To Helene Hanff, 84 Charing Cross Street

Ludie 2022-04-10 09:01:09

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"I tell you, life is extraordinary. A few years ago I couldn't write anything or sell anything, I'd passed the age where you know all the returns are in, I'd had my chance and done my best and failed. And how was I to know the miracle waiting to happen round the corner in late middle age? 84, Charing Cross Road was no best seller, you understand; it didn't make me rich or famous. It just got me hundreds of letters and phone calls from people I never knew existed; it got me wonderful reviews; it restored a self-confidence and self-esteem I'd lost somewhere along the way, God knows how many years ago. It brought me to England . It changed my life.”
— Helene Hanff, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street (1974).


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Extended Reading

84 Charing Cross Road quotes

  • Helene Hanff: I hope "madam" doesn't mean over there what it means over here.

  • Brian: They're very reliable. Cheap, too. Well, cheapish.