PROUST is in the middle of the city of Essen.

The name of the French writer is honored at a bookstore in Essen, a small town in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, not far from Dusseldorf, Germany. One evening in early autumn last year, the Essen bookstore was filled with visitors for a book discussion.

With its cozy and modern feel, and books stacked horizontally, Proust Bookstore differentiates itself from the many other independent bookstores I