Shakespeare and Co.

I didn't plan to go to Shakespeare and Co.

For a final stream, I thought it would be fitting to visit a cemetery and reflect upon the inevitable. I would have a lot to say, too, since everything Dr. Gratson told me about death and immortality really resonated with me, and were in some ways life changing. But fate decided that I would be unable to go with my plans. Instead, a heavily delayed subway system caused me to stumble across Shakespeare and Co.

Shakespeare and Co. was quite a different experience from what I saw over at 192 Books. For starters, it was significantly larger, with noticeably more people in it. Not that it was crowded, but it was definitely a busier place.

As soon as one walks in, they are greeted to the left by a small cafe, serving some foods and coffee. Around the front of the store were several tables and chairs, situated for use by visitors to eat and read at. I noticed several young couples there, engaged in conversation, and the atmosphere just seemed right for this to be a nice, laid back date location. A few of the people sat alone at tables, lost within a book, or just sipping a cup of coffee while checking their phone.

Perhaps the biggest difference between here and 192 Books was the fact that I actually recognized a number of the books. From Harry Potter sitting in the window display (with a poster in the back for the upcoming Harry Potter book that no body wants) to A Song of Ice and Fire (inspiration for the popular TV series Game of Thrones), I saw numerous books I was familiar with. I feel that Shakespeare and Co. was trying more to appeal to the common reader than 192 Books, which seemed considerably more niche with its appeal. I also saw much more variety in age here, with some people looking like they belonged in a middle school, and others who have probably gone through a mid-life crisis before.

I would have been all over this as a kid!

One thing that seemed really cool was a self-publishing machine. I didn't quite see how it worked, but one could bring in a book they wrote and actually have it made into a paperback book. This is a really cool idea. I'm a writer myself, and always have been. As early as preschool, I got excited when my father laminated the covers of books I "wrote" (or rather, told my parents what to write, and illustrated myself with a crayon), and I continued to write from then to the present day. My focus has shifted from big, epic, poorly written novels into short stories that usually take inspiration from nightmares I've had (I have been plagued with nightmares for a good part of my life), but I really could have seen myself regularly printing out whatever masterpiece I'd written that week as a child. Oh, and I'm sure plenty of adult writers use it, too!

The basement was significantly less lively, with only a few people huddled around a small table, working on some kind of collaborative project. The shelves down here had more serious books, such as ones about economics or politics. I recognized a few here as different translations of stories I read in my Mosiac class, which leaned quite a bit into philosophy. There was a desk over to one side surrounded by office supplies for sale, and a curtain draped over a back room that stored more books. From what I gathered from the signs, there were DVDs for rental down here, likely behind the desk. On my way out, I did spot one gem of a book: