The Magic Shop

By: H. G. Wells

Narrated by: B. J. Harrison

Simple magic tricks are what a little boy is looking for when he drags his father into a quaint, old shop. The proprietor seems to be a master of illusion - a genius at slight of hand. But, as the son becomes mesmerized, the father feels an icy hand grip his heart.

Public Domain (P)2007 B.J. Harrison

interesting short!

I was only familiar with Wells via his science fiction. this was a cute horror/mystery short. I really enjoyed the narrator as well; this is sometimes an issue with these inexpensive titles.

I thought I was there.

What an incredible story. The narrator was one of the best I’ve heard. The voices were so real I really felt as if I was standing in the magic shop with him. Maybe it didn’t help that I was driving at 11:30pm on a back country road in the middle of nowhere, but I was genuinely nervous about the man and his little boy. What a great short story read by a great narrator!

Lighthearted horror

More of a mysterious sort of spooky story. Reminds me of a Steven King short story I once read but of coarse written about a hundred years earlier. Good story.

The Magic Shop: Between Childlike Wonder and Adult

In The Magic Shop (1903), H. G. Wells takes us on a surreal journey with a father and his son, Gip, into a shop that seems to defy reality. What begins as a simple outing to buy toys turns into an experience that challenges logic, perception, and emotional safety.

Wonderful, Classic Tale

A classic story of an unusual Magic Shop by H. G. Wells. A magic shop appears out of know where to surprise and delight a young boy and father. Beautifully narrated by Everson Croft.