[June] 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff - Part 2 (After Finishing)

[Katie]

And just like that, this short book is over. I hope you enjoyed it!

1. Did you enjoy the book? What were your overall impressions?
2. Did this book read like fiction or nonfiction to you?
3. With the length and format of the book, did you feel connected to the characters? If yes, which character did you connect to the most?
4. Are you reading this for the ATY challenge? If so, which topic?
5. Answer the question posed by the person above you.
6. Ask a question for the person below you.

[Chinook]

1. Did you enjoy the book? What were your overall impressions? I loved it! It was such a sweet story. I wonder a lot about t what happened to some of the characters.

2. Did this book read like fiction or nonfiction to you? I had always thought it was fiction until I finally got the book through ILL.

3. With the length and format of the book, did you feel connected to the characters? If yes, which character did you connect to the most? I felt I connected with them even though it was short. Even the more minor characters really worked their way into my heart.

4. Are you reading this for the ATY challenge? If so, which topic? No.

5. Answer the question posed by the person above you.

6. Ask a question for the person below you. Did this book change your understanding of post-war Britain?

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

1. Did you enjoy the book? What were your overall impressions?
I don't think I realized how much I liked it until the end, after the sudden plot occurrence at the tail end and upon reflection, when I thought about the relationship.

2. Did this book read like fiction or nonfiction to you?
It definitely read as fiction. It took me until partway through the book to really realize it was non-fiction.

3. With the length and format of the book, did you feel connected to the characters? If yes, which character did you connect to the most?
I think it could have been slightly longer and it would have been nice to have added length by having more of the letters (less gaps). I liked Cecily a lot. At first I honestly didn't like Helene but she grew on me as it progressed.

4. Are you reading this for the ATY challenge? If so, which topic?
I'm catching up on past challenges so I read it for the 2017 ATY, non-fiction prompt.

5. Did this book change your understanding of post-war Britain? It did, actually! I don't think I knew the extent of the rationing.

6. Do you think Helene really wanted to go to England to meet the bookstore employees?

[Joan]

1. Did you enjoy the book? What were your overall impressions? I really liked it. It was a nice quaint story and fun to read.
2. Did this book read like fiction or nonfiction to you? It read like fiction and I didn't really realize till now that it wasn't...I guess it would have been helpful to note the author's name!
3. With the length and format of the book, did you feel connected to the characters? If yes, which character did you connect to the most? Yes I actually did feel connected. I liked Helene.
4. Are you reading this for the ATY challenge? If so, which topic? I'm reading it for the punctuation prompt #39
5. Answer the question posed by the person above you. I was wondering is she put off going to England because Frank was married. I think she did want to go though. It also reminds my how short life is. You keep meaning to do something and the time is never right or you never have enough money. It was also a kind of reminder to me to stop putting things off.
6. If you were Nora would you let the letters be published?

[Molly]

1. Did you enjoy the book? What were your overall impressions?

I loved it! I found myself literally laughing out loud as I devoured the book in one sitting. I want to read it again!

2. Did this book read like fiction or nonfiction to you?

It read like both. When the British correspondents talked about the rationing, the letters felt very real. Helene’s jovial banter felt like it could have been a work of fiction.

3. With the length and format of the book, did you feel connected to the characters? If yes, which character did you connect to the most?

I did feel connected to the characters because they expressed their personalities so well through the written word. I felt connected to Helene because I could relate to her absolute love of books. But I also felt nervous for Cecily since she moved to Iraq with her husband but no one heard from her again. I felt very connected to everyone.

4. Are you reading this for the ATY challenge? If so, which topic?

No.

5. If you were Nora would you let the letters be published?

That’s a great question. Nora admitted being a little jealous of the correspondence between Helene and her husband, and I really thought a romance was going to spark especially after that first time he switched his letter ending from “Yours faithfully” to “Faithfully yours”. I was so sure they were going to have a long distance relationship. So I could imagine it would be difficult for Nora to let the world read these letters. But I think I’d want my husband to be well known for what these letters capture.