Saturday, December 17, 2011

Se souvenant de George Whitman


From the website of Shakespeare and Company...

"On Wednesday 14th December, 2011, George Whitman died peacefully at home in the apartment above his bookshop in Paris.  George suffered a stroke two months ago, but showed incredible strength and determination up to the end, continuing to read every day in the company of his daughter, Sylvia, his friends and his cat and dog.  He died two days after his 98th birthday.

Nicknamed the Don Quixote of the Latin Quarter, George will be remembered for his free spirit, his eccentricity and his generosity.  He will be buried at Père Lachaise cemetery in the good company of other men and women of letters..."

Rest peacefully, gentle angel

Shakespeare and Company
37, rue Bûcherie
75005 Paris
at

27 comments:

  1. helen tilstonDecember 17, 2011 at 12:31 AM

    May he rest in peace. This is a very famous bookstore. I have read of it and the name appeared in a book I was reading one time.

    I join you in the beautiful prayer:
    "rest peacefully, gentle angel"

    Helen xx

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  2. RandyDecember 17, 2011 at 12:46 AM

    Looks like my kind of bookstore.

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  3. JulieDecember 17, 2011 at 1:05 AM

    You know, I had always though this to be THE original, the bookstore of Sylvia Beach and Hemingway and Joyce. It is only when reading the obits for Mr Whitman that I was rudely jolted into reality.

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  4. Sylvia KDecember 17, 2011 at 1:57 AM

    May he rest in peace. Such a peaceful way to go. It does indeed look like my kind of bookstore.

    Sylvia

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  5. French Girl in SeattleDecember 17, 2011 at 2:05 AM

    Au revoir, Monsieur Whitman. Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

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  6. Amanda SummerDecember 17, 2011 at 3:02 AM

    God rest his soul.

    What a beautiful place to have lived......just imaging all the famous literary types he must have seen in his lifetime! Shakespeare and Co. is one of my favorite places to go in Paris - I still have a copy of Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation I purchased there.

    Joyeux Noel dear Genie♡

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  7. Shell SherreeDecember 17, 2011 at 5:02 AM

    Au revoir, Monsieur Whitman. How lovely that he was able to read until the end and with his loved ones around him. That we should all be so blessed. Bon weekend, Genie...

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  8. Ricardo MiñanaDecember 17, 2011 at 6:04 AM

    Hello, great pleasure to go through your beautiful space, I wanted to greet you this holiday season,
    Happy Holidays!
    a hug.

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  9. MalyssDecember 17, 2011 at 6:59 AM

    A mythic place if ever.. Did you notice the bench?:)

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  10. Leon SimsDecember 17, 2011 at 7:21 AM

    To exist for 98 years is a great achievement - To wander thru S&Co is to walk thru history. I brought back the paperback of shop''s history when there and later that night dined next door.
    A great memory.
    Leon

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  11. PatDecember 17, 2011 at 7:48 AM

    I know this place well, having browsed there many a time when I lived in Paris, and from when I stayed at Hotel Esmeralda two years ago. What a man he was; a long, wonderful life.

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  12. brattcatDecember 17, 2011 at 7:49 AM

    a perfectly beautiful post.

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  13. This is BelgiumDecember 17, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    The bookshop is and will remain a true institution.

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  14. trumpDecember 17, 2011 at 10:57 AM

    Greetings from an Amish community in Pennsylvania, I'm just checking out different blogs and thought id leave a comment. Happy holidays to everyone as well. Richard from Amish Stories

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  15. UnknownDecember 17, 2011 at 11:08 AM

    Ahhhhh a book shop one of my favourite places. Have a great Xmas Genie and all the best for 2012 Best Wishes Kev x

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  16. PerthDailyPhotoDecember 17, 2011 at 11:14 AM

    He lived a long life and passed peacefully, who could ask for more. As you say Genie he will be in good company in Pere Lachaise!
    btw when you said you surfed in your teen years I immediately got an image of Sally Fields in the role of 'Gidget' I bet you were cute as!!

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  17. DianeDecember 17, 2011 at 2:50 PM

    Ahh now I know why it was closed on the day we visited in late October. xxxx

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  18. Cezar and LéiaDecember 17, 2011 at 3:28 PM

    God bless him!
    Cezar

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  19. Shirley @ My BookshelfDecember 17, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    Last month's Issue of France magazine featured Shakespeare and Company, namely Sylvia Beach who founded the original bookstore in Paris. I read this article just a few days ago and then came across a newspaper article announcing the passing of its current proprietor, George Whitman. He sounds like a fabulous supporter of the arts, following and enlarging the footsteps made by Sylvia. May he rest in peace. FYI, his daughter is now running Shakespeare and Company.

    Thanks for the post.

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  20. StarmanDecember 17, 2011 at 9:49 PM

    How lucky for us that he started this bookstore.

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  21. Sharon CreechDecember 17, 2011 at 10:25 PM

    98? Think of all the stories he read and knew.

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  22. JackDecember 17, 2011 at 11:19 PM

    I have happily spent time here. I always thought it was the place made famous by its proprietor, Sylvia Beach, but in reading about Mr. Whitman, I learned that her bookstore was at a different location and was named Shakespeare and Company by Mr. Whitman to honor the earlier bookstore.

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  23. VirginiaDecember 18, 2011 at 10:13 AM

    I didn't realize that the still lived there. Amazing long life. He was a character that no one that met him will ever forget.
    V

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  24. AnneDecember 18, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    Love it, what a storybook storefront that is. Thanks for the pic!

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  25. TheChieftessDecember 18, 2011 at 10:31 PM

    May his legacy live on...

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  26. Oakland Daily PhotoDecember 19, 2011 at 3:42 AM

    A sweet pean to this lovely man.

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  27. Parisian HeartDecember 19, 2011 at 5:42 AM

    Oh, I did not know! Thank you for sharing the news and your lovely photo. I adore this spot in Paris ... What a remarkable haven Mr. Whitman nurtured.

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Merci for your comments!