84 Charring Cross Road, London (A bookstore)

[DATo]

I felt I just had to share this though I'm sure that at least some of you have already read the book or seen the movie.

I'm off work this week and had some stuff to drop off at the library yesterday. While I was there I checked the DVD section and to my surprise found the movie 84 Charring Cross Road. This was a coincidence because I had just read the book a few months ago. As a book lover and frequenter of second-hand bookstores this story resonated with me profoundly.

The book is a true story comprised entirely of a series of letters to and from a bookstore which was located at 84 Charring Cross Rd. in London, England by an American woman shortly after World War II. Now one would think that it would be impossible to write a "story" comprised ONLY of letters - trust me, it works. The woman is Helene Henff who was an unknown and underpaid script reader who lived alone in a small and unglamorous apartment in New York (her bookshelves were orange crates), and who had a penchant for old and hard to find books. Her correspondence was usually handled by the store's manager, Frank Dole, and continued for over 20 years. When Henff discovered that food was being rationed in England (remember this was shortly after the war) she began sending parcels of hard to get items through a firm in Denmark. The contents of the parcels which included canned meats and fresh eggs were a godsend in light of the strict rationing at the time and Henff soon became endeared to the workers of the store though she remained a bit ambiguous and phantom-like owing to her reluctance to share a picture of herself.

Her correspondence led to many less than business-like associations with the members of the store as well as their families and friends though an ocean divided them. Her letters were interjected with tongue-in-cheek criticisms of Dole for being too slow in responding to her requests though the Brits, including the workers who slyly, and without Dole's knowledge were slipping their own notes in the responses, realized that her cut downs were really veiled forms of endearing familiarity. Dole always responded in a strictly serious tone though he shared the humor of her remarks with the other workers at the store. Example; His salutation, "Dear Madam" in his first correspondence with her is responded to in a "P.S." from Henff with, "I hope 'Madam' doesn't mean there what it does here!"

This book is not just about buying a selling books, but rather the epic documentation of friendships forged over a vast expanse of space and time.

If you love old bookstores you must read this book.

And if you live in London .....

"If you pass by 84 Charring Cross Road, kiss it for me. I owe it so much." - Helene Henff

(From a letter to her friend, Kathleen, who was about to visit England.)

[Fran]

@DATo
You have impeccable taste & I 100% agree with you. I think I've mentioned 84 Charing Cross Road somewhere on the forums long time back ..... one of my all time favorite movies, Anthony Hopkins & Anne Bancroft my favorite actors also.
I've seen the movie oh, 3-4 times at least but I never actually read the book ... must follow that up
So glad you're another fan

[DATo]

@DATo
You have impeccable taste & I 100% agree with you. I think I've mentioned 84 Charing Cross Road somewhere on the forums long time back ..... one of my all time favorite movies, Anthony Hopkins & Anne Bancroft my favorite actors also.
I've seen the movie oh, 3-4 times at least but I never actually read the book ... must follow that up
So glad you're another fan

My experience was the exact opposite of yours since I read the book many times before I saw the movie. The book I happen to own was purchased at a book fair and lounged in my home untouched for about two years. One day I picked it up and started reading and I couldn't put it down. When I finished I began to read once again from page one. I then shared it with a coworker and when she returned it to me I read it once again. As I watched the movie the dialogue between Bancroft and Hopkins was very familiar to me. It is my understanding that Bancroft fell in love with the book and her husband, Mel Brooks, bought the rights to it for her birthday. I'm sure that making the movie was foremost in her mind from the minute of the acquisition. In my opinion Bancroft's love of this book was well demonstrated in her portrayal of Henff. She was outstanding as Helene Henff; and Anthony Hopkins truly nailed the part of Frank Dole.

Thanks for your response !

[Artdude]

I live near London - and I often go up to Charing Cross Road, where the whole street is made of old bookshops, run by grumpy owners who can't think of anything worse than customers. It is an absolute gemstone in London - I love it so much. It is the perfect glimpse in to old-world London; and you can find brilliant old books for almost no money.

I bought a copy of Jane Austen's 'Emma' printed in 1920 for £6, because all of the pages were upside-down in the cover. It's one of my most prized possessions.

If you ever come to London, go to Charing Cross Road, near Leicester Square. It is an amazing place.

[DATo]

I live near London - and I often go up to Charing Cross Road, where the whole street is made of old bookshops, run by grumpy owners who can't think of anything worse than customers. It is an absolute gemstone in London - I love it so much. It is the perfect glimpse in to old-world London; and you can find brilliant old books for almost no money.

I bought a copy of Jane Austen's 'Emma' printed in 1920 for £6, because all of the pages were upside-down in the cover. It's one of my most prized possessions.

If you ever come to London, go to Charing Cross Road, near Leicester Square. It is an amazing place.

Thanks so much Artdude! Just reading your post makes me feel closer to 84 Charing Cross. Oh my !! I just realized that I have been spelling it with two RRRRs. Beg pardon. I have visited the place that used to be the bookstore on Google Earth but so far that is the closest I have ever been to actually being there in person. The author of the book, Helene Henff, also desperately wanted to visit but financial restraints kept her from doing so. In a sequel called 'The Duchess Of Bloombury' Henff finally visits London and the bookstore but only after it had been sold and abandoned.

[Artdude]

Well, if you get the cash, you have to go and see it. It is an amazing road. It has the biggest book store in UK called 'Foyles' on the corner, and then the whole thing is just old fashioned book stores. Sounds like you would be in awe of it.

[Maud Fitch]

It has been many years since I read the book but I always remember Helene Henff being shocked when books came packed between other books, rejects which had been ripped in half and used as packing.

From memory, the delightful brevity of some of their letters would put Twitter to shame. I guess I'm a romantic at heart but the concept of keeping such correspondence always makes me regret the electronically transmitted word.

[primrose777]

I will have to aquire a copy, this book sounds wonderful. And oh how I would love to visit Charing Cross road. I would lose myself forever.

[DATo]

It has been many years since I read the book but I always remember Helene Henff being shocked when books came packed between other books, rejects which had been ripped in half and used as packing. From memory, the delightful brevity of some of their letters would put Twitter to shame. I guess I'm a romantic at heart but the concept of keeping such correspondence always makes me regret the electronically transmitted word.

Maude - I too enjoyed the part about her shock upon receiving a first edition of The Idea Of A University by Cardinal John Henry Newman wrapped in the pages of another book.

I will have to aquire a copy, this book sounds wonderful. And oh how I would love to visit Charing Cross road. I would lose myself forever.

Primrose : You MUST read it, you'll love it. The following is from the part Maude alluded to and is meant to give you a sample to whet your interest.


October 15, 1950

"WELL !!! All I have to say to YOU, Frank Dole, 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 that Your Eminence ?' and he said he wouldn't. You tore that book in the middle of a major battle and I don't even know which war it was. I want the Q Anthology. I'm not sure how much it was, I lost your last letter. I think it was about two bucks. I'll enclose two singles, if I owe more let me know. Why don't you wrap it in pages LCXII and LCXIII so I can at least find out who won the battle and what war it was." - H.H.

Frank responds to say that she is not to worry (actual text omitted here for brevity). The wrapping pages were from a damaged and worthless book that no one would give two shillings for. Later in the book she sends a request for a copy of Pepy's Diary. When it arrived she shot off the following missive. (Punctuation and capitalization hers)

(exactly one year later)
Oct. 15, 1951

"WHAT KIND OF A PEPY'S DIARY DO YOU CALL THIS ? this is not pepy's diary, this is some busybody editor's miserable collection of EXCERPTS from pepy's diary may he rot. I could just spit. where is jan.12 1668 where his wife chased him out of bed and round the bedroom with a hot poker? where is sir w. pen's son that was giving everybody so much trouble with his Quaker notions? ONE mention does he get in this whole pseudo-book, and me from philadelphia. i enclose two limp singles, i will make do with this THING till you find me a real Pepy's, THEN, i will rip up this ersatz book, page by page, AND WRAP THINGS IN IT !

P.S. Fresh eggs or powdered for Xmas? I know the powdered last longer but 'fresh farm eggs flown in from Denmark' have got to taste better, you want to take a vote on it?" H.H.

[Fran]

@DATo
I think you may be responsible for a reprint of this book

When I read the excerpts you quoted our Maud came immediately to mind .... the detailed knowledge and passionate love of books, the rapier like turn of phrase & the high dungeon over anyone daring to tear up a book all fit my image of Maud .... how about that, our very own Helene Hanff

[DATo]

@DATo
I think you may be responsible for a reprint of this book :lol:

When I read the excerpts you quoted our Maud came immediately to mind .... the detailed knowledge and passionate love of books, the rapier like turn of phrase & the high dungeon over anyone daring to tear up a book all fit my image of Maud .... how about that, our very own Helene Hanff :lol: :lol:

Dear Fran - thank you for spelling Helene H(A)nff's name correctly for me. And you were so kind not to mention my glaring misspellings of Charing Cross Rd. [nee "Charring" Cross Rd.] earlier, as did Artdude, so kindly, and with such equally gracious omission of castigation. It must be a form of literary courtesy acquired by breathing the refreshing air of the North Atlantic. (I find myself standing in implied correction by a gentleman named 'Artdude' ... may the gods favor him.)

I am really not a bad speller till I take on proper nouns and then my patron saint of spelling - Sister Mary Catherine of St. Pius V grammar school - is forced to roll over in her grave as Atilla-like I rapaciously demolish proper names, as well as roads and cities, nations and monarchies, phylums and philosophies with equal aplomb and expert ineptitude. I blame it on the French. I was in therapy for several years resulting from my most earnest attempts to master the pronunciation of French proper nouns.

Let me be the first to second ...... ??? ....... there I go again (the "first to second") .... let me be the one-and-a-halfth to ENDORSE your proposal to draft Maude as the new Helene HAnff ... HERE HERE !!! ... THERE THERE !!! .... and generally ... EVERYWHERE EVERYWHERE !!!. WOT !!!

[Fran]

@DATo
Let me be the first to admit I did not note any spelling errors in your posts & it was pure chance that I got my spellings correct. Spelling was never a great skill of mine & I know that laptops have been known to deliberately sabotage some of my own posts so had I noticed a spelling error I would have put it down to a wonky keyboard.
Glad you agree with my image of Maud ... we'll see what she has to say anon
You'll be happy to know I have ordered a copy of the book

[Gannon]

I live near London - and I often go up to Charing Cross Road, where the whole street is made of old bookshops, run by grumpy owners who can't think of anything worse than customers. It is an absolute gemstone in London - I love it so much. It is the perfect glimpse in to old-world London; and you can find brilliant old books for almost no money.

I bought a copy of Jane Austen's 'Emma' printed in 1920 for £6, because all of the pages were upside-down in the cover. It's one of my most prized possessions.

If you ever come to London, go to Charing Cross Road, near Leicester Square. It is an amazing place.

I am afraid that if I visited Charing Cross Road, I would never come back.

[DATo]

@DATo
Let me be the first to admit I did not note any spelling errors in your posts & it was pure chance that I got my spellings correct. Spelling was never a great skill of mine & I know that laptops have been known to deliberately sabotage some of my own posts so had I noticed a spelling error I would have put it down to a wonky keyboard.
Glad you agree with my image of Maud ... we'll see what she has to say anon :)
You'll be happy to know I have ordered a copy of the book

Oh, you'll love it Fran! Even if you've seen the movie there is really nothing quite like reading it. I was lucky enough to get the one bundled with The Duchess Of Bloomsburry which is the sequel in which Hanff tells of her visit to London and the unexpected magnitude of warmth and generosity she received there resulting from the fame of the book.

Oh that we might read a book for the first time twice, eh? Now THERE was an opportunity for a quatrain to put in the Rubaiyat that our friend Omar Khayyam missed. He talked a lot about wine ... I think he liked drinking more than reading.

[Maud Fitch]

When I read the excerpts you quoted our Maud came immediately to mind .... the detailed knowledge and passionate love of books, the rapier like turn of phrase & the high dungeon over anyone daring to tear up a book all fit my image of Maud .... how about that, our very own Helene Hanff.

Let me be the first to second ...... ??? ....... there I go again (the "first to second") .... let me be the one-and-a-halfth to ENDORSE your proposal to draft Maud as the new Helene HAnff ... HERE HERE !!! ... THERE THERE !!! .... and generally ... EVERYWHERE EVERYWHERE !!!. WOT !!!

What can I say? I am deeply honoured and delighted to learn that I have made such a mark on Fran and DATo; to the extent that I have created an image in your minds like Helene Hanff. To bestow such a moniker is truly humbling.
And it is entirely correct. I am a pedantic, paper-worshipping, finicky, grammasite* of a woman who keeps years and years of correspondence for no good reason. Darn, now I will have to buy the book and re-read it all over again just to make sure I stay in character. Thanks for your vote, guys!

(*Jasper Fforde's brilliant feat of literary showmanship created syntax-slaughtering grammasites).