Bookstore Review: le lièvre de mars, Marseille, France

by Johanna Pittman

Normally I’m not much of a book aesthete—despite a dislike of electronic reading, I’ve never been drawn above all else to the book as a kind of sacred artifact. Yet in the gritty coastal city of Marseille, France, I was struck by the sense that the French take books (books) seriously, and I found myself caught up in worship.

Les libraries (bookstores) of Marseille are small, well-loved institutions with carefully curated collections, and the casual stroller will likely happen upon one or two without much effort. I returned several times to my favorite, le lièvre de...