I was aware of this book - of course I was - and I'd seen the film many years ago (Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins, delightful). What I'd failed to grasp, however, was that the book wasn't fiction.
84 Charing Cross Road is the true story of a twenty year correspondence between New York writer Helene Hanff and Frank Doel, the chief buyer for an antiquarian book shop in London.
Hanff first contacted the shop in 1949, searching for classic and British literature editions, and a friendship evolved between her and Frank, and many of the other staff members at the shop.
Hanff's self-deprecating humour, and her love of books, history and London, make this an entertaining read, while the developing friendship with Frank is so touching that it would charm even the most hardened cynic.
Hanff's friendship isn't just with Frank, however. She corresponds with lots of the staff, making life-long friends and receiving countless offers of hospitality for when she makes her dream trip to London.
Sadly, Hanff's London adventure came too late for her to meet Frank, but it is chronicled in a lovely diary, published as The Duchess of Bloomsbury (and printed in my edition of 84 Charing Cross Road).
Although both books are deceptively slender and light, they will stay with you long after you finish reading.
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