Wave of Terror, by Theodore Odrach

This memorable depiction of the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by the brutal Stalinists in 1939, with their bloodshed and violence, is filled with trenchant observations of real people behaving realistically during times of real crisis. In clear, unadorned prose, author Theodore Odrach depicts the lives of rural peasants with sensitivity [...]

Actress Audrey Doudou on The Good Novel
“I’m not very cultured, I didn’t go to university, and what I want to say is perfectly simple: Reading is very important to me. The cinema is a tough world. You expose yourself, you are open to blows. Audiences think that making a film is all fun and games, but I think it’s very difficult, [...]
L’Idée: Bravo The Good Novel!
(from L’Idée)

“The Good Novel is the only bookstore in France where you won’t find piles of Michel Houellebecq’s latest novel.”
Peter Carey interviewed by Le Vieil Observateur
(from Le Vieil Observateur)

“Nowhere but Paris, does there exist, nor could there exist a bookstore as unlikely as The Good Novel. In no other country in the world could a patron of the arts have the idea a to devote their fortune to such a gamble. What’s more, I was able to spend hours in that [...]

The Good Novel bookstore was founded in Paris in 2004.

We have no time to waste on insignificant books, hollow books, books that are here to please. We have no time for those sloppy, hurried books of the ‘Go on, I need it for July, and in September we’ll give you a proper launch and sell 100,000 copies, it’s in the bag’ variety. 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. 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, at times indistinctly, and that it always will be, just the way that suffering will always ravage hearts. We want good novels.

We invite you to browse the the list of books available at The Good Novel for an idea of the novels our selection committee has decided fit the above description. We also invite you to suggest a title to our selection committee if you find that a novel, beloved by you and deserving of inclusion among the books on offer at our store, is missing from our current list.

Francesca & Ivan, The Good Novel

Kindred Spirits

Across the world there are bookstores, ideal places for readers passionate about great books, that share similar aspirations to those of The Good Novel. Each week we feature one of these bookstores here. This week’s ideal bookstore…

Left Bank Books

St. Louis, MO

How would you describe the ideal bookstore?
The ideal bookstore is filled with books you know and love that are keeping company with books you immediately would like to know. The booksellers are passionate about what they read and love to share their enthusiasm. But they also know when to let you wander peacefully through the shelves and discover on your own. It’s a place where the reverence for literature is palpable, where the smell of ink and paper conveys a sense of inner calm and excitement at the same time.

What makes Left Bank Books unique ?
Left Bank Books is a 41 year old sanctuary for literature and the people who love it. There is nothing quite like it—the eclectic mix of classics and moderns, the decidedly anti-establishmentarian flavor, the huge art and poetry sections, the commitment to feminist, gay and African American books, the intelligent children’s section, the full schedule of author events, the quirky displays—all this combines to create a store that doesn’t quite fit into any specific niche except wonderful.

Kris Kleindienst and Jarek Steele