84, Cross Cross Road, by Helene Hanff, is one of my favorite books of all time. Clocking in at less than 100 pages, it’s a short but delightful read. Seriously. Delightful.
Helene Hanff is a writer in New York. She writes to Marks & Co. in London in 1949, looking for rare and out-of-print books. Frank Doel responds on behalf of Marks & Co., and so begins a twenty-year correspondance and friendship. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll stop the summary there.
Here are a few of my favorite tidbits:
“But they are profoundly shocked to see me drop a book in the wastebasket or give it away. The way they look at it, you buy a book, you read it, you put it on the shelf, you never open it again for the rest of your life but YOU DON’T THROW IT OUT! NOT IF IT HAS A HARD COVER ON IT! Why not? I personally can’t think of anything less sacrosanct than a bad book or even a mediocre book.
“WELL!!! All I have to say to YOU, Frank Doel, is we live in depraved, destructive and degenerate times when a bookshop – a BOOKSHOP – starts tearing up beautiful old books to use as wrapping paper. I said to John Henry when he stepped out of it: “Would you believe a thing like that, Your Eminence?” and he said he wouldn’t. You tore that book up in the middle of a major battle and I don’t even know which war it was.”
This book showcases friendship and generosity and bibliophilia. What more could you want? Go out and read it!!
84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff 
Other Reviews:
An Adventure in Reading
Book Nut
Books and Movies
Both Eyes Book Blog
Care’s Online Book Club
A Girl Walks Into A Bookstore
Rebecca Reads
Red Room Library
Sassymonkey Reads
Things Mean a Lot
The Zen Leaf
This book has been made into a movie starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. I saw it. It wasn’t nearly as good as the book. And, of course, the movie changed the ending.
Buy 84, Charing Cross Road
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{ 13 comments }
I have had this on my TBR list for soooooo long. I really MUST find it!
I thought that title sounded familiar! I’m definitely adding this to my wish list. It sounds absolutely incredible. I’ll wait to see the movie until after I’ve read the book. Thank you so much for the review!
Have you seen any movie adapted from books where the ending was changed for the better? For example, author Chuck Palahnuik felt the changes made to the ending of the film ‘Fight Club’ was better than the original ending he himself had written in the novel (and while I love the book, I agree).
What a rare and utter treat to find your entry about 84, Charing Cross Road – also one of my longtime favorites.
And it sits on my shelf. I’ve read it twice (only) since buying it 19 years ago but I’m opening it again today.
And I totally agree about the movie – what were they thinking (and such a stellar cast, too)???
I will read it! I remember that someone else review it a while ago and I added it to my wishlist, but I had forgotten about it. Thanks for reminding me that I want to read it!
I too loved this book. I enjoyed the movie too – watching it right before my trip to London. Every time I walked into a bookshop in the UK I thought of this book.
What a lovely book I see! I have had this book in the pile for a long time, guess it’s the time to retreive it from the pile.
I haven’t read the book, but I enjoyed the movie. I don’t think I’ll try the book, since it may turn out to be kind of anticlimactic.
I just stumbled onto your site and am a little bit overwhelmed. I want to do all your challenges, but since I’m lucky if I manage to finish one book a month, I doubt I’ll be able to keep up. I’m also a little confused, trying to figure out how this all works, and a little curious about how/why it got started. Being eternally hopeful, I’ve copied the Lit Flick challenge and just might join. (I used to write a Page to Screen column for the SF Bay Guardian.)
Anyhow, just wanted to say this is one of the more interesting blogs I’ve seen.
I love this book! Just read The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, the book that comes after, and learned that there’s another book, called Q’s Legacy, to read next…
Any lovers of 84 Charing Cross Road are welcome to visit my website on Helene Hanff – the site has been online since September 1997 – four months after Helene died at the age of 80. It includes details of her other books, the film and play versions of 84, photos of her, and some sound clips from a TV interview she did in the 1970s. Please come and visit – and drop me a line!
My favorite too! I read it about a dozen times while I was in high school. The movie is good too — Hubby and I recently watched it for the first time.
Angela — wat is the web site address?
No, the movie had parts of the sequel :) I didn’t like this as much as you, but I did love the book talk!
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