Searching for that perfect book in English during your stay in Buenos Aires? The good folks over at Argentina’s Travel brings you “Buenos Aires’ Brilliant Bookstores: Finding BA’s Best English-language Book Selections.”
As a literary type I spend way too much on books. Even when I was a librarian and had access to a library of millions of books, I still spent about us$50 a week on my own books and magazines. (My book budget is now a lot lower, down to around 50 pesos a month).
The guide to English-language bookstores, written by Natalie Gourvitch, starts off with my favorite: Walrus Books, which has the best selection of English-language literary fiction in Buenos Aires.
My criteria of quality for evaluating articles about bookstores in Buenos Aires includes examining what is said about El Ateneo Grand Splendid. Yep, it’s a beautiful place but it’s actual inventory isn’t great. Natalie writes, “While El Ateneo, as is true for chain
stores like Cuspide and Distal, is great for finding popular romance/thriller novels with a spattering of Shakespeare thrown in for good measure, it lacks a large selection of classics and quality modern fiction titles.” I assume that she’s talking about the English-language books but I never been very pleased with El Ateneo’s selection of Spanish-language titles, either. I go there all the time to browse around but rarely do I buy anything there.
I’m reminded of my quest last year: Searching for Galeano in the bookstores of Buenos Aires, a odd tale in which it was actually easier to find books in English translations than in the original Spanish.
February 17th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
how are Argentine’s when it comes to reading? Unfortunately reading isn’t very popular in Puerto Rico. I love reading and I have spent loads of money on books alone.
February 17th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Hi Gricelle:
I find Buenos Aires to be a very literary city, much more than anyplace I’ve ever lived.
February 20th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Yes, but unfortunately it is also true that we must be the country where authors like Coelho and Bucay sell more than any other.
Anyway, Jeff, I want to ask you something:
I used to shop in a nice little bookstore in Av. Santa Fe called “La boutique del anticuario”, a very nice place, small but with an interesting selection of books in English and other languages, besides Spanish. About two years ago the bookstore was replaced by a clothing store (maybe because there are not enough of those along Av. Santa Fe). I really miss it. Do you have any idea whether the bookstore closed for ever or was moved somewhere else?
February 20th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Hi Ricky,
Unfortunately, I don’t know if that bookstore relocated. Too bad it’s not still there….can never be too many bookstores in the world. But, I guess some people feel the same about clothing stores!
February 21st, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Of course you know ABC library, a small hidden place on Suipacha 200 and something.
For some English and Spanish literature I would choose Miles, in Gurruchaga and Honduras.
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:33 am
Daniel – Thanks for the suggestion of Miles. I didn’t know about that place.
February 25th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Hi Jeff, I’m happy that you liked (and linked) our bookstore guide. Finding good books in English is a problem a lot of travelers who are here for just a few months seem to have.
I also read your post on looking for Memoria del Fuego and all I can say is that you are one determined (and funny) guy. And as a bonus I learned about the Parque Rivadavia books stalls. Thanks!
March 24th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
reminds me of buying the final Harry Potter around the corner from our bs as apartment last july. a young girl asked me if i was really going to read the whole thing in english. i replied that i would, and she said, “me lo podes traducir?” well, i offered to translate the first page for her. it was enough to make her happy! on the subte people would approach me and ask what the last page said. i had to refuse to look!
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Hi! I’m from Buenos Aires, and I’m trying to find some English bookstores where I can find not only the classics but also recently (or maybe not so recently) published books. Actually, I’m trying to find a book in particular, an Oliver Sack’s book called The man who mistook his wife for a hat. I called Walrus Books, and they don’t have it. Kel, Yenny, El Ateneo, Distal, Cúspide, any of them have it. Maybe they can get it in El Ateneo, they said. But I don’t know any other English bookstores here, do you?
If I don’t get it in a bookstore I’ll have to buy it through amazon.com, and that’s going to be expensive.
Thank you!
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Hi Florencia,
That’s a great book. Unfortunate that it’s difficult to find in BsAs. Kel & Walrus were the best options. I don’t know of any other places that would have it. Sorry.