84, Charing Cross Road -- Take 2

This book was a lovely little find! It is a humorous and personal ode to books and the people who love them.

It's a collection of letters back and forth between Helene, a poor writer living in New York, and Frank, an employee at Marks & Co. Booksellers in London, as well as a few other employees, friends, and family who get to know each other in writing over the course of 20 years.  Some samples:

From Helene to Frank:
"Don't know whether I ever told you how dearly I love that Tristram Shandy, the Robb illustrations are enchanting, Uncle Toby would have been pleased.  Now then.  In the back, there's a list of other Macdonald Illustrated Classics which includes the Essays of Elia. I'd love to have this in the Macdonald edition--or any nice edition.  If it's Reasonable, of course.  Nothing's cheap any more, it's "reasonable." Or "sensibly priced." There's a building going up across the street, the sign over it says: "One and Two Bedroom Apartments At Rents That Make Sense."
Rents do NOT make sense.  And prices do not sit around being reasonable about anything, no matter what it says in the ad--which isn't an ad any more, it's A Commercial.
i go through life watching the english language being raped before me face.  like miniver cheevy, i was born too late.
and like miniver cheevy i cough and call it fate and go on drinking."

From Helene to Frank, upon receipt of a requested book:
"M. De Tocqeville's compliments and he begs to announce his safe arrival in America.  He sits around looking smug because everything he said was true, especially about lawyers running the country."

From Helene to Frank, about her new job:
". . . I write American History dramatizations.  I am starting with a script about New York under seven years of British Occupation and i MARVEL at how i rise above it to address you in friendly and forgiving fashion, your behavior over here from 1776 to 1783 was simply FILTHY."

It's a quick read -- only about a hundred pages -- but there were a number of letters that made me laugh out loud, and every single one reminded me why I love books.  Some of the references are a bit obscure, but it contributes to the picture of how in love with books these people are.  It was also interesting to read a book where the form is nearly as interesting as the content.  A gem!