs!” Even though my overall feeling while reading was a rather warm and fuzzy one, this sentence went through my mind from time to time. 99% of the books mentioned by Francesca and Ivan in their discussions about which books to get for their shop are unknown to me, which made me question my knowledge of literature and my reading habits. This is not necessarily a bad thing but it made me feel looked down upon and a bit patronized. Is it wrong to sometimes want to read something trashy? I don’t think so. And who determines what a “good novel” is, what is worth reading? In a way Ivan and Francesca’s project is a bit arrogant and a lot of the bookstore’s enemies in the course of the novel respond in a way similar to what I just stated. While reading I even sometimes thought that they were not all wrong in their protest.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful book (I gave 4 stars, didn’t I?). The love for literature is portrayed beautifully, I felt inspired to open my very own bookstore and had the wish to talk to Ivan and Francesca about books and life and everything. But then again, would they want to talk to me? Here comes the ambiguity again. I can’t make up my mind about the concept of literature promoted in this book. Maybe this feeling of snobbery and elitism is only due to the fact that it’s a French novel and therefore mostly deals with French literature, which I know next to nothing about. Maybe I would have felt differently about it if it had dealt with German or British literature.

The concept of literature promoted in this book is definitely debatable. What I am certain about is that this is a beautiful novel about the love of reading, which I liked very much.
...more

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Apr 24, 2011 John rated it liked it

Broke genius literateur Ivan and exquisitely beautiful and rich heiress Francesca decide to open a bookshop in Paris that will go completely against the grain of a French literary scene dominated by the Gallic corporate equivalents of Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Called Au Bon Roman (the original and much better French title of this book; approx. "The Good Novel"), this store has a stock that eschews all the fifteen-minutes-in-the-limelight bestsellers du jour, focusing instead entirely on novels ...more

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Nov 01, 2010 Jonfaith rated it liked it

If nothing else, perhaps we should relegate our emphasis here, this novel engendered an interest in the untranslated canon of contemporary French letters. I harbor considerable doubts whether that was an intention of the translator/publisher. That said, I'm sure many pondered: why isn't this or that author translated into English? ...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Jenny (knasentjej) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: previously-owned, physical-book, in-swedish, boktokarna, 2015-read, ayearathon-january-2015, bout-of-books-12, boktolvan-2015

Here is my review in Swedish:
http://jennyjag.wordpress.com/2015/01...

Here you find my review in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID3sZ... ...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Cascata Nerina rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Book Lovers

Recommended to Cascata by: Mom saw it and showed me the title while in D.C.

Shelves: my-600, mystery, utopia, literary-fiction

This book is not light reading. However, it is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Especially outside of genre novels (which I read a lot of). The plot is twisty and complicated with several threads moving together. Many of which do not resolve until the end. Another thing that makes it hard to read is that it is written in first person, but the narrator is never directly identified and my only be deduced very near the end of the book.

During my reading of this book I compared it to This book is not light reading. However, it is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Especially outside of genre novels (which I read a lot of). The plot is twisty and complicated with several threads moving together. Many of which do not resolve until the end. Another thing that makes it hard to read is that it is written in first person, but the narrator is never directly identified and my only be deduced very near the end of the book.

During my reading of this book I compared it to both "Stranger in a Strange Land" and "Callahan's Chronicals" for different reasons. The philosophy and the problems presented by the mob in the book are very like what both groups have and have to fight in the other novels. Indeed "The Good Novel" deserves a place on the same street as Callahan's Place (and it's replacements), Lady Sally's and the Institute for Martian Language and Philosophy (I refuse to call it a church).

But that's enough diversion. "A Novel Bookstore" was originally written in French and then translated into English; and, true to it's literary ideals, the titles of many of the books in the novel are not given in English. Those most especially of the ones that originated in French. I could translate or make a good guess at many of the titles, and those who took the language in school could probably guess even more. However, I did not recognize any but the most famous of the novels they mentioned.

Which is part of the philosophy of The Good Novel - to revive good, but forgotten, novels. So, at least in French it succeeds in its goals. Or so I am forced to assume, because just like after a certain black and red novel containing several sparkling persons revived the novel Wuthering Heights by Bronte. In France this one probably prompted several avid book lovers to head out into the night and buy the novels listed in the story.

The book flap bills itself as a mystery, and in some small way it is. There is the mystery of who attacked the three persons listed inside the front book flap. However, the attacked, the attackers, nor even the detective who investigates is the main character. The main character is really The Good Novel, for it is the story of this most unusual bookstore which calls on the populace to put down books not worth reading and read that which is.

Here I am on two sides of the fence. Because when I am in school, or working full time I have very little time for serious reading. I wouldn't have read this, for instance, if I was still on the Cliff, or if I was teaching English in Korea. The heavy novels I do read tend to grow to be my favorites. On the other side of the fence is all the fluff - the pop novels that are pushed by the publishers; the romances so numerous one could build a city of them. These I devour by the dozens, and in an average week I can read one a day (assuming I'm reading and not writing); but they are not great works of thought, they are meant to be read for pleasure. These are the very books most often excluded in The Good Novel; but they are usually what start people reading in the first place. For an average joe or jane to pick up something heavy like A Novel Bookstore, or Stranger in a Strange Land, or something so genre as Callahan's Chronicals (or indeed a thousand other books that fit into either or both categories), for them to pick it up, read it, and enjoy it would be most unusual. However, if they go on an airplane ride with a single book of fluff, and it opens a world of reading to them. They may read fluff for years before they read something heavy. But when they do, they will have read it at least. Probably, if they chose wisely, they will have enjoyed it too. Thus, someone that would never have read the "Good Novels" which are available at The Good Novel, would come to read. So there is a place in the world for both "Good Novels" (however one defines it beyond the blockbuster and the fluffy bits of nothing novels found in Walmarts around the world) and those very same Blockbuster and Fluffy pieces.

A Novel Bookstore is not for someone who's just starting out reading, but if you have a love of books. If you've stayed at a book store until closing. If you've resisted buying an eReader because you love the feel of the paper and the smell of the ink or if you've given in because otherwise you just can't keep your library in hand then you should at least try A Novel Bookstore.

...more

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Dec 30, 2014 Tyska rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-swedish, fiction

The story of a bookstore that only sells good literature and receives more than a fair share of criticism.
There's not more I want to reveal about the story itself, mostly because it was so frightfully boring.

It's very obvious that the author put a lot more effort into trying to tell the world how stupid it is for worshipping "fast-food literature" and "bestsellers" and how well-written, niminy-piminy books are being looked over at the same time. Her attitude got to me from a very early point on. The story of a bookstore that only sells good literature and receives more than a fair share of criticism.
There's not more I want to reveal about the story itself, mostly because it was so frightfully boring.

It's very obvious that the author put a lot more effort into trying to tell the world how stupid it is for worshipping "fast-food literature" and "bestsellers" and how well-written, niminy-piminy books are being looked over at the same time. Her attitude got to me from a very early point on. Élitist thinking and arrogant ignorance came to my mind whenever she started namedropping books and authors that met her standards. However, about 50% into the book, she countered those accusations quite intelligently. Whatever I tried to think in order to uphold my dislike of her position, she responded to with a clever counter-argument. Unfortunately, she didn't succeed in convincing me completely. Towards the end, she shows her discontent once again, this time neither cleverly nor very shyly. She talks about "intellectual detoxification" and "appreciation of talent rather than income" which is élitist thinking, in my opinion. It's not up to her to decide on what other people recognize as "worth reading" or "well-written". By judging their intellect, she puts herself, her opinion, upon everyone else and that is why I didn't enjoy reading her book.

The debate whether writing style matters more than story has been going on for a long time. I myself think that both are important, partly depending on the kind of book you are reading. I prefer writing style when it comes to classics and content/story when it comes to non-fiction (which she doesn't mention at all) or so-called light-fiction. Who are you to judge my intellect because of that, Laurence Cossé? I actually think that the generally educated person reads non-fiction just as well as literature, but who am I to judge, right.

It felt like she tried to combine all sorts of genres in this book. Romance, crime, social criticism, contemporary, etc... It didn't work all too well together, according to my taste, although I enjoyed her take on journalism and its weak sides. In chapter four she said something of the like: "The mass media are always ready to spread even more confusion around the chaos that is already going on in the world." Spot on.

If you can handle 200 pages of nothingness and 200 follow-up pages of a lot of thought-provoking opinions, go ahead and read this book. ...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Erin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: for-book-club, replace

A novel every novel lover needs to read.

The genius of this book lies in the structure. A Novel Bookstore starts out with a bang as we witness several mysterious crimes perpetrated against an even more mysterious cast of charaters. The first third or so reads like the run-of-the-mill thrillers our heroes eschew, with anonymous menacing thugs and hints of a secret society or conspiracy peeking out from behind the curtain.

The action slows down considerably, however, in the remainder of the novel, ...more

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Nov 04, 2010 Nancy added it

This book really hooked me. It is not particularly well constucted and the characters are not drawn with depth, but the detailed description of starting up a bookstore in Paris really drew me in. When I followed the invitation on the last page to "join the conversation" by visiting the Web site, on first perusal I thought the bookstore must be a real place and that I was meeting the book characters who came up with the idea for this marvelous place. The feeling was thrilling, sort of like being ...more

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Jan 20, 2020 Theresa rated it liked it

Much of this book was an enjoyable read, but it was really about twice as long as it should have been to tell its story of two people pooling resources to open a really fine bookstore of only "good books." It is indeed a "hymn to fine literature" and periodical lists of books I'd never heard of were good for awareness. Unfortunately, most of them were French, and many are not translated. The mystery of those behind the press campaign against The Good Novel store and the assaults on committee mem ...more

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Jul 21, 2020 Jamie rated it really liked it

This book sat on my shelf for a few years. I eyed it from time to time but made a commitment to read it this summer. Cosse uses the opening a The Good Novel bookstore to expose people’s envy and jealousy and their desire to destroy what is good.
“Have you seen this? Let them talk. There are always people who, the moment they see a rose that has just bloomed, feel like crushing it into a million pieces.”
“We might have expected this. Good old lefty criticism is alive and well. Anything that is not ...more

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Oct 25, 2019 Wendelle added it

A charming, pleasant, unhurried book about a project affirming niche, tasteful books, which was conceived by a group of quirky artistes. In short, in every way a book fitting to the repute of its location of Paris.

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About Laurence Cossé

Laurence Cossé

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She was first a journalist in the French newspaper Le Quotidien de Paris and then at the French public radio France Culture. Most of her novels have been published by the French publishing house Gallimard.

Books by Laurence Cossé

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Quotes from A Novel Bookstore

“Literature is a source of pleasure, he said, it is one of the rare inexhaustible joys in life, but it's not only that. It must not be disassociated from reality. Everything is there. That is why I never use the word fiction. Every subtlety in life is material for a book. He insisted on the fact. Have you noticed, he'd say, that I'm talking about novels? Novels don't contain only exceptional situations, life or death choices, or major ordeals; there are also everyday difficulties, temptations, ordinary disappointments; and, in response, every human attitude, every type of behavior, from the finest to the most wretched. There are books where, as you read, you wonder: What would I have done? It's a question you have to ask yourself. Listen carefully: it is a way to learn to live. There are grown-ups who would say no, that literature is not life, that novels teach you nothing. They are wrong. Literature performs, instructs, it prepares you for life.” — 27 likes

“We have no time to waste on insignificant books, hollow books, books that are there to please...

We want books that cost their authors a great deal, books where you can feel the years of work, the backache, the writer's block, the author's panic at the thought that he might be lost: his discouragement, his courage, his anguish, his stubbornness, the risk of failure that he has taken.” — 20 likes

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