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The Helene Hanff Omnibus: Underfoot in Show Business; 84 Charing Cross Road; The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street; The Apple of My Eye; Q's Legacy
Reflecting her combination of dry humor and observation, this is an omnibus edition of the American Helene Hanff's five autobiographical books. "Underfoot in Show Business" is the zany memoir of her playwriting apprenticeship, when she was young and penniless, yet determined to have fun. "84 Charing Cross Road", her most acclaimed work, is the account of her 20-year exchange of correspondence with a London antiquarian bookshop. "The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street" is the diary of her first journey to London. "Apple of My Eye" is her eccentric view of life in New York. And "Q's Legacy" is a tribute to Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, who strongly influenced her tastes.
- GenresNonfictionAnthologies
600 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 1993
5 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
Helene Hanff
28 books729 followersHelene Hanff (April 15, 1916–April 9, 1997) was an American writer. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she is best known as the author of the book 84 Charing Cross Road, which became the basis for a play, teleplay, and film of the same name.
Her career, which saw her move from writing unproduced plays to helping create some of the earliest television dramas to becoming a kind of professional New Yorker, goes far beyond the charm of that one book. She called her 1961 memoir Underfoot in Show Business, and it chronicled the struggle of an ambitious young playwright to make it in the world of New York theatre in the 1940s and 1950s. She worked in publicists' offices and spent summers on the "straw hat" circuit along the East Coast of the United States, writing plays that were admired by some of Broadway's leading producers but which somehow never saw the light of day.
She wrote and edited scripts for a variety of early television dramas produced out of New York, all the while continuing to try and move from being what she called "one of the 999 out of 1,000 who don't become Noel Coward." When the bulk of television production moved to California, her work slowly dried up, and she turned to writing for magazines and, eventually, to the books that made her reputation.
First published in 1970, the epistolary work 84 Charing Cross Road chronicles her 20 years of correspondence with Frank Doel, the chief buyer for Marks & Co., a London bookshop, on which she depended for the obscure classics and British literature titles around which her passion for self-education revolved. She became intimately involved in the lives of the shop's staff, sending them food parcels during England's post-war shortages and sharing with them details of her life in Manhattan.
Due to financial difficulties and an aversion to travel, she put off visiting her English friends until too late; Doel died in December 1968 from peritonitis from a burst appendix, and the bookshop eventually closed. Hanff did finally visit Charing Cross Road and the empty but still standing shop in the summer of 1971, a trip recorded in her 1973 book The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street.
In the 1987 film of 84 Charing Cross Road, Hanff was played by Anne Bancroft, while Anthony Hopkins took the part of Frank Doel. Anne Jackson had earlier played Hanff in a 1975 adaptation of the book for British television. Ellen Burstyn recreated the role on Broadway in 1982 at the Nederlander Theater in New York City.
She later put her obsession with British scholar Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch to use in a book called Q's Legacy. Other books include Apple of My Eye, an idiosyncratic guide to New York City, and A Letter from New York (1992), which reprinted talks she gave on the BBC's Woman's Hour between 1978 and 1985.
Hanff was never shy about her fondness for cigarettes and martinis, but nevertheless lived to be 80, dying of diabetes in 1997 in New York City. The apartment building where she lived at 305 E. 72nd Street has been named "Charing Cross House" in her honor. A bronze plaque next to the front door commemorates her residence and authorship of the book.
Her career, which saw her move from writing unproduced plays to helping create some of the earliest television dramas to becoming a kind of professional New Yorker, goes far beyond the charm of that one book. She called her 1961 memoir Underfoot in Show Business, and it chronicled the struggle of an ambitious young playwright to make it in the world of New York theatre in the 1940s and 1950s. She worked in publicists' offices and spent summers on the "straw hat" circuit along the East Coast of the United States, writing plays that were admired by some of Broadway's leading producers but which somehow never saw the light of day.
She wrote and edited scripts for a variety of early television dramas produced out of New York, all the while continuing to try and move from being what she called "one of the 999 out of 1,000 who don't become Noel Coward." When the bulk of television production moved to California, her work slowly dried up, and she turned to writing for magazines and, eventually, to the books that made her reputation.
First published in 1970, the epistolary work 84 Charing Cross Road chronicles her 20 years of correspondence with Frank Doel, the chief buyer for Marks & Co., a London bookshop, on which she depended for the obscure classics and British literature titles around which her passion for self-education revolved. She became intimately involved in the lives of the shop's staff, sending them food parcels during England's post-war shortages and sharing with them details of her life in Manhattan.
Due to financial difficulties and an aversion to travel, she put off visiting her English friends until too late; Doel died in December 1968 from peritonitis from a burst appendix, and the bookshop eventually closed. Hanff did finally visit Charing Cross Road and the empty but still standing shop in the summer of 1971, a trip recorded in her 1973 book The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street.
In the 1987 film of 84 Charing Cross Road, Hanff was played by Anne Bancroft, while Anthony Hopkins took the part of Frank Doel. Anne Jackson had earlier played Hanff in a 1975 adaptation of the book for British television. Ellen Burstyn recreated the role on Broadway in 1982 at the Nederlander Theater in New York City.
She later put her obsession with British scholar Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch to use in a book called Q's Legacy. Other books include Apple of My Eye, an idiosyncratic guide to New York City, and A Letter from New York (1992), which reprinted talks she gave on the BBC's Woman's Hour between 1978 and 1985.
Hanff was never shy about her fondness for cigarettes and martinis, but nevertheless lived to be 80, dying of diabetes in 1997 in New York City. The apartment building where she lived at 305 E. 72nd Street has been named "Charing Cross House" in her honor. A bronze plaque next to the front door commemorates her residence and authorship of the book.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 23, 2016
Dear Helene, I would have written, on paper with a pen, the old fashioned way... Dear Helene, I so enjoyed reading your books. Your humorous telling of sometimes tough situations tickled me so! And, drat, I've come to the end of your lovely stories. It'll be hard to let you go. After all we went through together (me just on the other side of the pages), I feel I know you.
I make an excellent martini; when can we meet?
Much love,
Candice
I make an excellent martini; when can we meet?
Much love,
Candice
July 26, 2014
Helene Hanff is a writer and always wanted to be a writer. She followed the dream and wrote for a variety of media. Yet, her correspondence for 84, Charing Cross Road, is a fantastic read. It was turned into a Hollywood film with Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins, which worked. I had read Duchess of Bloomsbury as well, but not the earlier book, this explains a lot of the correspondence. This is a book for book lovers everywhere it is charming and witty.
February 15, 2021
I had originally only meant to read 84 Charing Cross Road, which I had seen at the cinema when released and always meant to read the book
The movie was on Tv again recently which inspired me to request a copy from my local library but it was only available in this omnibus
Happy Accident indeed! As I would not otherwise have read the Duchess of Bloomsbury Street which as it is based on the success of the 84 Charing Cross Road book, should really be read together
An easy , funny ,touching book
The movie was on Tv again recently which inspired me to request a copy from my local library but it was only available in this omnibus
Happy Accident indeed! As I would not otherwise have read the Duchess of Bloomsbury Street which as it is based on the success of the 84 Charing Cross Road book, should really be read together
An easy , funny ,touching book
October 13, 2022
A great depiction of London.
Helene is very American, but she’s gracious and self deprecating about it.
Another great read!
Helene is very American, but she’s gracious and self deprecating about it.
Another great read!
April 25, 2020
Helene Hanff doesn’t write: she has conversations with her readers. This omnibus is the best comfort food I know, combining nearly everything I love about literature with the least erudite way of explaining it. Ms Hanff is the least pretentious narrator of memoirs going. She tells a brilliant story, usually against herself, and uses exposition in the most natural, artless way possible. She is a literary genius masquerading as a feckless, naive raconteur.
April 5, 2020
(not actually a review, just a quick summary because I'm just using Goodreads to remember which books I've read. Also note that date read is VERY much approximate).
I first read this almost 30 years ago, but returned to it because I remembered how much it made me want to visit New York and finally, 30 years later, I was on my way to the big apple.
Of course it's massively out of date now, but was still fascinating to read and brought me a little closer to the city and its history. I particularly enjoyed walking through central park and visiting the west side and east side, which Helene Hanff and her friend Patsy lived in, respectively (assuming I got them the right way round).
Helene Hanff and her friend Patsy are people you wish you could meet and have a good old chat with.
I first read this almost 30 years ago, but returned to it because I remembered how much it made me want to visit New York and finally, 30 years later, I was on my way to the big apple.
Of course it's massively out of date now, but was still fascinating to read and brought me a little closer to the city and its history. I particularly enjoyed walking through central park and visiting the west side and east side, which Helene Hanff and her friend Patsy lived in, respectively (assuming I got them the right way round).
Helene Hanff and her friend Patsy are people you wish you could meet and have a good old chat with.
August 27, 2021
I'll start this review by saying, I'm biased. I love Helene Hanff's writing. Ever since reading 84, Charing Cross Road years ago, I've tried to find every book she ever wrote. So when an opportunity to get her Omnibus came my way, I jumped for it. Excepting for, Apple Of My Eye, I had read all of her other books. Rereading them was a great pleasure. Not to mention finally getting my hands on Apple Of My Eye. It was great, simply great, and this book will go into my humble home library. I highly recommend all of Hanff's works. My favorite is still 84, Charing Cross Road. Q's Legacy is my second choice.
November 9, 2021
In general, I loved Helene's writing style. Reading her books gives me the same cozy feeling as wrapping up in a blanket with a hot drink on a dreary day.
Underfoot in Show Business provided great background information for 84, Charing Cross Road.
84, Charing Cross Road was lovely, and witty. It made me want to travel to London.
Duchess of Bloomsbury Street felt satisfying after reading 20 years of letters.
Apple of my Eye missed the mark for me. I don't care as much about New York as I do London.
Q's Legacy provided some closure but was sad in places. I'm glad Helene made it back to England a few times.
Underfoot in Show Business provided great background information for 84, Charing Cross Road.
84, Charing Cross Road was lovely, and witty. It made me want to travel to London.
Duchess of Bloomsbury Street felt satisfying after reading 20 years of letters.
Apple of my Eye missed the mark for me. I don't care as much about New York as I do London.
Q's Legacy provided some closure but was sad in places. I'm glad Helene made it back to England a few times.
June 1, 2021
I read 84 Charing Cross Road, years ago and fell in love with it. The movie was enjoyable as well. This time around, I binged through her omnibus and was entertained all around. She is a master of the memoir, with a bit of fiction thrown in for good measure. Apple of my Eye is from 1976 and definitely sounds dated, but, to history buffs, her tour of New York in the 70s can be delightful.
I would have enjoyed meeting this woman, I like her self-deprecating sense of humour.
I would have enjoyed meeting this woman, I like her self-deprecating sense of humour.
March 2, 2022
I have read four out of the five short stories in this edition, had not seen the 'underfoot in show business' before.
This volume is a very good autobiography of Helene's life from trying to get started in the industry to success on London stages .
This volume is a very good autobiography of Helene's life from trying to get started in the industry to success on London stages .
December 28, 2019
I'm in love with one (1) woman
February 4, 2024
A friendship between a man and a woman that lasted forty years.
October 7, 2025
These books are a balm for every wordsmith who struggles and hits their strides later in life.
One of my favourite writers. Period. No carriage return.
One of my favourite writers. Period. No carriage return.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews