Okay, who among you out there has read Helene Hanff's correspondence collection 84, Charing Cross Road?
Anyone? Now, at the risk of sounding stern, if you have read this book, why weren't you telling me to immediately drop everything, get it, and read it? I don't mean to be churlish but you might have told me this perfect little book was just out there waiting for me.*
If you haven't read it, let me explain. It is, quite simply, a small collection of letters that passed between this totally awesome New York City broad Helene and the used bookstore, Marks & Company, at 84 Charing Cross Road, London, with whom she did book business for more than twenty years. It started off sedately enough, with Helene responding to one of their ads and asking for some clean secondhand copies of a few books she was looking for. An employee at Marks, Frank Doel, responded to her queries and sent her the books she requested when he could find them. Of course, he didn't always have exactly what she wanted on hand, which prompted a letter such as:
"Frank Doel, what are you DOING over there, you are not doing ANYthing, you are just sitting AROUND.
Where is Leigh Hunt? Where is the Oxford Verse? Where is the Vulgate and dear goofy John Henry, I thought they'd be such nice uplifting reading for Lent and NOTHING do you send me.
you leave me sitting here writitng long margin notes in library books that don't belong to me, some day they'll find out i did it and take my library card away."
I swear to God, I'm in love with Helene Hanff.
Eventually other store staff members start writing to her, and she writes back. Because they are in postwar England, and under some pretty strict rationing, she also starts to send them packages of meats and eggs and other goodies.
Have I mentioned how I'm in love with Helene Hanff? I don't care that this book was written in 1970 and Helene has long since passed on. Don't speak to me of these mere trifles.
No kidding. Although nobody told me to go read this book immediately (oh, sure, some people mentioned I might enjoy it, but that was not nearly strong enough language) I'll do my bit here: GO READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY. I read it last week (I was prompted because the novel I reviewed yesterday, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, was similar to it) and now I'm busily revising my list of five books I'd take to a desert island with me. It literally made me forget my (admittedly small and stupid) worries for an hour, and for that I am eternally grateful to Helene. I hope wherever she is in the great big ol' crazy afterlife, there's books there with her, and a nice little bookstore to boot.
*I'm not taking the chance of missing something again. I'm going on a total Helene bender now, starting with Letter from New York and moving into The Duchess of Bloombury Street.
Where is your review? I thought you didn't read fiction - or are you breaking out of your comfort zone. I loved GLPPS and 84 CCR is always compared to it (or vice versa). Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins were in the movie, which is also charming.
Posted by: sarah | 26 March 2009 at 10:24 AM
Oh, it's in the post below . . . haven't caught up yet.
Posted by: sarah | 26 March 2009 at 10:25 AM
I had almost the same experience over the holidays, when I stumbled across the book on the shelves of the inn where I was staying.
Posted by: Marianne | 26 March 2009 at 10:32 AM
Yep, this one is absolutely great. It made me want to read better books and meet more fellow readers. What a book.
Posted by: Tripp | 26 March 2009 at 10:54 AM
Sarah,
I've got the movie waiting for me at the library. I'm totally pumped!
I don't know that you'll much care for my review of The GLPPS...
Marianne,
What a great way to stumble across this book! I love it inns leave books in your room--the College Hotel in Boston is the last place I stayed where they had bookshelves with some very interesting choices in the corner of my room. It was awesome!
Tripp,
I'm with you. It made me want to read more Helene Hanff, write more letters, and visit more bookstores--all at once! What a book indeed.
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 26 March 2009 at 12:37 PM
I'm sorry - I thought everyone had read this. You absolutly must see the movie. I saw the movie first and then read the book. Both are excellent.
Posted by: Melanie | 26 March 2009 at 01:12 PM
You absolutely must see the movie. I saw the movie before I read the book, but both are excellent.
Posted by: Melanie | 26 March 2009 at 01:17 PM
Melanie,
You're totally forgiven. This just shows the danger of assuming that everyone has read this book. :) From now on it will be one of my life's missions to tell everyone I meet to read it!
I just picked up the movie--can't wait for that either!
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 26 March 2009 at 02:35 PM
I've had this book on my list to read for years........so now I think I will just do it. I saw the movie a couple of months ago (from Netflix). I enjoyed it. Anthony Hopkins plays Frank Doel.
Posted by: Diane B. Miller | 27 March 2009 at 03:44 PM
I didn't tell you to read this one? It's only one of my all-time favorites. And the movie is fab as well. Can't believe I never mentioned it.
Posted by: Pop Tart | 27 March 2009 at 03:47 PM
The second book isn't as good as the first, but it will do.
I have trouble figuring out why you loved this but didn't even like GLPPS - I know you saw it as war porn, but I saw it as a fascinating look at how people interpret what they read - especially when they don't have any "education" to inform what they're reading. I found their takes on the books that they'd read really fascinating - and funny. Heavy stuff some of that - and interpreted in ways that neither the author or the "literary" types probably ever thought possible. My favourite sentence in the book is something about the German officers starting out attending the book club meetings - but leaving early, puzzled. Wonderful!
Nancy
Posted by: nancy | 27 March 2009 at 05:05 PM
Diane:
I've got the movie sitting on top of my VCR right now and am very much hoping to get a chance to watch it this weekend. I love both Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins, so I'm totally pumped. And, as this is now my new mission in life, let me start with you:
Read the book immediately!! :)
Pop Tart,
You probably have told me. I know several people of mentioned it to me over the years. I guess it's expecting a lot that you should literally have put the book in my hands and then told me to go right home and read it--but, let's face it, I expect a lot of you as one of my main reading buddies!!
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 27 March 2009 at 06:02 PM
Nancy,
Good to know about her second book (I'm guessing you mean "The Duchess...") I've got her NYC book right now and it's AWESOME.
Yup, isn't a puzzler about me not liking the GLPPS? Sometimes I like to throw these little conundrums (conundra?) out there to show librarians and readers' advisors that, you know, you can make what you think is going to be right-on suggestion, but it doesn't always mean the reader is going to go along with you. Reading and personal taste are funny old things. Have a great weekend!!
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 27 March 2009 at 06:15 PM
I had not heard of this book until last year when a blogger I respect said it was her most fave ever. So I wishlisted it. I have yet to get around to it but now I read about it here and just might follow your advice and go directly do not pass go and buy it now.
Posted by: Care | 27 March 2009 at 09:01 PM
I enjoy reading your blog, and I was happy to hear that you've read and loved 84 Charing Cross Road. It has been my favorite book - and movie - for years. I've read/seen it so many times I can recite my favorite bits by heart! I like how the movie shows the passage of time throughout Hanff's and Dole's correspondence. I'm reminded of when Helene gets her first package of books from Marks & Co. and remarks, "I never knew books could be such a joy to the touch." In this digital age, I don't think I want to give up the tactile pleasure of holding a real book as I read it for a plastic, fragile device.
Posted by: Laura | 28 March 2009 at 02:19 AM
Oh, Care,
After I've pumped it up so, I do hope you'll love it too. Can't wait to hear what you think about it!
Laura,
I'm so thankful to have finally read this book. I can see why it's a favorite! Although I don't re-read nonfiction as often as I do my favorite fiction titles, I'm definitely adding this to the rotation of books I have to read at least once a year. There were SO many great bits, I can see totally what you mean about reciting them by heart (I already giggle when I think "you are not sending me any books, you are just sitting AROUND")--and the joy of touching books, well, that will never get old. I kind of think we'll always need that. I will, anyway. I'm hoping print books will be kind of like vinyl records--everybody thinks they're gone but for the true fan, they're still around and actually having little resurgences of popularity.
I can't wait to see the movie. Thanks for the comment!
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 28 March 2009 at 10:18 AM
Wow, I dunno if I've ever heard you so...giddy? Well...I guess I'm on my way to Barnes and Nobles, flash flood warning and all!
Posted by: Bookie | 28 March 2009 at 11:45 AM
Me too!! This same thing happened to me just 2 days ago - I had reserved this book at the library, it came in, and I picked it up because I was reading a very long book at the time and this one was really short. I read the whole thing in a couple of hours. I thought the same thing: Why didn't I know about this before?? And, I thought it was WAY better than that Potato Peel book.
Posted by: Sarah | 04 April 2009 at 09:42 PM
Okay, please tell me that part of what spurred you to read this was my Guernsey post and that therefore I'm exonerated!
Did you read "I Capture the Castle"? I finished it yesterday and I had the same feeling of "where have you been all my life, you lovely book you?" But then I'm on a bit of a fiction kick right now.
Posted by: Jessica | 07 April 2009 at 01:55 AM
Bookie, I am giddy. That's the perfect word. And I'm giddily making my way through the rest of Hanff's books now, too, and they're all wonderful!
Sarah,
Isn't it AWESOME? I'd highly recommend the sequel, "The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street," too, although it will make you want to drop everything and travel to London. (And you're right, that's the other great thing about Hanff--her books are meaty but short!)
Jessica,
You don't have to worry about being exonerated! It was still good for me to read the Guernsey book, even if it wasn't for me, so I could try and see what others liked about it. I just appreciated your whole review--I can't say one part spurred me to get this book--but you always read such interesting things that I often get things from the library just because you've mentioned them. And quite often it works out that I enjoy them. So do keep up the good reviewing work.
Oh, "I Capture the Castle." People have suggested that one to me too and I just never get it done. So now I'll have to add that to the TBR pile too!
Posted by: Citizen Reader | 07 April 2009 at 09:11 AM