84, Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff. AZW3, EPUB, MOBI !!TOP!!

A Book Lover's Delight: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

If you are a bibliophile who enjoys reading about books, bookshops, and the people who love them, you might want to check out 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. This charming book is a collection of letters exchanged between Hanff, a freelance writer living in New York City, and Frank Doel, the chief buyer of Marks & Co., an antiquarian bookshop located at the eponymous address in London.

The correspondence began in 1949, when Hanff was looking for some obscure classics and British literature titles that she could not find in New York. She saw an ad for Marks & Co. in a literary magazine and decided to write to them with her requests. Doel responded promptly and courteously, sending her the books she wanted at reasonable prices. Thus began a friendship that lasted for twenty years, until Doel's death in 1968.

Through their letters, Hanff and Doel shared their passion for books, as well as their opinions on various topics such as the sermons of John Donne, how to make Yorkshire Pudding, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the coronation of Elizabeth II. They also sent each other gifts and food parcels, especially during the post-war shortages in Britain. Hanff became fond of not only Doel, but also his colleagues and family, who sometimes wrote to her as well.

84, Charing Cross Road is a delightful tribute to the power of books and letters to connect people across distances and cultures. It is also a nostalgic glimpse into a bygone era of literary correspondence and book buying. The book was first published in 1970 and has since been adapted into a stage play, a television play, and a film starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins.

If you are interested in reading this book, you can download it in various formats such as AZW3, EPUB, or MOBI from our website. You can also browse our other titles related to books about books, memoirs, classics, biography, and British literature. Happy reading!

One of the most appealing aspects of 84, Charing Cross Road is the contrast between the personalities and lifestyles of Hanff and Doel. Hanff was a witty, outspoken, and unconventional woman who lived alone in a small apartment in Manhattan. She loved to read books that were rare, quirky, or out of print, and she often annotated them with her comments and criticisms. She also had a penchant for sending humorous and irreverent letters to her British friends, sometimes shocking them with her frankness.

Doel, on the other hand, was a reserved, polite, and professional man who worked in a dusty and cramped bookshop in London. He was an expert in finding and procuring books for his customers, and he always treated them with respect and courtesy. He was also a devoted husband and father who lived in a modest house in the suburbs. He rarely expressed his personal opinions or emotions in his letters, but he occasionally revealed glimpses of his warmth and humor.

Despite their differences, Hanff and Doel developed a genuine affection and respect for each other over the years. They also influenced each other's reading tastes and habits. Hanff introduced Doel to some of her favorite American authors, such as Leigh Hunt and Walt Whitman, while Doel sent Hanff some of the finest works of English literature, such as Samuel Johnson's Lives of the Poets and John Donne's Sermons. They also exchanged books that reflected their common interests, such as poetry, history, and biography. aa16f39245