Author: Helene Hanff
Genre: Epistolary
How is it possible that a collection of letters transpired between an eclectic American bibliophile looking to buy out-of-print books on British literature and a bookselling company in London, reach iconic status in the world of novella?
It’s neither a fiction nor a biography. It’s a book lover’s efforts to reach out to the chief buyer of a nondescript secondhand bookseller at 84 Charing Cross Road in London. The matter-of-fact correspondence between Helene Hanff, the buyer, and Frank Doel, the chief procurer of books at Frank&Co Antiquarian booksellers, evolves into an intersting back-and-forth in which the letters lead to long-lasting camaraderie across the ocean, involving their families and friends.
The letters, while serving the purpose of buying and selling books, throw light on the time and life in the continents post-war. Their varied approach to life, easy-going versus formal, is pretty evident in the earlier letters.
Mrs. Hanff’s letters reflect the typical American humor that relaxes the polished, conservative Britisher. Her happy-go-lucky banter losens the Londoner and from formal to informal their correspondence moves.
By her own submission, she writes outrageous letters to Frank Doel and gets away with the stiff-upper-lipped British probably because of her simplicity, humor, and empathy.
When United Kingdom was going through strict restrictions post World War II, the author’s generosity with regular food parcels for those whom she never met, exemplifies her empathy and that rare quality to share and care.
These letters touch upon the daily lives of all those involved – their good and bad times, desires, ambitions, and disappointments. Helene’s deep desire to visit London, saving up money, doesn’t happen during Frank’s lifetime. Just like all of us middle-class families, she must prioritize. Thus, her increased income gets spent on teeth crowns over her lifetime ambition of witnessing the Queen’s coronation; yet again, her desire to have a home of her own submerges her wish to visit London. Ordinary people, in reality, always sacrifice one thing to gain another.
An interesting aspect that we are aware but don’t delve into is the way American English differs from British English. There are many grey areas where they struggle to comprehend each other.
Take the very British, “Ground Groundnut,” and American “Peanut butter.” Helene explains to her confused American friend in London: “Peanuts grow in the ground and are therefore GROUND-nuts, and after you take them out of the ground you grind them up and you have ground ground-nuts, which is a much more accurate name than Peanut butter, you just don’t understand English.”
I agree with the author totally. English is British English/Oxford English, though Western influence has changed beyond recognition the way we speak and write now.
Read and relish these priceless letters. If you have lived through that letter-writing era, the book would invoke umpteen memories.
For me, one letter from Cicely to Helene containing her mom’s Yorkshire Pudding recipe is especially nostalgic. Back to my just-married days with zero cooking skill, my mother’s Inland letter recipes were my savior!
It’s worth mentioning that the correspondence happened almost 70 years ago, and the epistolary was published into a best-selling book half-a-century ago. The book’s popularity soared; it was adapted into a stage play, followed by a television series, and later into a movie.
The art of letter writing is a dying phenomenon anyway, and we shouldn’t miss this rare opportunity where letters lay the foundation for lifelong relationships. This 1970 compilation of two decades of letter writing is enthralling, to say the least.
“If you happen to pass by 84 Charing Cross Road, kiss it for me. I owe it so much.’ The author writes to her American friend who is visiting London. In one sentence, Helene Hanff displays her immense love and gratitude to the company that shipped books to her for decades.
What I like Best: The author’s love for literature and her humane nature – a fantastic combination indeed! How can one not fall in love with her easy writing – at times to the point, at times veiled in humor, and at times simply over-the-top – all reflecting genuine affection?
My Rating: My rating doesn’t matter for this phenomenal book; yet, I would like to give *****
Sudhas_Musings 
A really fascinating writeup on “letters” in the age of internet where we have forgotten to write anything on paper with a pen and put it in an envelop and send to our family and friends filled with our love and emotions. The culture of SMSs and emails have taken over the old time pleasure of writing letters. against this backdrop, Ms Sudha with her excellent piece of heart touching writing has rekindled our urge to revisit old times of letter writing. Hope the new generation get inspired with Sudha’s writeup.
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Thanks so much. I had mentoned similar thoughts in my my FB post. Reproducing here.
“Posting a book review that I have read and reread; a book that made me nostalgic about my letter-writing days – the thrill of pouring out news on a blank white paper, the anticipation and the wait for the reply, the excitement of tearing open the Inland letter/envelope, and reading the reply at least three times within in a week!
Read 𝟴𝟰 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱, if you too are missing out on letter-writing.”
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