In the Spirit – 84, Charing Cross Road

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

My Nibble
Cecily shared a recipe for Yorkshire Pudding with Helene in the book. I must confess that until I went to England a couple of years ago, I thought that it was actually a type of dessert pudding (wrong). I don’t like dessert pudding (sorry Bill Cosby), so it was not something that I had ever considered eating.

In the spirit of the book, I have decided to make some Yorkshire Pudding. I am going to make a British dinner of it. I am going to use a recipe posted by Jan Laskey for Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding on www.allrecipes.com. The pudding recipe is slightly different from the one in the book. Did you try it?

My YouTube.com Playlist
84, Charing Cross Road

Less polite in written words?

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff


The real fun of this book is seeing the evolution of their friendship. Helene Hanff cracked me up with how jazzy at the mouth she was in comparison with the more reserved Frank Doel (though he too loosened up over time). She even noted that she said some of the most outrageous things from a safe distance (from across the ocean) in her letters.

One of my favorite bits of the book was, “i enclose two limp singles, i will make do with this thing till you find me a real Pepys. THEN i will rip up this ersatz book, page by page, AND WRAP THINGS IN IT.” Very jazzy. After chewing him out about the Pepys, Hanff’s postscript of the same letter kindly asked, “Fresh eggs or powdered for X-Mas?” Too funny.

Today people are writing others more than ever via social networks, postal mail, email and text messages. The book has made me reflect on some of the stuff that I have written to others. Was I looser with the lips than I would be in person? Hhhmmm.

Are you less polite in written communications than you would be in person?

Okay. Strike #4. Maybe.

Well, shut my mouth and strike number four – kinda (e-Books and e-Readers are evil. Maybe). Amazon announced that they will be introducing 14-day e-book lending feature for the Kindle later on this year. This new feature will allow you to loan your Kindle books to other Kindle device or Kindle app users. The bummer is that you (as the lender) cannot read the book during the loan period. This is nice, but it’s only a little love. Sharing a file and sharing a book doesn’t generate the same warm fuzzies in my opinion. What’s your opinion?

e-Books and e-Readers are evil. Maybe.

I have been toying with the idea of getting an e-reader. I am usually not the last one to jump on the technology bandwagon. However, there is something about an e-reader that just rubs me the wrong way. I realize that it is not rationale. I don’t have to choose a side. I can use both (if I can get past 10#). Here are my scribbles on the matter.

1. I must have paper in my hands to truly enjoy it.

This is simply not true. I enjoy listening to books on compact disk. In fact, I am listening to Sense and Sensibility on compact disk right now. There are some books that I couldn’t seem to get through on paper, but enjoyed on compact disk – like The Emperor of Ocean Park and Twilight. On the other hand, I like to flip back and forth through a book while I read.

2. E-books make it easier to read books that are out of print.

In searching for the books referenced in 84, Charing Cross, I came across a number of books that are no longer in print, but are available in an e-book version. Amazon.com carries a number of free classics and out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books, as well as limited-time free promotional e-books for the Kindle e-reader.

3. E-books can save me money.

Again, I was surprised at the number of free e-books available at Amazon.com. Not to mention that many of the other ones are reasonably priced. I would think that the same would be available on other sites as well.

4. There is no love.

“I do love secondhand books that open to the page some previous owner read oftenest.” Helene Hanff, 84,Charing Cross Road

Where is the love? People are less likely to share their e-readers than they are a book. An e-book doesn’t open to pages where other people lingered. You can’t write in the margins for other people to see like a traditional book (your own copy only please).

5. e-Readers add to screen burn-out.

I look at computer screens all day. Traditional books give my eyes a break.

6. I can carry more books on vacation.

I like to read while I am on vacation. I also like to pack lightly. An e-book would allow me to bring more books along.

7. E-readers bring vacation drama.

I think that e-readers will bring unwanted attention while on vacation. I doubt someone will jack me for my paperback book. An e-reader is more tempting.

8. Save the trees.

I am sure that trees around the world sighed a big relief when e-readers came out. Do you think that e-readers are a conspiracy on the part of trees? Kind of like the “Eat More Chicken” campaign by the Chik-Fila cows.

9. I am (not) a klutz.

Really, I am not. Small electronics just seem to fall to the floor in my presence. Perhaps they sense royalty? Traditional books are pretty resilient. They might last longer around me.

10. E-readers are expensive.

They cost a lot. There are too many formats. Kindle. Nook. Sony. Which one to purchase?

I am still undecided. Do you have an e-reader? Which one? Why?


See – Okay. Strike #4. Maybe.

"84, Charing Cross Road" - Book Reference List

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Clearly, Hanff and I have different taste in books. Her tastes leaned toward the antiquarian. The only book that I have read from her requests to Marks & Co. is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. And perhaps The Canterbury Tales in high school- I cannot recall exactly. I definitely would not attempt to read anything in Latin (I can recall that from high school).

Surprisingly, our differences did not impact my enjoyment of the book. The collection of letters is absolutely charming. In fact, I think that I may give a couple of the books a try because she thought so highly of them. I have attempted to find comparable versions of the books Hanff requested on Amazon.com (see below). She had very particular tastes - requesting specific versions based on editor, illustrator, publisher, etc.

Have you read any of the books?

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Get reviews and shop for the books on Amazon.com:

Hanff, Helene: 84, Charing Cross Road

• 84, Charing Cross Road

Austen, Jane: Pride And Prejudice

• Pride And Prejudice

Arkwright, Francis (translator): Memoirs of the Duke de Saint-Simon

• Memoirs of the Duke de Saint-Simon

Belloc, Hillaire: Essays

• The Best of Hilaire Bell The book doesn't mention a specific book.
  

Catullus (Loeb Classics)

• The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus, improved 7/4/2009: I believe that this is the Richard Burton translation that sent Hanff under the bed.

Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury Tales (leather bound) translated by Hill, published by Longmans in 1934

• The Canterbury Tales (regular paperback)
  

Delafield, E.M.: Diary Of A Provincial Lady

• Diary Of A Provincial Lady

Dobson, Austen (editor): The Sir Roger De Coverley Papers

• The Sir Roger de Coverley Papers, from the Spectator

Donne, John: Sermons

• John Donne - The Major Works: including Songs and Sonnets and sermons (Oxford World's Classics)

Grahame, Kenneth: The Wind in the Willows (Shepard illustrations)

• The Wind in the Willows (Signet Classics)

Greek New Testament

• A Reader's Greek New Testament: 2nd Edition

Grolier Bible

Hazlitt, William: Selected Essays Of William Hazlitt 1778 To 1830 (Nonesuch Press edition)

• Selected Essays of William Hazlitt 1778 to 1830

Horace - Loeb Classics

• The Complete Odes and Epodes (Oxford World's Classics)

Hunt, Leigh: Essays.

• Leigh Hunt: Selected Writings (Fyfield Books)

Johnson, Samuel: On Shakespeare (introduction by Walter Raleigh)

• Johnson on Shakespeare: essays and notes

Jonson, Ben: Timber

• Timber: Or, Discoveries Made Upon Men and Matter

Lamb, Charles: Essays of Elia

• Essays of Elia / by Charles Lamb

Landor, Walter Savage: Vol II of The Works and Life of Walter Savage Landor Imaginary Conversations

• Imaginary Conversations and Poems - A Selection

Latin Anglican New Testament

Latin Vulgate Bible / Latin Vulgate New Testament

• Novum Testamentum Latine (Latin Vulgate New Testament, The Latin New Testament) (Latin Edition)

Latin Vulgate Dictionary

• Dictionary of the Vulgate New Testament (Nouum Testamentum Latine): A Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin

Leonard, R. M. (editor): The Book-Lover's Anthology

• THE BOOK-LOVER'S ANTHOLOGY

Newman, John Henry: Discourses on the Scope and Nature of University Education. "'Idea of a University"

• The idea of a university: defined and illustrated

Pepys, Samuel: Pepys Diary

• Diary of Samuel Pepys - Volume 04: March/April 1659-1660

Plato's Four Socratic Dialogues

• The Four Socratic Dialogues of Plato

Quiller-Couch, Arthur: The Oxford Book Of English Verse

• The Oxford Book of English Verse 1250 - 1900

Quiller-Couch, Arthur: The Pilgrim's Way

• The Pilgrims' Way: A Little Scrip of Good Counsel for Travellers

Quiller-Couch, Arthur: Oxford Book of English Prose

• The Oxford Book of English Prose

Sappho - Loeb Classics

• The Complete Poems of Sappho

Sterne, Lauence: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

• The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (Oxford World's Classics)

Stevenson, Robert Louis: Virginibus Puerisque

• Virginibus Puerisque and Other Essays (Cambridge Scholars Publishing Classics Texts)

de Tocqueville, Alexis: Journey to America

• Alexis De Tocqueville: Journey to America

Wyatt, Thomas: Poems of Thomas Wyatt

• The Complete Poems (Penguin Classics)

Walton, Izaak: The Complete Angler

• The Complete Angler 1653

Walton, Izaak: The Lives of - John Donne - Sir Henry Wotton - Richard Hooker - George Herbert & Robert Sanderson

• The Lives of - John Donne - Sir Henry Wotton - Richard Hooker - George Herbert & Robert Sanderson

Woolf, Virginia: The Common Reader

• The Common Reader: First Series, Annotated Edition

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140422277?ie=UTF8&tag=unascri-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0140422277">The Complete Poems (Penguin Classics)</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=unascri-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0140422277" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

Side Notes - 84 Charing Cross Road

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Unofficial Website
Great site about the Marks & Co. store and the book "84, Charing Cross Road." You can find more information on the store and the book's characters.

84 Charing Cross Road, revisited

Facebook Fan Page
84 Charing Cross Road

Movie Trailer
Posted on YouTube.com by movietrailer25



Review of the Play
"Stage: '84 Charing Cross Road' Opens" by Frank Rich from the New York Times (December 8, 1982)

www.youtube.com/v/7BKcExKy1Fc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US

Define: e·pis·to·lar·y

e·pis·to·lar·y  [ih-pis-tl-er-ee]

–adjective 

1. 

contained in or carried on by letters: an epistolary friendship.

2. 

of, pertaining to, or consisting of letters.

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epistolary. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved October 18, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/epistolary

Epistolary Novels

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff