84, Charing Cross Road
by Helene Hanff, Frank Doel
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Book Summary Information
Author: Frank Doel, Helene HanffCorporate Author: Marks & Co.
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1995-04
ISBN: 1559211407
Number of pages: 104
Publisher: Moyer Bell
Book Reviews of 84, Charing Cross Road
Book Review: A passion for books (3.5*s)
Summary: 3 Stars
This book is a collection of a series of letters exchanged by the author, Helene Hanff, a New York writer, and the employees, though primarily Frank Doel, of Marks & Co, a London-based antiquarian bookseller. These letters occurred over a period of twenty years from 1949 to 1969.
This book of letters is special because it captures so well the passion that both the author and the company had for rare and classic books, not to mention the friendships that were engendered because of that shared passion. The author demonstrates by far the most emotion as she both chides Frank for his failure to either obtain a book or his sending an inferior version and sings his praises for sending along an especially pristine version of a finely crafted classic. The author softens her sharp letters by shipping tins of meat and eggs during a period when such were being rationed in England.
The question arises as to whether all of this constitutes a love story. The author herself writes that Frank would likely not like her writing "love" letters to others at the firm and that furthermore only he understands her. Perhaps the question is irrelevant - obviously high regard existed. The author constantly made tentative, unrealized plans to visit England and the bookstore, but when her friends visited, they were practically mobbed by the employees as being representative of Helene.
The relative merit of the book is difficult to judge. Only scraps of information about the individuals involved are conveyed; there is little in the way of discussion concerning ideas. The book conveys best that our connections with others can originate in the most unusual manner, especially if we are open to them. Helene could not possibly have known that a simple request for books would evolve into a lifetime of heartfelt communication. One would not necessarily have to be a book lover to appreciate the book.
Summary of 84, Charing Cross Road
It all began with a letter enquiring about second-hand books, written by Helene Hanff in New York, and posted to a bookshop at 84 Charing Cross Road, London. As Helene's sarcastic and witty letters are responded to by the stodgy and proper Frank Doel of 84 Charing Cross Road, a relationship blossoms into a warm, charming, feisty love affair. We follow, in her subsequent letters and in the shop's responses, the trial of one woman;s idiosyncratic path through English literature. Along the way, as Anne Bancroft notes in her introduction, our enjoyment in sharing. Hanff's literary eduction is deepened by the human story her letters tell as she grows ever fonder of her bookselling friends across the ocean.Authors Books
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