Strand, Will You Marry Me?

For the past handful of years I have had a love affair with the Strand bookstore. Eighteen miles of books means that I spend a lot of time getting lost in there.

When I walk in, the first thing I notice is the aroma of pages. It calls out to me, this smell of paper and ink into which someone had poured out their heart. Old or new, there is nothing like the scent of a book. If it is used, you can get a whiff of the previous owners and imagine them with a cup of green tea in their kitchen, or a dirty water dog in the park, getting lost in the pages. If the book is new, the smell is less musky and more fresh. It is the smell of potential.

Once I inhale deeply, I make my way over to the classics section. It has its own nook in the store, almost like a time capsule. I like to scope it out first, because it tends to have some of the best bargains. Two of my greatest conquests were a copy of The Jungle Books for $3.50 and a compilation of the first two Sherlock Holmes mysteries for $2.95. I almost always find something in this section that I want to add to my collection. Then it’s on to fiction, with stacks that reach up to the ceiling and snake around the back of the first floor.

In the beginning, the sheer volume of volumes can be overwhelming, but I always revert to the same strategy: I find an author with whom I am currently obsessed and then browse the nearby titles. This means looking on neighboring shelves, but it also means spinning around and searching the entire area. More times than not something will grab my attention. I am often too plagued by indecision to make a purchase this way, but it still expands my literary horizons. For instance, it was through gravitating to the Chuck Palahniuk shelf that I saw "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. A friend had previously recommended it to me, and I had forgotten all about it until the bright orange and blue cover jumped out at me. (I later got a copy, and it was amazing.)

After this point of spinning and discovery, my official mission has ended and I usually wander around the store reading random book jackets for a while. I try to mix it up with a more obscure genre such as books written in German or the very back corner of the basement's science section.

The experience is pleasant in both the heavily crowded areas and the low-traffic areas because the entire store has such a relaxed atmosphere. Honestly, I have sat down on the floor in front of the same narrow wooden bookcase every time I've visited the Strand and just read the descriptions of each book on the lower shelves (I'm not just being ridiculous- the books are different every time). Of course I move my ten-foot spider legs when someone passes, but nobody seems to mind either way. We are all there for the same reason: to be swallowed up.

If you're looking for a yellowed book that has a history, a new book that has never been opened, or a place to sell back your own, the Strand is the place for you. The people are friendly, the prices are low, and the energy is addictive.