Blackwell’s

Wonderful staff and great selection.

Oh man, bookstores. Just… give me a moment.
Ok thanks. I’ve been to Blackwell’s a few times over the years but somehow never realised how incredibly HUGE it is! On a recent visit to the UK, mum and I took Boyfriend here to experience the magic. We immediately lost each other, happily perusing the shelves. After an hour or five (I honestly have no idea how long, bookshops have a weird effect on me) mum and I were done and decided to pop upstairs to the handily placed coffee shop. I went to see if I could hunt down Boyfriend and found him happily ensconced downstairs (there’s a downstairs?!) which is, by the way, freaking GIANT! He needed some more time so I went to join mum upstairs and we enjoyed some tea while we waited for him.
A really great selection of books that I’m stoked I had the chance to absorb. I’m not sure if they do it all year or if it was a Christmas thing, but they had a selection of brown paper wrapped books that were a mystery buy! I LOVE this idea, and really hope they do it all year.
Go — you won’t regret it!

Unless you’re familiar with Blackwell’s, this is a true gem and unexpected find. From the outside, the bookshop looks fairly small, with a tiny door leading inside. Once you enter you realize that it’s certainly bigger and stretches far into the back, where a very large children’s section is located.
The staff is always friendly and attentive and is quick to answer questions.
The top floor houses a caffee, though we did not have a chance to see it, due to the even bigger surprise, when we entered the lower level: There you will find a very large library that seems in complete oppositions to the quaint ground floor interior.
Before we knew, we had spent close to 2 hours in the book-​shop and could easily have spent many more hours here.
I highly recommend visiting, and would dare anyone trying to exit without finding at least a few books you absolutely cannot leave without.
As an added bonus, there’s a direct connection to a music and instrument shop next door, from the lower floor.

Ah, I love a good bookstore.
And this is a good bookstore.
It is massive, with shelves that go on and on forever. You need a book, they probably have it. Everything is well mapped out, easy to find, and if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, they have great handwritten suggestions on shelves.
They also had fantastic little sections like a wall dedicated to Terry Pratchet. Loved that.
I could spend hours in here, And probably will next time I am here.

Visited three times… and it’s already my favorite bookshop. The atmosphere and selection of books are wonderful.

It’s a great book store to go and wander around in. If you’re looking for recent fiction and pop culture/​psychology books the selection can’t be beat, and there are a lot of discounted books as well, even some brand new ones. I didn’t find what I was looking for, but I found plenty of other interesting books I’d never seen before. Definitely worth a visit!

Los amantes de los libros no pueden perderse este lugar, visita absolutamente obligatoria. Es la librería más grande que he visto jamás, entras en ella y, de repente, el edificio te supera. No se cuantos libros tendrán pero, una vez dentro, uno piensa que sería imposible que existiese un libro que no estuviese allí. Tiene varias plantas, todas enormes, todas espléndidas. Tiene más de un siglo de antigüedad pero todo está reformado y modernizado. Ya digo, para cualquier persona que le gusten los libros este sitio es lugar de peregrinación.

Without a doubt this is my favourite bookstore in the world. It not only houses a wonderfully rich and diverse collection of books for sale, but also sits across from and next to my favourite library in the world, the Bodleian. The selection of books available is phenomenal, the staff are extremely helpful and friendly, and the atmosphere is quite enjoyable. Cozy and buzzing with knowledge, this is a bookstore you absolutely need to visit if you are ever in Oxford. I’ve spent many an hour at the caffe Nero reading and just taking in the atmosphere.

This is one amazing bookshop and in terms of size, it’s a proper colossasaurus too: you could spend days in here and whenever I’m in Oxford I make a point of visiting. The range of books is comprehensive and extremely varied and you end up browsing from one department to the other and discovering the unexpected.
Occasionally the huge Norrington Room is used for events such as lectures, performances and productions. I had the privilege of watching Doctor Faustus from the balcony nestled in the psychology section in a theatre made completely out of books. It was one of the strangest and most fitting stages I’ve ever been to: the play’s theme of knowledge and its misuse tied in so well with the setting, in a veritable temple of knowledge and learning. The performance itself was very clever, with a limited cast in a limited space, everything was very inventively put together, with the makeshift stage revealing trapdoors and hidden entrances. The location added a whole new dimension to the play. I really hope one day to watch another such production here!

Lots of reviews here already, so I’ll just add a few notes I don’t think have been mentioned yet:
— There are several Blackwell’s stores, sort of diagonally across from each other on Broad Street: the main store covering all kinds of subjects and formats, plus a music (book) store that also seems to sell some instruments, and the Art & Poster shop; and possibly more specialty locations.
— The main shop has a large selection of cycling route maps, not just for Oxford like the several bike shops (and the tourist information office) I tried first.
— Staff is very helpful and knowledgeable. They cultivate staff that have familiarity with specific subject areas and can help you find what you’re looking for. I think this in particular makes shopping here superior to buying online.

Best bookstore in Oxford, hands down! I love the poetry room – the whole place is a thinking person’s view of heaven.

Excellent bookstore and stocks a large selection of language books. The currently have a deal, if you buy £100 of books they will ship them for free, even internationally! It’s a great deal and doesn’t weight down your bags!

Blackwells is probably the most impressive bookshop I’ve ever been to in my entire life. Not architecturally impressive, but for the sheer range of books available.
They. have. EVERYTHING.
The gargantuan Norrington Room at the back of library is probably the most recognizable spot in the library (or most frequently photographed), with massive floor-​to-​ceiling shelves around the entire room.
One could easily spend all day long here (dodging around the tourists).
They’ve also got a sizable Café Nero on one of the upper floors if you need a cuppa and a sit down.
I’m looking forward to going back to Blackwells when I have 2 things: More time to browse, & more money.

If you come to Oxford, this is one of the spots to check out. It seems small when you walk in but once you take the stairs one level down, their space just seems to triple in size. Massive collection of books.
I have a love/​hate relationship with bookstores because it inspires me to read more, however, it would seriously damage my checking account if I wanted to buy more books. And especially at Blackwell’s I would be converting the currency from pounds to dollars, thinking of how much I am really spending. Oh lord, my bank account would have a coronary embolism…

Easily one of the best bookstores I’ve ever been to, Blackwell’s has just about everything a nerd could ask for! Their book selection is massive and covers not only main stream titles from big publishers, but more importantly less popular academic works. The only other book store that I’ve been to that compares is Stanford University’s, which is somewhat of a lengthy commute if your in the UK.
If you don’t want to order your books online, you can’t pick a better store than Blackwell’s.

I had a very limited amount of time in Oxford — it was a sin, really — and there were many things I did not get to see. However, I DID get to spend time at Blackwell’s, and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to experience this lovely bookstore and music shop.
There’s pretty much anything here that you could ever want in terms of books or music. I didn’t get to explore the offerings as much as I would have liked, and the girl at the counter looked at me like I was on drugs when I purchased a CD of music sung by one of the Oxford choirs — sorry, no Ramones purchases that day — but it was nevertheless a pleasant shopping experience. They appeared to have a very wide selection, including sheet music, and their window displays were tasteful and eye-​catching. You feel very cozy and cultured as you shop here, nestled amongst the books and music offerings, with the bustling streets and the towers of the esteemed Oxford University just outside the door. This bookstore is a treasure. I would definitely, definitely visit again.

There are few bookstores that truly stand out. Blackwell’s is one of them. The collections are well curated in this treasure trove. Plan to go when you have adequate time; kick back, drink a coffee and enjoy.
I love that there are reference desks in many of the store’s departments. Staff is friendly and well-​informed.
Yes, the used section is weak, but who cares? Order your used books online from Powell’s.

The ratio of Blackwell’s shop frontage to the space inside is similar to that of Mary Poppins’ apparent bag size to its actual capacity.
What I mean by this is, Blackwell’s is massive. Literally astoundingly big. Lots of levels. Lots of books. Second-​hand as well which is handy. Second-​handy, if you will. Very good at ordering things in, as all bookshops should be but most are not, and with a very healthy stock of good non-​fiction and useful books for study which is good for freshers who haven’t ever used a library before.

What a brilliant book shop! I blindly, I now know, didn’t realise what this particular Blackwell’s was. From the outside it just looks like any other! But this is where it all started and it’s huge! (well now it is!)
I just like books and kinda just wandered in to take a nosey, which in hindsight is probably a good way to approach it. Is it the Norrington Room that’s super huge? It’s amazing.
I also really loved the second hand bookshop on the top floor — I love the smell of old books and just perusing the shelves was lovely.
Obviously Blackwell’s is expensive but the book lover and tourist in me loved this place!

Ever since childhood I have relished books. I was the first person to be able to read in my school and to this day try to read about one book every fortnight. One of my favorite authors is James Patterson and I will read anything that comes from his pen (although he could write with a pencil if he wanted to hah). If I could think of one word for James Patterson it would be «prolific». He writes a new book all the time. His new one is called Witch and Wizard: The Gift. In this book, sibling teenagers Whit and Wisty Allgood use their newly discovered magical powers to infiltrate the enemy territory of the New Order to gain control of the inter-​dimensional Shadowland. I haven’t started it yet. That’s just what it says on the back cover.
Oxford is famous for it’s literary diversity. From Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers to Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe to Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Oxford has it all. But even though Oxford has so many books, I thought they might all be kept in a library somewhere and even then, not everyone loves James Patterson as much as I do. hahah Jennifer just saw me write that and said probably NO ONE loves James Patterson as much as I do!
I was talking to a friend of mine about the new James Patterson book and how I might have to order a copy online. He told me about Blackwell’s, a book store on Broad Street. He said it was ENORMOUS, and that they have a copy of everything, even American authors, and knowing how much I love to go TO places, browse, walk around and soak up the culture I decided that I wouldn’t buy it online or the kindl version. I decided I would attempt to locate it in Blackwell’s.
That’s what I’m doing tomorrow. Sorry to any Patterson enthusiasts if I snag the last one!