Book Review: 84, Charing Cross Road
There is a community full of readings, analysis of the texts, kittens, and memes. This is Archiconservas, a project created by Abi, the same author of Albriciación, a monthly newsletter that I find very interesting. Among her activities, she sometimes sets up a reading gathering. This year February´s was to think about friendship with a reading that seems to me crowned as the best I read this month: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff.
Consider that there is a great bias on my part: I love the idea of the epistle. One of the things that saddens me the most about the Mexican postal service is that it doesn’t allow me to keep traditional pen pals (I’ve tried on several occasions) because letters, if they don’t get lost, take a long time to arrive. But hey: some of the books that I liked the most are the ones that let me peek into the conversations in letters. So, reading this book appeals to that love I have for correspondence.
At 84, Charing Cross Road we see the friendship between Helene Hanff, an American screenwriter, flourish with the employees of a secondhand bookstore in England. In her search for beautiful secondhand books, Helene sends them a letter not knowing that it would lead to letters sent over the course of 20 years. Beginning in 1949 and going up to 1969, this book allows us to peek into the conversation between Helene and Frank mainly, the bookseller who serves her. But little by little other employees of the bookstore appear, since Helene, upon learning of the limitations to get food in post-World War II England, begins to send them gifts: food baskets.
This book is full of love. Love for books, for knowledge, for the trips that we consider what we want to do and that serve to motivate us on a day-to-day basis. But also, of honest and grateful friendships.
If you like the epistle and love books, you will love this reading. Thank you, Abi, for introducing me.
Title: 84, Charing Cross Road
Author: Helene Hanff
Rating: 🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮 (excellent service)
