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"When you find yourself on a London platform shouting into your mobile, 'We haven't got enough demons Do you want me to order some more?' as folk quietly edge away from you - you know you're running a witchcraft shop." Full of amusing anecdotes and witty observations, Diary of a Witchcraft Shop is a delight, and Trevor Jones and Liz Williams the most congenial of hosts. If Bill Bryson ever decided to settle down, embrace paganism and open a witchcraft shop, this is surely the sort of book that would result. Yet Diary of a Witchcraft Shop is far more than just an amusing romp. The book offers a glimpse into the pagan world, one that isn't sensationalist or melodramatic but is instead considered and intelligent, while providing insight into the unique community that is Glastonbury. The narrative is bursting with surprise, delight and humour, but also has its darker moments, as we share twelve months in the company of Liz and Trevor, complete with visits to the Houses of Parliament, Ireland, and Brittany, not to mention Shetland ponies interrupting druidic ritual and a TARDIS manifesting in the most unlikely of places... No, this isn't fiction, honestly...… (more)
User reviews
Essentially it is a diary of the lives of the owners of a witchcraft shop in Glastonbury, England: their day-to-day lives; and their encounters with personalities. Though in diary format, following a whole year, the
The diary very well written: not to heavy, not too light. The diary format made it easier for me to pick up and put down when other matters took precedence. It was a quick read for me.
The promotional blurbs, synopses, and reviews would have you believe this is a humourous look at the oddities that sometimes converge on Glastonbury and, more particularly, in a witchcraft/occult shop. I was expecting to be as fun a read as Coarse Witchcraft: Craft Working, a book released a few years ago now which was a funny look at witches and pagans. Whereas, the situations in Coarse Witchcraft: Craft Working were based on real events, and all personalities remained anonymous throughout, this was not the case in Diary of a Witchcraft Shop.
Too few of the diary entries raised a smile; far more raised an eyebrow. There were some comments made in this book that I personally felt crossed the line; opinions perhaps best aired among friends, or in private forums like AF, rather than copied from a diary to a published book. These entries detracted from the book's (expected?) lightness, occasionally giving the impression of a tool to vent.
I also found the use of both real names (both first and last), and initials puzzling. I'm not sure providing an initial would guarantee anonymity in a small village, or community, so why not use a pseudonym instead? Real names were provided for the well-known, either to the general public or the pagan community.
Included are notes about attending old college dinners, and pagan events, that held little interest for me.
I felt Diary of a Witchcraft Shop could have been a much more enjoyable book, but it missed the mark. Other than those with a curiousity about Liz and Trevor's lives, Diary of a Witchcraft Shop isn't just worth the time.
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