Rating: 
Summary: Haunting, lyrical, and true
Review: Before I was to move to London for a six-month stay, I read Helene Hanff's "84 Charing Cross Road" hoping to get a feel for the city I was about to meet, or at least for what it used to be. A compilation of letters between a struggling writer (Hanff) in New York City and a London bookstore owner, this book paints a picture of harsh wartime realities tempered by a blooming long-distance friendship. Upon my arrival in London, I took a cab from Victoria Station to Bayswater, and as we wound through the heart of the city, we drove down Charing Cross Road. With open doors and dusty window displays, the bookstores lining the street were at the same time inviting and haunting, rousing the ghosts of the city. "84 Charing Cross Road" echoes the voices of real people, and those echoes still resonate through the streets of London
Rating:
Summary: Required reading for every bibliophile
Review: If you've ever relished the glow of gilt-edged pages, joyously breathed the musty smell of an ancient tome, or savored each word of a favorite author like caviar, then you and Helene Hanff are certainly simpatico. This collection of letters between Ms. Hanff and a London book store conveys most eloquently the power of the written word. Through correspondence spanning nearly 20 years you are offered glimpses of post-war England, 1950s New York, and the life of a struggling writer whose main treat is drinking the sweet nectar of the English language. Humorous, entertaining, poignant...simply remarkable
Rating:
Summary: Heart-warming cult classic
Review: "84 Charing Cross Road" is a series of letters charting the twenty-year correspondence between a would-be playwright in NY and Frank Doel, a London antiquarian bookseller. From such a modest premise, Helene Hanff has created something with an almost unique charm which continues to endure as a successful book, play and film.
To me the great joy of Hanff is her style. She is wonderfully conversational, humorous and self-depreciating. She describes her life - learning ancient Greek or watching endless English films - with panache. However, in truth very little happens in these pages. Rather, it is the gently teasing nature of her relationship with Doel which shines out, the feistiness of the young American lady chaffing against the more reserved nature of the quiet, polite English gent, as they read their way through the 1940s, 50s and 60s.
On her death, the London Times said tartly, "Seldom has a writer sailed to literary fame in so slender a craft." It is true that 84 CXR is a very slim tome. Yet it is one that bears much re-reading, as it seems that somewhere between the lines there lie more than a few life-lessons for us all.
Pilgrims to the real-life 84 Charing Cross Road will be sad to find that it no longer exists as such. Look out for an "All Bar One" outlet however and a dull, bronze plaque commemorating the bookstore.
Rating:
Summary: Pour l'amour des livres...
Review: Je me suis fait prendre par ce petit livre! Je l'ai juste feuilleté un peu. Après quelques pages, j'étais accro et je ne pouvais plus le lâcher. Je l'ai donc lu en moins de 2 heures. J'ai adoré cet échange de lettres entre deux passionnés des livres qui finissent par devenir amis sans s'être jamais rencontrés. C'est touchant, humain, parfois drôle mais toujours passionnant. C'est aussi très intéressant de voir les messages devenir de moins en moins professionnels et de plus en plus personnels à mesure que l'amitié grandit. Un très belle lecture et un gros coup de coeur! À lire sans faute!
Rating:
Summary: One of the most charming books I've ever read
Review: This book is a collection of letters; mainly correspondence between Hanff and her London book seller, Frank Doel. The letters are witty and filled with literary reference that is sure to make any true reader fall in love with both Hanff and Doel. The imagery of New York and London, too, are there if you're looking for it.
I'd recommend reading 84 Charing Cross Road and Q's legacy as the two are intertwined in Hanff's life.
Rating: 
Summary: Letters from a buyer to a bookseller/An enchanting vignette
Review: This is a charming and memorable read. It is also a paen to the disappearing art of letterwriting. The book is a selection of correspondence between Helene Hanff in New York and Frank Doel, a bookseller in London. The correspondence spans 20 years from Helene's first request for books in 1949 to Frank's death in 1969. The correspondence rapidly changes from the formal to that between kindred souls who love books and ultimately extends to Frank's coworkers and family. Unfortunately Helene never made it to London to visit the bookstore until after Frank's death. When I first visited Charing Cross Road, which was lined with bookstores, I thought I was in booklovers'heaven.
Rating: 
Summary: I'll go against the current, here...
Review: Yes, this book is mostly charming, but somehow I was left with the feeling that by publishing those letters, the author was cashing in while patting herself in the back : "Look how witty and generous I am/was..." This is also a VERY slim book, with, obviously, many letters missing from the actual correspondance (we get answers to unseen requests and questions). So, overall, I was left with the feeling that I was not getting my money's worth, with the Paperback - 128 pages Reissue edition (September 27, 1990) at 14.00$.
Rating:
Summary: Love to Read Someone Else's Mail
Review: Especially when the letters are interesting and well written. As noted, this is the story of the developing relationship between a bibliophile in New York and a book dealer in London. I picked up this book at a used bookstore, never having heard of it before, and was instantly hooked.
The best part of this book is that Helene Hanff -- who is also the writer of the letters -- includes letters from people other than the book dealer, who also have an appropriate place in the story. There are her friends who go to London and visit the bookstore; there is the book dealer's wife; and there is the old woman who lives near the book dealer, too. Over twenty years' time, you get a peek into the lives of these people and how they affected each other. The epilogue (one final letter giving permission for Helene Hanff to Frank Doel's letters) was an especially nice touch, as it gives the book closure and ties things together with a sad but sweet ribbon.
My final question is: how did she go about getting the mail she sent out? Was it returned to her, or did she mimeograph it? I noticed there are some letters missing -- alluded to in other letters but not in the book. But how did she get letters she sent to people who moved to Australia and were never heard from again, etc.? A little curiosity there, as I have never made a copy of a letter I'm sending out...
If you want a quick but memorable book, please give Ms. Hanff's a read.
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Summary: Serendipity...84 Charing Cross Road Strikes Again!
Review: This book is incredible. I laughed out loud and I felt her pain and sorrow. Helene Hanff is a fabulous writer. I went to England with her as she told her story. I received my copy of this book in a very ironic way. If I can become half the writer she is I will have succeeded! A co-worker of mine went to see the play "84 Charing Cross Road" in London last week and someone had left a copy of the book on a shelf during interval on purpose. The label on the book said "On the run!! Help me readch new horizons! Look inside and check out www.Bookcrossing.com" Oddly enough, I received this book that started in London in memory of Allistar with Bookcrossings.com and hundreds of copies are purchased and released in her name. I will be releasing the copy that I found soon and will purchase another copy on Amazon.com to release into the wild on her behalf. If you are interested in buying a book and helping out Allistar with Bookcrossing.com just go there and join. The book is that good; what can I say. Buy it and I promise it will become a part of your book collection that will be re-read over the years.
Rating:
Summary: For Every Book Lover
Review: On October 5, 1949, a woman in New York sent a letter to a London bookstore she had read about in the Saturday Review of Literature. She was anxious to purchase a few out-of-print books, so she enclosed a list and money with her letter. She had no idea that she had ignited a relationship through letters that would last for 20 years. Helene Hanff and Frank Doel enjoyed one of the most unusual relationships ever recorded in print. If you're a book lover, this is one book you must have. In less than 100 pages, you'll discover two people that embrace books with an intense passion. Touching, funny, and personal, 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD is a great way to spend an hour or two.
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