Shakespeare & Company Books

First Cody's, and now Shakespeare & Co is closed??? Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

This place has been a Telegraph staple for YEARS. Before I was even born! Whenever I came in here, I'm instantly greeted by the aroma of old books and history. I loved spending hours here getting lost in the shadows of the fiction section and seeing what treasures I could find. I've had picture books bought from this place when I was a kid, so I'm incredibly sad to see that this is now closed. I didn't even get to step into this place one last time.

What a bittersweet farewell, Shakespeare & Co. ;____;

My X told me once that a former owner of Shakespeare Books once owned my Albany house and died of a heart attack at the nearby Terrace Park Tennis Courts. Whether that's true or not, I definitely owe him thanks for some of the internal changes he made to my home that really makes it seem like a roomy place, and with plenty of natural light.

I'm been coming to that guy's store since the early 1980s, when visiting Berkeley Book Stores (staring on Telegraph) was a daylong adventure - rain or shine. Shakespeare Books has only changed marginally over those 30 years, even though this section of Telegraph has taken a turn for the worse. There are still used, remaindered, and rare books stacked everywhere in 3 dimensions, along with reasonable prices and a few bargains along the way. The selection remains strongest in the areas of fiction, art, the humanities, and literary knowledge by some of the folks who work here. And if you look deep (or high) enough it's always possible to find yet another treasure. It's also one of those places that seems disorganized, but has everything in it's proper (and owner searchable) place.

And just like Kinky Friedman's lyric that "They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore", the same goes for Berkeley Book Stores like Shakespeare & Company.

Shakespeare houses books in a building that used to be a domicile. this naturally leads to a shortage of space to display many titles. Shakespeare has the usual categories but same categories showcases the usual old line "names" plus some hot authors.

i can usually find interesting books here but not the book i was looking for..

reads: working (4) studs terkel
-$35 for hardcover? passed.

looseleafs:
-really cramped here
-can easily bump into people inadvertantedly
-old time fav but no more.
-expect to pay 50% of list price.

It's not large, it's not small-- not everything here can be labeled ancient or antique--- Especially when BABYMOUSE's comic chapter book is there in bright pink 'n white.

Upon entering, the employees weren't overly happy to see 3 people walk in, nor were we blessed with a 'hi' hello' how d'you do?' by any employees either.

Children's book are towards the end, there's also a section on music sheets, that I found intriguing, but nothing I can note as something I'd like in my classics collection, but I shall head back there to take a look at the other sheet musics that are available.

Small little section on travel books in really good shape, I didn't get to peruse that area, in which I kind of wish I did, because now I find myself wanting to know how much the slightly used travel guides/books would cost me should I head back for something.

This place does have a large amount of mystery books, some old some fairly recent.

Before I would head out to Berkeley just to come to this bookstore, I should remind myself, Recycled Books down the Alameda has a lot more choices an more close by to me than an hour away.

Parking is if you're lucky you find one on the street, if not, you go a few blocks for a parking garage.

Treasure! If the smell of old books and knowledge hidden from the general public makes your brain tingle with euphoria, this place is a must. If Barns and Noble makes you contemplate suicide, this bookshop will help you to understand why you were right to feel that way. If you are looking for a gem, that your friends will ponder with amazement and curiosity, this is the spot. If you are looking to gift a book to someone who reads for knowledge and not that run of the mill paperback swill you'll find anywhere else, this shop will exceed your expectations. I cannot rate this book store highly enough. There are not enough words to express my gratitude for establishments that persevere over the hive's craving for a collective trough that displaces and snuffs uniqueness. This place is truly unique. I wish them longevity.

I used to be, what my friends and I lovingly called ourselves, a Sproul Rat. Sitting on the steps of Cal's administrative building (Sproul Hall) people watching, shooting the shit and having lunch between classes.

When I wanted to hide from my friends, however, I would walk right over to Shakespeare & Co right after class and spend an hour between classes flipping through books, reading Shakespeare sonnets and buying cheap used books to read.

It's small and crowded. It's dusty and old. The man behind the counter isn't Talky McTalkerson...90% of the time he's reading a book. He'll answer any questions and help you find a book...just ask politely. This bookstore has the charm that every rinky ass little bookstore can only dream of having.

I love this bookstore.

In an era where print has been devalued by society to the extent that Cody's on Telegraph and Black Oak Books in North Berkeley have both shut their doors since I graduated from Cal in 2004... I am beyond relieved to see Shakespeare & Co. still standing.

I'm not surprised that this place is still standing, either. This tiny, slightly dusty, but dignified store is a treasure trove of priceless print ranging from the pedestrian to the esoteric. This is a place where you can walk in as a local Bay Area high schooler, a college freshman, a college senior, a visitor, an alum, a professor, or an elderly eccentric and find something dear to your heart every time for prices cheaper than what you see at some yard sales nowadays.

Whoever is working at the front at any given time is like a benevolent guard of literacy itself, and knows when to chat with you if searching for something abstract, or to give practical help if you are looking for something specific. After so many afternoons here straining my neck looking down at sheet music and up at classics, I get an ache to go back whenever I am near the Bay.

This is more than a bookstore; it's a real place that is as tangible as the books held within. Given this, who honestly cares if the shelves aren't as anally organized as a Borders franchise.

This place is a treasure. The dimly-lit, crowded interior, the musty smell, the creaky wooden shelves propped up on cinderblocks... Good selection! The foreign language section has a lot of books that Moe's doesn't...not to say that it's better, but they complement each other well. Ditto for world history and religion.

A great way to spend part of an afternoon!

Oh! I was already giving them 5 stars, but I have to add this little anecdote: today, at check out, i noticed that they were giving $1 back to everyone who made a purchase. They called it their 'economic stimulus package--100% NOT government funded,' to entice us to come back. I thought that was pretty cute.

This is the kind of bookstore that you can spend hours in. This may be a good thing or a bad one, depending on your disposition. I say this because Shakespeare and Co. is a tiny, slightly dingy used bookstore that has shelves and shelves of antique or unusual books.

For the slow meanderers like myself, the mottled semi-organization and dusty atmosphere provide a forum for discovery and exploration. Every isle is enticing and filled with treasures unknown, perfect for pursuing budding interests and scouting unique gifts for those who can appreciate them.

For the between-classes-student-in-a-rush, this perhaps is a very frustrating arrangement. Going into the store with a precise notion of what you want is your first folly; this is a USED bookstore and not every book you desire will be there. Nor will there be updated editions. If that's what you want and you want it quick, go across the street to Moe's. I'm sure you'll find a new copy there.

On a side note: there is a Shakespeare and Co. in Paris that has a similar atmosphere with couch-beds dispersed throughout the store. Many a young writer has found a temporary sanctuary there in exchange for a few hours of book shelving; this little factoid gives me a warm feeling for our less-hospitable Telegraph version.

If you like old, musty and dusty bookstores, this is your place. I was here today after grabbing a coffee at the Peet's across the street.

It is not my favorite bookstore but I saw a book in the window about China and I wanted to check it out.

The place really is musty and it does remind me of an old bookstore I like to visit when I'm in Paris. I guess it is organized but it was not completely obvious. There are definitely treasures on these shelves if you have the time to hunt for them.

The store was empty the entire time I was there. Maybe it was early for the local crowd.

Funny, Pete's had a line out the door.