Shakespeare and Company Bookstore at #37 rue de la Bucherie. This is truly a sight not to miss. Of all the English language bookstores in Paris, this one has the most interesting feel. The shop is a remake of the original bookstore which was damaged by fire. Founded by Sylvia Beach in the 20's, this became a focal point for expatriate Americans such as Pound, Hemmingway and the Irishman James Joyce. It was actually Sylvia Beach who finally agreed to publish Joyce's much-rejected novel, Ulysses. ( a good move) The shop was later taken over by George Whitman who is an iconic figure in the American ex-pat community. He is now is his 90's and the shop is run by his daughter. The bookstore continues to offer refuge to young writers and poets who are allowed to sleep in the shop in exchange for some hours work. If this seems strange, I think it should be commended as a remarkable act of generosity and empathy in an age when things like this no longer happen. The architecture of the shop is interesting--- a maze of leaning shelves, secret cubbyholes, piles of books, old sofas, posters and the occasional cat. This is a place to be preserved and admired along with those who keep it running.