A Tiny Bookstore Making Big Waves
The Good Novel, a tiny bookstore that opened in 2004 in the Odéon neighborhood of Paris has brought tempers to a boil and thrown down the gauntlet to the entire French publishing industry. The bookstore’s owners, Ivan Georg and Francesca Aldo-Valbelli, say there is nothing unusual about their store. There are many specialist bookstores, they point out, focusing on everything from books on new age remedies to mystery and crime books. That is exactly what The Good Novel does. There’s only one difference: The Good Novel sells only good novels.
What is and is not a good novel appears to be the bone of contention. The store’s success and its effects on general reading patterns in France has been so overwhelming that authors and their agents, editors, and publishing houses not included among the select few on offer at The Good Novel are furious.
“Selection for inclusion at The Good Novel cannot be entrusted to a single person, or even two,” explains Ivan Georg. “That’s why we decided to put together a committee: eight writers considered to be among the most important and influential writers of our age were asked to provide us with a list of 600 titles, which gave us our initial stock. Every year, they submit twenty or twenty-five new titles. We decided to keep the identities of the committee members secret; even those on the committee do not know who the other members are. Nonetheless, somehow word got out, and, incredibly, some of our committee members have recently been receiving threats.”
Who would go so far as to threaten people who are simply sharing their tastes in literature? How long can a bookstore like this, one that bucks the system of bestsellers and high turnover, last? In this David and Goliath story, who will come out on top? Only time will tell. In the meantime, no one can argue that Ivan and Francesca have given rise to an exciting new trend among the Paris smart-set: fine literature.
more...
What is and is not a good novel appears to be the bone of contention. The store’s success and its effects on general reading patterns in France has been so overwhelming that authors and their agents, editors, and publishing houses not included among the select few on offer at The Good Novel are furious.
“Selection for inclusion at The Good Novel cannot be entrusted to a single person, or even two,” explains Ivan Georg. “That’s why we decided to put together a committee: eight writers considered to be among the most important and influential writers of our age were asked to provide us with a list of 600 titles, which gave us our initial stock. Every year, they submit twenty or twenty-five new titles. We decided to keep the identities of the committee members secret; even those on the committee do not know who the other members are. Nonetheless, somehow word got out, and, incredibly, some of our committee members have recently been receiving threats.”
Who would go so far as to threaten people who are simply sharing their tastes in literature? How long can a bookstore like this, one that bucks the system of bestsellers and high turnover, last? In this David and Goliath story, who will come out on top? Only time will tell. In the meantime, no one can argue that Ivan and Francesca have given rise to an exciting new trend among the Paris smart-set: fine literature.
more...