Rating: 
Summary: Hanff's Wonderful Legacy
Review: Although Hanff is sadly gone, her legacy also lives on in this wonderful little volume. I stumbed upon it quite by accident, and now can't wait to read her other books. For anyone who has a love of books and writers, this is a MUST READ! You won't be able to put it down and you'll be forcing it on your friends.
Rating:
Summary: Hanff's Wonderful Legacy
Review: I couldn't put this book down! I read it straight through in one sitting. I didn't even put it down when I went to the kitchen for a drink, etc. Unlike most autobiographies, this one is written out of a love of writing rather than out of love of self. If you have read "84, Charing Cross Road" you will immediately recognize Hanff's touch in this book. "Q's Legacy" reads very much like one of Hanff's letters to her friends at the bookshop. It's almost as if she's come out of the pages and is there at your side telling you her story.If you haven't read "84, Charing Cross Road" I suggest you read it first. It will make "Q's Legacy" seem more relevant. Overall, this is one of the best books I've read in a long time and I know it will become an oft-read favorite.
Rating:
Summary: Exquisite!
Review: I couldn't put this book down! I read it straight through in one sitting. I didn't even put it down when I went to the kitchen for a drink, etc. Unlike most autobiographies, this one is written out of a love of writing rather than out of love of self. If you have read "84, Charing Cross Road" you will immediately recognize Hanff's touch in this book. "Q's Legacy" reads very much like one of Hanff's letters to her friends at the bookshop. It's almost as if she's come out of the pages and is there at your side telling you her story. If you haven't read "84, Charing Cross Road" I suggest you read it first. It will make "Q's Legacy" seem more relevant. Overall, this is one of the best books I've read in a long time and I know it will become an oft-read favorite.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Depiction of a Wonderful Person
Review: I recently viewed the video of "84 Charing Cross" for the first time. Then I read "Q's Legacy." What a fine sequence to discover Helene Hanff. Such a wonderful person she must have been. She appeared to be quite comfortable with herself and even at ease with her own bit of fame. This book is an extension of her heart. I recommend it wholeheartedly and without reservation.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Depiction of a Wonderful Person
Review: I recently viewed the video of "84 Charing Cross" for the first time. Then I read "Q's Legacy." What a fine sequence to discover Helene Hanff. Such a wonderful person she must have been. She appeared to be quite comfortable with herself and even at ease with her own bit of fame. This book is an extension of her heart. I recommend it wholeheartedly and without reservation.
Rating:
Summary: A model for how to handle life.
Review: I'm sure Helene Hanff never intended this book to be a life-primer, but it is. As a writer, I am awed by how unaffected she was by fame. She remained unassuming, humble, witty, and wise. I will look to her as an example of how to juggle life's priorities. I will read this book many times to be inspired by her zest for living. How I wish I'd known her. . .
Rating:
Summary: A model for how to handle life.
Review: I'm sure Helene Hanff never intended this book to be a life-primer, but it is. As a writer, I am awed by how unaffected she was by fame. She remained unassuming, humble, witty, and wise. I will look to her as an example of how to juggle life's priorities. I will read this book many times to be inspired by her zest for living. How I wish I'd known her. . .
Rating: 
Summary: Didn't live up to my expectations
Review: Well, I hate to throw in a dissenting voice and vote when surrounded by such accolades, yet I must. Perhaps I expected too much after reading 84 Charing Cross Road. If you haven't read that book, I HIGHLY recommend you do so. In this, the sequel to that book, Helene Hannf talks about her experiences that resulted from the unexpected success of 84. Parts are indeed very interesting and do answer some questions that arise when reading the first book.
But on the down side I found some of her exploits long and trying on my patience. Her love of the theatre is evident in this and other books of hers that are about the theatre. I, however, do not share her enthusiasm and found these sections quite long. I would have been more interested in her reactions to the making of the movie 84 Charing Cross Road. Yes, I know, I know, this book came out longgg before the movie was made. Hey, it was just a wish.
Bottom line, if you enjoyed 84 Charing Cross Road, pick up a used copy of this as parts are worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: A Romance with Life!
Review: What an upbeat book!
This is the romance of life's unpredictability; of life's path. Helene Hanff the author and our heroine in this autobiography is a person we can all identify with: with a high school education, a survivor's tenacity, a bright mind and a bit of luck she turns what could have been a mediocre existence into an exciting if quietly successful life! One could not have a more prototypical American dream. But here, it appears represented without the scrubbed clean, sanitized methods of Holywood.
Her wonderfully charming narration, leads us through her struggles as a writer in New York, through the apparent lucky accident of her book "84, Charring Cross Road," and the mesmerizing consequences that a successful book brings to her life. It is her persona though, who is fascinating: a strong woman with few doubts about likes and dislikes, who fights doggedly for a living, with a good sense of humor, generosity towards others and an apparent humility. What a combination! But to top it off she is sharp, quick, loves books and what they can teach her.
This is a book to be read in one sitting, but only after you read "84 Charring Cross Road." It is fun, upbeat, a charmer and it also has an almost oldfashioned value: it celebrates life!
Rating:
Summary: A Romance with Life!
Review: What an upbeat book!
This is the romance of life's unpredictability; of life's path. Helene Hanff the author and our heroine in this autobiography is a person we can all identify with: with a high school education, a survivor's tenacity, a bright mind and a bit of luck she turns what could have been a mediocre existence into an exciting if quietly successful life! One could not have a more prototypical American dream. But here, it appears represented without the scrubbed clean, sanitized methods of Holywood.
Her wonderfully charming narration, leads us through her struggles as a writer in New York, through the apparent lucky accident of her book "84, Charring Cross Road," and the mesmerizing consequences that a successful book brings to her life. It is her persona though, who is fascinating: a strong woman with few doubts about likes and dislikes, who fights doggedly for a living, with a good sense of humor, generosity towards others and an apparent humility. What a combination! But to top it off she is sharp, quick, loves books and what they can teach her.
This is a book to be read in one sitting, but only after you read "84 Charring Cross Road." It is fun, upbeat, a charmer and it also has an almost oldfashioned value: it celebrates life!
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