Pages & Places: The Ultimate Guide to Literary Paris for Booklovers

Pancakes in Paris by Craig Carlson
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Breakfast in America

Breakfast in America (B. I. A.) was the first American style diner in Paris, started by Craig Carlson. Pancakes in Paris, is the story, told by the diner owner himself, of the journey it took to start the diner. From the idea, to getting the funding and licensing, and the trials of starting a restaurant without any knowledge of how to run one, this is an entertaining read that will leave you wanting to visit one or both of the current Breakfast in America locations in Paris. Unfortunately, Craig sold the establishments before the pandemic, but the hearty American style breakfast is still worth the visit to B. I. A.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
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The American Library in Paris

The Paris Library is a historical fiction based on the true story of the American Library in Paris during WWII. Even after Jews were banned by the Germans from visiting, the Library staff smuggled books to their constituents. They also sent out book care packages to soldiers in response to letters asking for books to be sent to the trenches.

Today you can visit the American Library in Paris and on select days you can join one of the History Tours to learn about the real people and the library that The Paris Library is based on. And even if you can’t catch a tour, you can get a day or week pass so you can spend time at the library during a visit to Paris.

The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher
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Shakespeare and Company

The Paris Bookseller is a historical fiction about the period between WWI and WWII during which Sylvia Beach started the Paris lending library/bookstore, Shakespeare and Company. The book tells the story of the 1920’s American expat writer community of Paris as it relates to the struggle Beach went through to publish James Joyce’s book Ulysses. The Paris Bookseller stops short, however, just before WWII and the closure of the bookstore. For the full story, you’ll have to read Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach (Purchase via Bookshop | Amazon).

Today you can visit the Paris bookstore Shakespeare and Company on Rue de la Bûcherie. This is not the original one started by Beach, however. Beach’s shop was on Rue de L’Odeon and when she returned to the building after WWII she gave her stock of books to the American Library in Paris.

A Moveable Feast by Earnest Hemingway
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Les Deux Magots

Thanks to the film Midnight in Paris, most people, when they think of Paris and literature, think of the American authors such as Ernest Hemingway, the Fitzgeralds, and James Joyce who spent the 1920’s as expats in Paris. Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast is a memoir about this time and the “Lost Generation,” as they all came to be known thanks to the phrase coined by Gertrude Stein.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
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Notre Dame de Paris
Maisons de Victor Hugo

During my visit to Paris, Notre Dame de Paris was still closed due to reconstruction after the 2019 fire, so instead of visiting the cathedral, I opted to visit Victor Hugo’s former home in the Place de Vosges. The museum is free to visit, and you’ll want to take your headphones and download the Museum App with the audio guide for your visit.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
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Chateau de Monte Cristo

Alexandre Dumas named the house he had built for himself outside of Paris near Saint-Germain-en-Laye The Chateau de Monte Cristo, after his famous work. At the time, he was France’s most beloved author and he was living life to the fullest. Although the author ended up in debt and eventually lost the house, today it has been preserved as a museum to the author who is still considered one of Paris’ greatest writers.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
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Palais Garnier, Opera National de Paris

The best way to see the Opera House made famous in part by the musical version of Gason Leroux’s novel The Phantom of the Opera, is to take The Mysteries of the Palais Garnier (after closing) group tour. You won’t get to see the “lake” or cistern below the opera house, but you will get to see Box 5 (the Phantom’s box) and the incredible architecture second only to the Palace of Versailles.

Note: The Mysteries tour is only available seasonally, but visiting the Opera Garnier anytime is still worth it.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
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The Louvre

Sure, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code is a little corny, but it makes art history fun! So take a trip to the Louvre and see the highlights that inspired the book and so much more.
A couple tip for visiting the Louvre: A few nights a week the Louvre has later evening hours. Visit in the evening to avoid the worst of the crowds. Unfortunately I discovered that visiting in the evening also seems to mean that nearly every restroom is out of toilet paper! Women I met in the restrooms had brought their own toilet paper with them to the museum!

Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod
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Le Jardin du Luxembourg

Janice MacLeod ran away to Paris and fell in love with not only a man, but the city itself. While sitting in the Luxembourg Garden sketching and journaling and dreaming up ways to stay in the city long-term, she came up with the idea to start a subscription art-letter service. Her idea paid off and thanks to her subscribers, she was able to stay in Paris. MacLeod then wrote up her story in a book she called Paris Letters. Today you can purchase copies of some of the Paris Letters via the author’s Etsy shop, JaniceMacLeodStudio.

Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) by Antoine de Saint Exupery
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Purchase in French via Bookshop | Amazon
Bust of Antoine de Saint Exupery at Santiago de Chile Square

The Little Prince, or Le Petit Prince, quickly became a favorite of mine after reading it in my high-school French class. I can’t visit Paris without a stop at the little pocket park near Les Invalides where you’ll find a bust of the author.