REVIEW: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

84, Charing Cross Road
Author: Helene Hanff
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Genre: Nonfiction/Memoir

Ratings:
5/5 stars
PG: Mild language
Recommend to: Readers; book lovers; bookshop lovers; fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Summary:
It all began with a letter inquiring about second-hand books, written by Helene Hanff in New York, and posted to a bookshop at 84, Charing Cross Road in 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 and charming long-distance friendship lasting many years. 

via Goodreads.com

The Review:

This is one of the most beautiful, engaging, fun, and heartbreaking things I have ever read. Everyone should read this.

Solely comprised of letters between the author, Helene Hanff, and the employees of an English bookstore, mainly Frank Doel, 84, Charing Cross Road is bursting with one of the most important qualities I look for in books -PERSONALITY.

he has a first edition of Newman's University for six bucks, do i want it, he asks innocently.

Dear Frank: 

Yes, I want it. I won't be fit to live with myself. I've never cared about first editions, per se, but a first edition of THAT book -!

oh my.

i can just see it. (pg 15)

As you can see...

you leave me sitting here writing 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. (pg 10)

...Helene Hanff is an absolute pistol. Every inquiry, letter, request, and complaint is rife with her larger-than-life personality. I was in stitches. Her wit and sarcasm is perfectly balanced by Frank Doel's oh-so-Britishly-proper responses. What starts as a book inquiry quickly grows into an almost twenty year correspondence the most funny and heartfelt friendship, all blossoming from a shared love of books.

She is insane about books! The way she talks about them -especially high tier nonfiction that I wouldn't dream of ever touching- makes me want to grab a copy and fall into the past inside. She makes them sound like magic, like time capsules just waiting to be uncovered. Hanff is a reader and only readers will truly appreciate how every page here is merely another step into that obsessive love affair we all share with books.

And Frank Doel understands. In fact, Helene even tells him in one of her many letters:

you see how it is, frankie, you're the only soul alive who truly understands me. (pg. 83)

Today, we book lovers can generally find someone to share our passion with. With countless blogs, booktubers, and Goodreads, we don't have to look very far to find a kindred spirit. Helene Hanff had Frank Doel; he was always on the lookout for books he thought she would like and they got to know each other so well through their expressive and captivating letters that he eventually sent her books she didn't ask for, because he knew she would like them, and she always did.

And the letters. Oh the letters! What a beautiful art; what a masterful form of communication. Why don't we write letters anymore? All the world should write letters as personal and effervescent as these. This entire book is a testament to pen pals, books, and readers, the letters within the kind of ordinary magic people can cast with just a little time and effort.

84, Charing Cross Road is a quick read at 97 pages -but it's so breathtakingly beautiful I guarantee you won't read it quickly. You will savor every letter, every discussion of books, every spitfire comment from Helene, every genteel reply from Frank, until you feel as much a part of their friendship as surely any book lover could.

This is the first nonfiction I have ever truly, completely enjoyed, let alone awarded five stars and immediately added to my private collection. I have no reservations when I say 84, Charing Cross Road is one of the greatest books of the 20th century.

What is your favorite
book about books?

Favorite Book | Ever Afters Blog Party!

Welcome to the second day of the glorious festivities! Here's your party hat.

Top 7 Countdown
The playlist for Chase Turnleaf is, hands down, my favorite. You'll see a lot of those songs on this countdown. First up, at #6, Kings of Leon with Use Somebody:

Quote of the Day:

Of Giants and Ice, pg 340

For today's fan project, we'll be analyzing the individual books to answer one very specific question. Which one is your favorite so far? I know it's hard. There's so many good parts in all of them!

Personally, my favorite has to be Of Witches and Wind. I still can't get over the reveal of Chase's secret, and the dramatically different side of him we get to see here. This development, and how it pushes and challenges Rory, still blows me away, three rereads later. Plus, they get stuck in Atlantis together and get some more bonding time, which I love. There's also the other side of the story, with Rory and her dad, and how it's so perfectly integrated into the fairy tale side. I've always loved that Rory had to step out of Atlantis and finish part of the quest in Hollywood, and it heaps so much more on to her emotional development to have all that stuff happening at once. I feel like it has a lot more drama with Chase's side of the story, but it still retains all it's fun qualities. Basically, things are starting to get serious, but they're not too serious yet. Add in Chatty, Ben, their awesomely corny jokes, IRON HANS, and my very favorite scene at the end where Chase walks into her homeroom class -yep. OWAW is my favorite. ;)

What's Your Favorite Book?

Aurora H. says

Favorite book is so very difficult. But I'd have to say OWAW. Because though OSAS was the most heartbreaking emotional rollercoaster OWAW's character and plot development blows me away every time I read it. 'Nuff said.

Clare R

My favorite book of the series is Of Sorcery and Snow. The reason: Chaurora. There are other reasons, but that one’s very prominent.

And from Haley R

My favorite book of the series is Of Witches and Wind, which is funny because for the longest time it was my least favorite book.  It was just that I had figured out the Chatty and Mia thing in the first few chapters, so I always thought it was blatantly obvious.  It's not, but that always annoyed me a bit.  When I've reread it recently, though, I realized what a masterfully written book it is.  So much happens in the book and it never really even occurred to me.  In Of Giants and Ice, Rory was a strong character, but in Of Witches and Wind she's even stronger.  She is completely integrated in EAS, and it shows.  She is comfortable there, and though she probably doesn't know as much as Chase, she can find her way around fairly well.  It's also the book where Chase's big secret (one of them anyway) is revealed.  With the information that he's half-Fey in my mind, I'm reading OGAI and noticing things I never really counted as important, but now it's obvious that it is actually about his heritage.  Another part I found interesting is that OWAW focuses on Rory's dad and Brie and her relationship with them.  In the first book, the two characters are mentioned but they don't really have a large role.  We get to see the other side of Rory's family and watch her grapple with the fact that her dad is engaged and didn't even tell her. Rory also thinks that she's not strong enough to battle the Snow Queen, but she not faces her fears and doubts, she beats them.  

      Another important part of Of Witches and Wind is the introduction of a sort of gray area.  In Of Giants and Ice, everything is pretty black and white.  The Snow Queen is bad, EAS is good.  Pretty simple.  In OWAW, though, it becomes a little more complicated than that.  First, Chase and Rory meet Iron Hans. Considered one of the worst villains, they are surprised to find that he is actually... nice.  He says that he was once friends with Solange, which is why he helped her.  He also has the tale of the White Snake which reminds me of Evan and the problems he had with his Tale.  This lends a bit of familiarization to him and helps with sympathizing.  Then, they learn about the Snow Queen's past.  She was not always the horrible person they now know.  Her sister is Rapunzel, whom Rory is fairly close to and really likes.  Solange's mother died when she was younger, in the French Revolution, and both of her best friends were taken away when she was sixteen.  That would be enough to make anyone bitter.  They begin to realize that everything isn't always going to be clear-cut and even the people they thought were terrible might just be perceived that way, or it could be because of their circumstances

Sorry, that was really long.

No apologies necessary! This is a Blog Party; if we can't fangril here, where could we?

Thanks for stopping by again, fellow Characters! Before you go, don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY. This is, unfortunately, only open to citizens of the US. And if you haven't seen it, Shelby Bach is also doing a massive and magnificent batch of giveaways on her blog.

This giveaway will end on the 30th of June and I will announce the lucky winner on the 1st of July. The giveaway is only open to residents of the US.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rory, Chase, and Lena have been getting a little antsy waiting for the outcome. They've taken to exploring my room when I'm not around. This is how I found them when I got home from work yesterday.

Rory: No, Chase, you can't take
the giant sword home.
Chase: Finders, keepers, Rory. This'll
look awesome hanging on my wall!

Day 1: Fan Art + Giveaway

Day 2: Favorite Book

Day 3: Favorite Character

Day 4: Favorite Character to Despise
Day 5: Favorite Scene/Moment
Day 6: OEAE Predictions
Day 7: What Makes The Ever Afters Special to You?


And tune back in tomorrow for Favorite Character.

Well, come on, join the fun!
Which book is your favorite in the series so far?

My Week in Review and the Best Book I've Read in Ages

The Best Book I've Read in Ages

You know that moment. When you start a book, and every word is just delicious. You wonder What is it that makes this book so wonderful? And why isn't EVERY book like this?

It's not as if I've only read bad books in recent memory. On the contrary, I've read quite a few good ones. But none of them hit me quite like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I couldn't put this one down. Just the right mix of fluff and substance, it was beyond delightful. It was incredible.

I can't help trying to figure out what made this book so incredibly perfect. What raised it above other books that are 'good' or even just 'okay'?

Was it the time period? It takes place in 1946, just after WWII, and within the last few weeks, I've become fascinated with this era.

Maybe it's the subject? It's about an author, trying to find the topic for her next book. I'm an author. I love books about authors.

The characters, the love story, the ever underlying theme of hope and friendship? Or was it just a good book that fell into my lap, at precisely the moment I wanted to read it? How strange if that's how all our favorite books are discovered, if it's only a matter of taste, reader's craving, and timing.

There are probably various answers as to why it is only every so often we encounter a book that we just can't get enough of. I don't know the hard and fast one. I only know that this book is incredible, and you really must give it a try.

Vocab Fab

• Vociferous: Vehement or clamorous speech
• Unctuous: Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily

The Writing Corner

Progress on my revision of Rodney and the Gonjii is slow-moving, but moving nonetheless. The most difficult obstacle at the moment is re-organizing everything. I mentioned before that this novel has been in the works for seven years. This means I'm coming up against issues that are a direct result of my inexperience during my younger writing years, like a failure to pre-plot, think things through, or keep a written record. I kept pushing reorganization into a corner, preferring to focus on the writing, but I can't avoid it any longer.

This is going to be messy.

 

The Reading Nook

This week, I finished two books:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I rated this 4 stars, and you can check out my video review of it right here.



The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer (4 stars). This week's audiobook was one of those things I vowed never, ever to read. Abridged. What is the point of abridging a book I ask you?! Nevertheless, I was convinced to put aside my own feelings about the ruthless removal of print by one very important factor. This audiobook -a regency romance- is narrated by Richard Armitage. And it's wonderful. Not only is it RICHARD ARMITAGE, but he's also an excellent narrator.

I also started Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige, which is making it's rounds in the booktube community. This YA has a very interesting and gritty concept --a Homicidal Land of Oz and a Dorothy turned evil. Unfortunately, there was far too much swearing in it, and I didn't get far.

And what about YOU? What are you reading?