Two books in one, and what a treat these are! These works are absolutely iconic, and the first one catapulted Helene to instant cult fame. I can really see why. For once, the hype was real.
Humour, wit, intelligence, loneliness, community, melancholy, and grief, all converge here in a very human story.
These are essentially memoirs that tell the story of how outspoken New Yorker Hanff struck up an epistolary relationship with a buttoned-up British bookseller. The love affair between hectic New York City and the grim yet stoic London of 1940s personified by these two people is one that is both sweet and cagey. Imperfectly perfect, Hanff continues to write letters to the bookshop at 84 Charing Cross, ordering her books from them over a number of years, building a delicate bridge of intimacy. An intelligent yet eclectic reader, Hanff coaxes the booksellers out of their shells, and they supply Hanff with books and community.
The second part is what happens when Helene gets to London. Fascinating social history.
I love the exploration of the gap between what we want or hope something to be, and what it is. It’s also a, perhaps unintended, eloquent exploration of shyness, social anxiety, and how we all struggle to make a good first impression sometimes.
One of the books’ great charms is their place in history: a time that feels so archaic yet immediate too. In some ways, it’s a study of modernity and all that it brings and leaves behind.
One word: effervescent.
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