Known as the "City of Romance"FranceParis, in recent years, has seen a rise in "Neo-Romanticism"The literary boom has led to a surge in sales of related books year after year, bucking the trend of a sluggish overall publishing industry. The largest bookstore in France specializing in romance books, Romance Gibert, opened last month in Paris's Latin Quarter, attracting a large number of young female readers in its opening week."
"Gilbert Romantic Bookstore" belongs to the long-established bookstore "Gilbert Bookstore," founded in 1886. Gilbert also operates comic book and record stores throughout France, possessing a complete distribution network. The newly opened Romantic Bookstore has four floors and approximately 60 square meters, specializing in romantic comedies, romantic fantasy, queer romance, and dark romance, and even offering nearly ten thousand items including new and used books and stationery.
The bookstore's interior design is filled with a romantic atmosphere, featuring heart-shaped patterns, floral decorations, and pink velvet armchairs. It also includes reading corners and author signing areas, attracting online influencers to take photos and share them online. Within less than a month of opening, the store has accumulated nearly 4000 followers and plans to establish book clubs with influencers, regularly inviting authors to interact with readers, and setting up dedicated "BookTok & BookStagram" sections to connect with younger readers.
France 3 television reported that bookstore manager Gilles Goyet stated in an interview that the store saw 463 transactions on its first Saturday, double the expected number, with most customers being women aged 15 to 45. He also mentioned to Le Parisien that romantic literature has flourished in the French publishing industry over the past five years, growing at a double-digit rate annually. For example, about 30 of the top 100 best-selling novels in France last year were related to "contemporary emotions."
In addition, many independent bookstores specializing in love-themed books have emerged throughout France, such as Fox Garden in Paris, l'Encre du Cœur in northern France, and Momie Lyon Romances in central and southern France.
According to an analysis by French media outlet franceinfo, romantic literature now accounts for about 10% of the country's book sales, and the popularity among young readers has made the phenomenon of "neo-romanticism" increasingly prominent.
However, the French newspaper Libération also cautioned that underage readers should be careful when choosing romantic novels, as some works may reinforce existing stereotypes, such as glorifying dominant relationships or reinforcing a fascination with violence.
