84 Charring Cross Road, London (A bookstore)

[DATo]

Hi DATo,

I know its a bit late ( I'm a new member, just joined today) but saw your great review on one of my all time favourite books 84 Charing Cross Road. I felt the same way about this wonderful book. To see the movie is on my to do list.(long list) Speaking of forged friendships from books have you read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Barrows. Perhaps this has already been discussed but I'm new!!!

Hi there, I am still waiting for my copy of 84, however, I absolutely loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato peel pie society. It is my all time favourite book thus far.

Per your, and shoestringnell's opinion I am putting this book on my list and will look online immediately to see if it is available at my library. If so I will pick it up today as our branch is open on Sunday from 1 to 5 PM. Thanks to both of you for the recommendation !

EDIT: Just found it at a branch I will pass tomorrow on my way home from work but is not open today. I will pick it up then.

[Fran]

@DATo
I'll second The Guernsey Literary and Potato peel pie society ..... another short book but a lovely read

[DATo]

@DATo
I'll second The Guernsey Literary and Potato peel pie society ..... another short book but a lovely read

And Fran likes it too !!!!! OK, now I know I can't go wrong. Actually, I've cheated and read some reviews of the book already, not enough to give away anything but more to give me some idea of what this rather interestingly titled book is about. I can just about say with total confidence that what I have found out leads me to believe that I will love it.

Fran, what am I going to do !!!?? I still have to study Housekeeping and The Sense Of An Ending to find all the Easter Eggs before they begin to rot and smell up my office *LOL* I need to read both these books again cover-to-cover. There is an awful lot going on in each book which I'm sure I missed on my first reading. Once in awhile I find a particularly fancy Easter Egg and that makes all the work worth the effort but sometimes they all get mixed up into an egg salad.

[primrose777]

@ DATo, I absolutely the potato peel pie book. It is simple but delightful and captures the personalitys of the characters on Guernsey at a time in history where everyone was recovering from the war. It left me with warm fuzzys always a good sign.I hope you enjoy it. Still waiting on 84. Happy day when it arrives:)

[Fran]

@ DATo, I absolutely the potato peel pie book. It is simple but delightful and captures the personalitys of the characters on Guernsey at a time in history where everyone was recovering from the war. It left me with warm fuzzys always a good sign.I hope you enjoy it. Still waiting on 84. Happy day when it arrives:)

@primrose
You and I might think it simple but just wait 'till DATo gets at it with his literary scalpel ..... we'll both probably be back to page 1 to re-read it & wonder how we could read a book & still miss 90% of it.

@DATo
I have to admit it was the title that made me pick it up in the bookshop .... a victim of the dreaded marketing dept
.... but it delivered so no regrets this time.

[DATo]

I am in the middle of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and loving it. Thanks shoestringnell, Primrose and Fran for your recommendation. There is a bit of the flavor of 84 against an entirely different backdrop. I think Helene and Juliet would have gotten on famously as friends. I've just gotten to the part about Kit and the contrast of "funny" and "serious" make for a very interesting read.

[primrose777]

It has arrived at last, today in the post. I shall begin 84 this weekend as a treat to myself after a busy week.
@DATo, yes it does have the Duchess of Bloomsbury street included as well.

@ Fran, a literary scalpel sounds a bit daunting. I shall observe and learn :}

[DATo]

It has arrived at last, today in the post. I shall begin 84 this weekend as a treat to myself after a busy week.
@DATo, yes it does have the Duchess of Bloomsbury street included as well.

@ Fran, a literary scalpel sounds a bit daunting. I shall observe and learn :}

Primrose, after all the praise we've lavished on this book I do sincerely hope you will enjoy it. I think you will. Let us know your thoughts on it. As mentioned above I took your recommendation (as well as that of others) and read The Guernsey Literary Society and loved it. I didn't care for the inclusion of Mark Reynolds and thought of him as an intrusion into the plot. I understood his significance as I read more deeply into the story. An excellent little book! Thank you for recommending it.

No "literary scalpels" needed with 84. It is one of those "what you see is what you get" books. Loads of fun and no anesthetics required *L*

[primrose777]

@ DATo , I didn't like Mark Reynolds either and for the life of me could not figure out what she saw in him. So false, self centred and phoney.

[DATo]

@ DATo , I didn't like Mark Reynolds either and for the life of me could not figure out what she saw in him. So false, self centred and phoney. :roll:

I think I've come to understand why Shaffer included the Reynolds character - it was to accentuate the merits of Dawsey by comparison. I suppose also to give you a feel for Juliet's character as she comes to despise the one and to love the other. If I remember correctly, somewhere in the book is a reference to the abdication of the throne by Edward VIII when he gave up his right to be king of England in order to free himself to marry Mrs.* Simpson (*divorce'e). I think this both parallels and foreshadows the decision Juliet makes to dump the rich and urbane Reynolds to marry Dawsey.

[primrose777]

I have finished 84 and am half way through The Duchess of Bloomsbury. It is so good to finally know what you have all been talking about. I am enjoying it very much. They are just such lovely books and I love Helenes sense of humour. I have read some critisim of her in this thread however I do believe she had a very dry, sarcastic witt which I believe Frank also shared. (In a gentlemanly way of course). She appeared to me to be a very generous woman, with of course a passion for fine books. On that subject, the books she bought soundd wonderful. All leather and fine paper. Where do you find books like that today, and for only 2 pounds. I was drooling. Though I have to say the subject matter she enjoyed did nothing for me. Not nearly intellectual enough I fear .
I can fully understand why she didnt get to London year after year, life is like that and putting a roof over your head is slightly more important. I also felt she had some major confidence issues so traveling overseas on her own would be a big deal.
I was glad she made it in time to see Nora, I was so suprised to read Frank died suddenly and quite young. That gave me a bit of a jolt. I was really ad for him and his family ( see how it got me in???) I was under the impression from reading everyones posts that Frank died of old age and Helene was old when she visited London.
The Duchess of Bloomsbury street is a wonderful travel memoir, The type I love where you avoid the main tourist traps and discover the heart. Love it. I have not finished it yet,enjoying it so much I am not sure I want too. I keep hoping she will come into some money and stay in London longer.

[Fran]

@primrose777
You are definitely a signed up member of the Helene Fan Club.
Wouldn't you just love sit down with Helene for a few G&T's & a chat?

[DATo]

Primrose - HOOOOORAAAAAAY !!! You finally got to read it !!!!

Yes, we were very careful not to deny you the "Frank Doel moment". You have no idea how hard it was not to talk about that *LOL*

[primrose777]

@Fran, I would love to sit down with Helene for a chat. I love her humour but I rather fancy trying one of her martinis. Only one though , two and I will be under the table.

@DATO , you were all so wonderful not to spoil the Frank Dole moment, but then I realised that I did the big reveal for anyone else reading this thread. SORRY.
What is the Q legacy all about ??

[DATo]

@Fran, I would love to sit down with Helene for a chat. I love her humour but I rather fancy trying one of her martinis. Only one though , two and I will be under the table.

@DATO , you were all so wonderful not to spoil the Frank Dole moment, but then I realised that I did the big reveal for anyone else reading this thread. SORRY.
What is the Q legacy all about ??

Primrose - Q's Legacy is a sort of autobiography in which Hanff tells of her early years as well as what happened after she wrote 84. So you might say it "bookends" what you have just read. I personally thought it was a very good follow-up to 84 and Duchess, and in true Hanff tradition it had many moments that were very humorous and others that pulled at the heart. In some of the earlier posts of this thread we discussed it and you might want to check them for more information, but I think I will let Fran take it from here so you can get both our opinions.