Helpful Score: 3
This is a wonderful book. Helene Hanff finally gets to fulfill her dream of visiting England and meeting some of her 'penpals' from the book store at 84 Charing Cross Road. She meets many wonderful people and visits so many sites of her favorite books and authors. For anyone who has ever enjoyed English literature; for anyone who has ever longed to visit the places they read about; reading this book is almost as good as getting to go yourself. One of the best things about Hanff's writing is her dry sense of humor and it is additionally worth reading just for that.
Helpful Score: 1
84 Charing Cross Road was Helene's account of her 20 year relationship with a London bookstore staff-a special relationship conducted by mail from her NY home before, during and after WWII. For many years she was unable to make the journey to meet these people and when she finally did (in 1970) she wrote this acount. If you love books and bookstores and other likeminded people, this one's for you!
Helpful Score: 1
The author's thoughts on her visit to London (from page 60), also describe my feeling reading this book:
...every time I mail a postcard home I could use Euphoria as a return address.
...every time I mail a postcard home I could use Euphoria as a return address.
Helpful Score: 1
Hanff's voice remains a delight, but as I have not visited London, I wasn't thrilled by this book the way I was with "84, Charing Cross Road." Her notes from when she finally does make it to England are fun and quirky as ever, but I think you would "get" what she is talking about much better if you'd been there too.
