The table outside J Michaels Books, in downtown Eugene, looked promising (the anniversary edition of Eloise’s adventures!); the carefully curated collection inside confirms the promise.

For the first time since I have embarked on my quest for Tournier’s Midnight Love Feast, I spot Michel Tournier‘s name on the shelves!

And not only once, but thrice! Alas, no Love Feast… Once again,  A Confederacy of Dunces , the volume I see every time I look for Tournier, stares back at me.

This, it turns out, will remain the closest I will have gotten (yet!) to spotting the elusive collection of short stories.

I look for it a few blocks away, at the Smith family store. The potentially “Tournier” part of the “T” section in literature is close to the ground, hidden behind a pillar. Two contortions later, the grim truth: there is no Tournier here… But I linger, captivated by the endless labyrinth of shelves, and the impressive piles of books in front of them. The extensive place feels like a warehouse; however, it is precisely organized in color-and-number coded sections and subsections. This (and the presence of Nostalgia Collectibles in the back) gives me hope for another quest: a book about mangas. Upstairs, there is indeed a decent collection of comics, graphic novels, and mangas, and a quite a few books about comics – but no publication specifically relating to mangas.

My last hope on the Eugene tour is, like the two previous spots, a bit of an “institution” and a veteran of the trade for decades: the aptly named Tsunami bookstore. Hard to miss in this otherwise bland suburban shopping strip: a striking mural above the door, the one-dollar book carts in front of which two kids on bikes are discussing their potential picks… and once inside, a warm, quirky feel. The ceiling is covered with posters from events that took place in the back room, where I discover a very decent section of foreign-language books, collectibles, a small stage and  various distinctive sets of folding seats – including a unique duck-feet style, homage to the local college sports teams.

No Tournier, but plenty of interesting books and all kinds of print collectibles, in a place that feels like a community living room. I could stay here… But I got to go. So many more bookstores to explore!