You can choose from literally 1,000s of new and secondhand books, mainly in English. But what makes it rather unique is that many aspiring (and some later famous) authors have slept in the actual shop surrounded by the many varied and classic books.
I searched amongst the chaos and was delighted to find a rare Gerald Brenan volume which was mine for an extremely reasonable 10€. I read the first few chapters ensconsed in an old leather chair in the library area upstairs in the historical shop, savouring the atmosphere.
Naturally then I did a few touristy things. But for me, even with all that Paris has to offer (and it is a lot), the bookshop was my highlight - a successful pilgrimage.
