Short Book Review: The Magic Shop - H. G. Wells

“I had seen the Magic Shop from afar several times; I had passed it once or twice, a shop window of alluring little objects, magic balls, magic hens, wonderful cones, ventriloquist dolls, the material of the basket trick, packs of cards that looked all right, and all that sort of thing, but never had I thought of going in until one day, almost without warning, Gip hauled me by my finger right up to the window, and so conducted himself that there was nothing for it but to take him in.” ― H.G. Wells, The Magic Shop

This story is as magical as the title, The Magic Shop. Started from a boy named Gip who invited his father to enter a magic shop when they walked along the regent street. Gip was determined to go in, pulling his father by the finger. They entered, seeing a marvelous assortment of moving papier-mache tigers, magic hats, magic mirrors and the like. Gip is thrilled by all he sees. He thought that the objects there had magical powers. Besides that, Gip’s father and the shopkeeper spoke about what they want, and the shopkeeper performed a few magical feats, to the amusement of the father, but when things become stranger and sinister father is no longer sure where reality ends and illusion begins. 

The best thing about this story is about the conflict raised. The shopkeeper invited him to a room. The room was full of things that Gip liked. It was long, and a gallery broken up by stands and stalls and pillars. There were archways that lead to the other departments, and the father could not find the door that they had come in from. The shopkeeper put a box of toy soldiers Gip had requested in a bag, that had Gip's full name and address on the paper. This distressed the father greatly. Without warning, the shopkeeper put a big drum over Gip, with Gip exclaiming "Hide and seek, dadda!". When the drum was raised, Gip was nowhere to be found. The father flew into a rage, chasing after the shopkeeper, who led him through a door, into utter darkness.