Reading the 20th Century discussion

Last night I read...


84, Charing Cross Road

I cannot recommend it highly enough

Has anyone read it?

I adored it.

It's published by Penguin, or was, if that inspires anyone (hint hint)

The only downside to this book is its brevity. 97 pages of pure enjoyment is nowhere near enough. Thankfully there is a sequel called The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. I'll be reading that one very soon

Has anyone read any other books by Helene Hanff?

They surely can't all be as wonderful as 84, Charing Cross Road?

Here's my review...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This charming classic, first published in 1970, brings together twenty years of correspondence between Helene Hanff, a freelance writer living in New York City, and a used-book dealer in London. Through the years, though never meeting and separated both geographically and culturally, they share a winsome, sentimental friendship based on their common love for books. Their relationship, captured so acutely in these letters, is one that will grab your heart and not let go.

I recently read 84 Charing Cross and thought it was fantastic! It’s the only thing I’ve read by her so far though.

I watched the movie after with Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins and thought it really well done.

Thanks Brenda. I'm a bit worried by the film adaptation. Great casting but I worry that it might play fast and loose with the source material, or ruin the mental images I have of the characters and the shop.

I loved 84, Charing Cross Road and the follow-up The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, her diary about travelling to London to meet up with the family of the bookseller. I haven't read any others by her, but I'd also be interested in any recommendations.

I haven't seen the film, while I'm not too sure how it would work, many people say it's wonderful, so I'll watch it if I get the chance.

Film 86 (BBC film programme) location report from the Bancroft/Hopkins film adapatation and which features the real Helene Hanff...


https://youtu.be/W26Qlq1oWD8

Tania wrote:


"I loved 84, Charing Cross Road and the follow-up The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, her diary about travelling to London to meet up with the family of the bookseller. I haven't read any others by her, but I'd also be interested in any recommendations.

Me too

The reviews on here are very positive so I think we can proceed with confidence

"I haven't seen the film, while I'm not too sure how it would work, many people say it's wonderful, so I'll watch it if I get the chance."

I'm warming to the idea of the film

I loved 84, Charing Cross Road too! (My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) I haven't read The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street yet, but want to. I'd also try the film, but understand the reservations--it's such a reader's book.

Of her other books Q's Legacy: A Delightful Account of a Lifelong Love Affair with Books looks really interesting, I'll see if my library has a copy.

Thanks Kathleen, thanks Tania


Ah libraries. I remember them. Hoping they'll reopen in England in the next few months.

I can still reserve and collect stuff from my library, though I don't think it says so on their website. Perhaps you can ring yours and see if they offer this service.

Thanks again Tania. In normal times my local library service would offer that service, both online and by ringing up, sadly they are currently completely shut until further notice as we all remain in lockdown.

With a quarter of the population now vaccinated, and the vaccination programme continuing apace, things are looking encouraging for the Spring and Summer

I read it a couple of years ago, and I did like it. My only gripe was, that the woman was buying books second hand and when finished , she was putting them in the waste bin

Well, only those books she knew she'd never read again. I wasn't clear if she was throwing them away or giving them away. I know she said she'd thrown one book away which I assumed was in v bad condition. I'll have to reread it now ;-)

I read it many years ago and really liked it, although I don't remember it in any detail now.

I’ve read both and loved them. I’ve also seen the movie and I did find the portrayal of Helene much different from what I had pictured in my mind. I still enjoyed the movie but definitely prefer the book. But that’s usually the case.
I also have the book Letter From New York but haven’t read it yet. Right now it’s buried in my boxes of books. We’ve finally started building out the library so hopefully I can get all my books unpacked in a few weeks. I miss them so!

Thanks Lynaia - that's reassuring

I was commenting yesterday when my keyboard/computer froze. Irritating. I took it as a sign that it was time for dinner.

Anyway, I've enjoyed the 4 Hanff books that I've read - Q's legacy, 84, Charing Cross Road., The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street and Apple of My Eye. I also like the movie of Charing Cross.

Thanks Jan - looking forward to more HH 🤸🏼‍♀️

Having loved...


84, Charing Cross Road

...and which is an absolute joy, I am now underway with the sequel....


The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street (1973)


Nancy Mitford meets Nora Ephron in the pages of The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, Helene Hanff’s delightful travelogue about her “bucket list” trip to London

When devoted Anglophile Helene Hanff is invited to London for the English publication of 84, Charing Cross Road —in which she shares two decades of correspondence with Frank Doel, a British bookseller who became a dear friend—she can hardly believe her luck. Frank is no longer alive, but his widow and daughter, along with enthusiastic British fans from all walks of life, embrace Helene as an honoured guest. Eager hosts, including a famous actress and a retired colonel, sweep her up in a whirlwind of plays and dinners, trips to Harrod’s, and wild jaunts to their favorite corners of the countryside.

A New Yorker who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, Helene Hanff delivers an outsider’s funny yet fabulous portrait of idiosyncratic Britain at its best. And whether she is walking across the Oxford University courtyard where John Donne used to tread, visiting Windsor Castle, or telling a British barman how to make a real American martini, Helene always wears her heart on her sleeve. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street is not only a witty account of two different worlds colliding but also a love letter to England and its literary heritage—and a celebration of the written word’s power to sustain us, transport us, and unite us.

I've now finished...


84, Charing Cross Road (1973)

Another winner...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

3/5

The film adaptation of...


84, Charing Cross Road

...is on television in the UK tonight (3 March 2021) on Sony Movies Classic at 9 pm

Sony Movies Classic is a Freeview channel...

https://sonymovies.co.uk/special/sony...