Customer Reviews

The Magick Bookshop

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
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"One thing that's really become obvious to me since working in Malynowsky's is the way in which the myths re-enact themselves daily, both for our enlightenment, and simply because they are well-established patterns. Many would argue for the latter alone, and many that the former was the whole point, but for me, both seem pertinent. As my boss likes to point out, it's a fascinating level we inhabit." --The Magick Bookshop

Author Kala Trobe comes from a long line of religious visionaries, including Alice A. Bailey. She has been rigorously trained in magick and occult symbology, and has worked as a professional Tarot reader and psychic medium. In addition, she has also managed an antiquarian bookshop and holds an Honors degree in English literature from Leeds University.

With enchanting prose and exquisite diction, Trobe weaves her education and experience into six short stories filled with magick, myth, and mystery in her brand new book The Magick Bookshop The hub of archetypal psychodramas and Qabalistic magick, Malynowsky's antiquarian bookshop sits in the heart of Oxford, England, and is the sort of place that makes people go "oooh!" as soon as they cross its threshold.

In the first story, "Magwitch", we encounter a character named Mr. Paul Magwitch--a man who spends an obscene amount of money at Malynowsky's (and everywhere else). It becomes evident that his gluttonous sprees for material goods is inextricably and psychically linked with the death of a school girl named Jude.

The myth of Orpheus and Erydice emerge with a modern twist in the second tale, "Orpheus". Eurydice, hired by Kala the shop manager, becomes smitten by a musician. However, a dark spell cast by the obsesseed Aristaeus bewitches Eurydice--with tragic results.

In "Living Light", a devotee of Apollo is led to Malynowsky's Bookshop to seek advice. Anna's desire to maintain mystical union while keeping cynicism at bay send her on a mystical journey through the Qabalah, led by the capable Kala.

"Thus Spake Ron" is a tale of spiritual seduction and control. This story portrays the dynamics between a spiritual teacher named Ron--and the extent that a girl named Lauren will reliquish her power in the quest for Truth.

"Witch in the City" continues the story of Lauren, after she escapes from the physical, mental, spiritual, and sexual brutality of Ron's version of magickal training. Lauren ekes out a livng reading Tarot cards in the park, and a colorful array of sojourners accompany her on the path to freedom.

The last story, "Karma Burners", finds Kala facing Simon, her Roman master from ages past. In a past life, Kala was Simon's servant...and he sent her to the Coliseum. What will Kala do with the sword as she remembers his cruelty--and holds Simon's life in her hands?

It's been a long time since I've read such a delightful work of fiction...and what a special treat that this collection of short stories is laced with esoterica, symbolism, Tarot, archetypes, auras and other realities of the New Age. Even better, Trobe has such a delicious style of writing; I actually found myself stopping at certain passages, uttering a "wow" under my breath, and then re-reading it with admiration. (E.g. If blue could boil, her irises were that color.) Is that not succulent?

Kudos to Ms. Trobe for a fine collection of mystical stories that indirectly educates and thoroughly entertains.

Unfortunately, I did not find this book to be that mind-blowing in any respects. While it is true that this book conveyed a very good picture of the "Aquitarian Bookshop", many of the stories hardly focused on the bookshop at all.

I must give Ms. Trobe credit where it is due however, and agree with many of the other reviewers who comment of the author's diction. Enrapturing and powerful, while not being too hedonistic or "thesaurus-y". I applaud her for this much.

That being said, I would have to admit shamefully that the best story in the book was the first one, "Magwitch". Many of the other ones were too drawn out for their own good, and rather just focused on the lives of magical people throughout such hardships as abusive, crazed cult leaders; and unloving step-parents.

This book also contains small bits of "magick" mixed in with a dizzying array of Qabbala jargon. While I claim very little knowledge of this subject, I would have liked to find stories which involve magic and suspense, rather than confusing pieces of Judeo-Christian religious stigma.

I was honestly expecting this to be an excellent book for the modern Pagan to sate their fiction hunger. Sadly, I found a bad mix of Qabbala and long, drawn out, however beautifully worded, stories.

The Magick Bookshop: Stories of the Occult
Reviewed by Kris Lawson

All bookstores have an aura to them, embodying the peace and repose to be found whilst disentangling a particularly twisted phrase or absorbing a finely tuned sequence of words, buffering the distance between your mind and the world outside the store. This magic exists in every bookstore, event the most brightly-lit big box showcase of overruns, bit is most evident in the small stores, those run by a dedicated and loving staff and committed to the worship of the written word.

British author Kala Trobe has set her collection of short stories in one such bookshop, an occult emporium that we have always imagined exists somewhere. Tucked away in Oxford behind think stone walls and "slightly convex" stained glass windows, Malynowsky's is filled with aged and arcane volumes, with a pigskin carpet underfoot capturing the bits and flakes of the ages. Whether these are literally flakes form the aging stock of parchment and vellum or from the more distasteful characters that can infest any place dedicated to the study of alternative spirituality, both are present and the clerks are careful to make them all welcome. "It is amazing," Trobe writes, "to find just how many of us there are who would be prepared to come out of the occult broom closet, if only they could be guaranteed not to be labeled insane, or Satanic."

Trobe's tales are drawn from the experiences and anecdotes that she and the other clerks share: the mystery behind the customer who suddenly and uncharacteristically buys the most expensive and showy merchandise; the new clerk's harrowing story of escaping a cult and supporting herself by giving Tarot readings; why another clerk feels such a strong connection with a habitually-drunken professor. Permeating the stories is the wisdom of the shop's owner, Mr. Malynowsky, whose Qabbalistic advice has more to do with the store's success than its sales. Under his influence, the clerks form a small family in their refuge and each story shows a different aspect of the study of magic.

Although Trobe balances the high-flown philosophy with a grounding of earthly humor, The Magick Bookshop may be a bit too arcane for the casual reader. But whether you practice any branch of the occult or are a skeptic, Trobe has created an enchanting glimpse at a world that all bibliophiles would like to enter.
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RAIN TAXI, a winner of the Alternative Press Award for Best Arts & Literature Coverage, is a quarterly publication that publishes reviews of literary fiction, poetry, and nonfiction with an emphasis on works that push the boundaries of language, narrative, and genre. Essays, interviews, and in-depth reviews reflect RAIN TAXI's commitment to innovative publishing.

Kala Trobe has grasped both mundane and esoteric ideas, interweaving the two to create a novel of ripping yarns that hold a wealth of occult knowledge. The Magick Bookshop blends Jungian psychology, Western magick, Qaballa, magical realism and the author's evident love of peeling back the layers of reality, inviting the reader to dive in and oberve the sacred dramas unfolding around and inside the main protagonist's realm of existence. The characters in this novel do not converse entirely in colloquial language, and you are entranced by the spiritual complexity and poetry of their speech. These words and the stories themselves articulate not only of myth and magic constantly replayed in everyday, but of morality, and finding a sense of personal self.

The people you meet in the Bookshop are funny, intelligent and sometimes terrifying, however they are always engaging. They remind you of people you have encountered, some you wish you never had, but through the intercession of Mr Malynowsky, the owner of the Bookshop, you are taught via his conversations with employee/acolyte and narrator of the book, Kala, that you cannot only see everything as dualistic, and that pragmatism helps you to regard yourself and others with true clarity. You are reminded in this work of Angela Carter's power as a storyteller to create an atmosphere of the un-heimlich, or opposite of homeliness; the sense of the usual and familiar which has become inverted, and therefore not as safe as you had previously expected it to be. Ms Trobe also stimulates the reader in this way, and refusing to hand feed, leads you inexorably onward through the labyrinth. She is both psychopomp and entertainer, and I recommend The Magick Bookshop not merely as a vehicle for magical conceptual thought, but as a boody good read.

Apparently, Ms Trobe has this year already finished writing the sequel to this novel, titled 'Magick in the West End', which hopefully will be published by early 2005, can't wait!

Okay, I am going to do something I don't normally do. I am going to give my conclusion right at the start of this review. I loved this book! Before I finished the Prologue, I already could see the shop clearly, I cold smell the musty odor, and even hear the subtle groans of the suffering shelves.

This is one of those true rarities - a book written by someone who is capable of telling a compelling, believable tale which stretches the boundaries of what is ordinarily perceived without giving the reason to stop and think "yeah, like that would happen."

Those who live in the magickal world will feel right at home in this collection of stories. Those who have wondered about that world will find themselves inspired to search out their own Malynowsky's. Those who have never even thought of this world may find themselves wondering how much is real.

Sure, some of the stories (especially the last one) stretch the limits of the believable to the breaking point, if not a bit beyond. That, however,is not necessarily bad. After all, this is a book of fiction, not a how-to manual.

Over the past several years I have commented on the need for, and impending arrival of, fiction in the occult genre which could be enjoyed by experienced members of the community as well as by those outside of it. I am impressed by Ms. Trobe's ability to tell a believable story, and the style with which she tells it.

I don't know if there are more books in the offing from this talented author, but I certainly hope so. This is not a book of "action" stories. Nor is it a book of strictly occult happenings. It is a thoroughly enjoyable book of stories.

The ending of the final story in the current book seems to open the door for further stories. There appears to be the possibility of further developments of the two primary characters, as well as at least one or two
of the minor characters in addition.

This is not a book intended for the younger reader; not because of violence or sex, but simply because it is intended for one with a bit more life experience. It isn't one you have to keep out of the hands of youngsters. It is just one that will appeal more to the adult reader. In some ways it is reminiscent of some of Dion Fortune's fiction, but with much more appeal to the modern reader.

I look forward not only to more work by Ms. Trobe, but also to hearing what others think of this book.

The most interesting thing about the book is that it uses real-world practices of magick in realistic situations. For someone who is even partially versed in the occult it is a fun read and not at all dumbed down.

I wish the stories weren't so insular, it would have been better if there was an over-all plot.

Kala trobe, a very good friend of mine, has branched off from her original style of writing and has ventured into magickal Fiction. While her "Witch's Guide to Life" book covers everything practical and magickal, "The Magick Bookshop" adds a lighthearted feel, applying fictional stories to the life of an everyday Occultist.
Well-written.. Better than most occult fiction books.. all in all, wonderful new material from one of England's coolest Witches.
Malkuth to Kether,
~OakRaven~

was an interesting book, however as i not educated in the various types of magick terms they used in the book, some of the passages were a bit vague for me to follow. this was cause for a bit of lost interest in places. however, the characters were vivid and the shop description intriguing.
the tone of the stories were a bit sad as most ended in melencholy. if i see a book of Ms. Trobe's again in the bargain bin i will pick it up but probably not purchase it for full price. however, she will have a following for those who like this type of prose.