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Peach Wilkins
"Come on in and show us those snappy snappies."Peach Wilkins

This article could use some more pictures. Would you kindly help BioShock Wiki by adding some?
Pictures needed: Renders: Signs for "Floor 2", "Cooking", "Fiction", "Parasitism", "Empiricism", "Self-Optimization", "Art", "Non-Fiction".
Andrew RyanHQ
"There is something more powerful than each of us, a combination of our efforts, a Great Chain of industry that unites us. But it is only when we struggle in our own interest that the chain pulls society in the right direction..."Andrew Ryan

This article falls within the scope of the BioShock Wiki:Businesses Project. This project is dedicated to improving the articles about Rapture and Columbia's many businesses.
Would you kindly help the BioShock Wiki by volunteering on the project page?
For the bookstore in BioShock 2, see Books.
Bookstore sign
BaSE1 Housewares Bookstore Exterior

Take a look, what's in the bookstore.

The one thing I did like about Rapture: lots of new books to read.
― Elizabeth[src]

The Bookstore is a business found in the Housewares department of Fontaine's in Rapture. This two story bookshop sells all sorts of literature. The most notable piece is the heavily advertised Don't Let the Bastards See You Sweat.

History[]

BaSE1 Housewares Bookstore First Floor Fiction Shelf

Even Rapture's Finest indulge in a bit of fantasy.

The Housewares building's Book department catered to everyone from the upscale Rapture literati to the average Joe looking to pass some time with a good book. The store was another excellent way for Frank Fontaine to promote his various business interests; in this case, his publishing company, the Fontaine Press. It should come as no surprise that the store was a showcase for his self-help book Don't Let the Bastards See You Sweat.

When Fontaine was killed in a fiery shootout at Fontaine Fisheries, his assets were nationalized. Andrew Ryan took control of Fontaine's Department Store and ordered it to be converted into a prison to house the mobster's known associates and army of followers. Whether it was due to fighting among the Splicers or the general disorder caused from lifting the building off its foundation and lowering it into the trench, books and other periodicals became scattered all over the store and shelves.

Burial at Sea - Episode 1[]

BaSE1 Housewares Bookstore First Floor Cooking Section

The First Floor.

Main article: Burial at Sea - Episode 1

When Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth enter the Bookstore to close a vent, the store is filled with Splicers. After getting rid of them and closing the vent, the duo can exit on the other side of the security gate to Appliances Department and close the vent in the showcase. If they return to the Bookstore, the store is once again filled with Splicers.

There are three doors that give access to the store from the main corridor; two are near the Customer Service section, and the third is on the other side of the security gate towards Appliances.

First Floor[]

The first floor's book sections contain a large one devoted to fiction and a smaller one devoted to cooking. There's a Lockpick behind the checkout counter and a few coins at the base. Beside checkout is a stairway leading to the second floor, the other set of stairs is by the front entrance; a Splicer or two may be patrolling the areas near the stairs. Two light sconces over the stairways give quick access to the second floor.

Second Floor[]

BaSE1 Housewares Bookstore Second Floor Art Section 1

The Second Floor.

The second floor houses the store's "non-fiction" book section. This includes books on art, self-optimization, empiricism, and parasitism.

A Splicer can be heard trying to scare Sally out of her vent by talking about large rats that prefer the taste of little girls in the ventilation system she resides in. A Turret guards the Little Sister vent in the "art" section of the store.

During a fight, a Samurai and Medical Kits can be brought in through Tears to assist the player.

Gallery[]

Behind the Scenes[]

  • The music heard in the bookstore is "It Had to be You" by Django Reinhardt. It was reprised from the soundtrack of 2007's BioShock.
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