The Monkey’s Paw is a treasure hunter’s and book lover’s dream. Named after the horror story by W.W. Jacobs, this bookstore promises the old, rare, and downright bizarre. Like the story, the store teaches you to be careful what you wish for.
Stephen Fowler opened the Monkey’s Paw in March 2006 after moving to Toronto from California. A lifelong bookseller, Fowler couldn’t imagine doing anything else. He knew his store would need a unique twist to stand out. “You don’t come here and ask ‘Do you have a copy of X?’ and I say ‘Yes, it’s right here,’” Fowler says. ”That has only happened maybe, maybe, a half dozen times in four years. Here, you find the book you never knew you were looking for.”
Strange? Yes. Does it work? You bet. Where else in Toronto can you find Clothing Design for the Handicapped (University of Alberta Press, 1973) next to The American Standard of Perfection (American Poultry Association, 1938) or Castration of Domestic Animals (Orange Judd Co, 1919) next to Auto Erotic Devices (Century Press, 1968)? But don’t write the store or Fowler off as quirky or pretentious. “It isn’t just an aesthetic thing or a form of elitism. It’s a business move,” Fowler explains. “If you have common books, you’re in competition with everybody. If you have uncommon books, you’re in competition with no one.”
In order to be deemed special enough for the Monkey’s Paw shelves, a book must fit into one of four categories: beautiful, arcane, macabre, or absurd. “An ideal Monkey’s Paw book is all four. But it has to be at least one, or I wouldn’t buy it,” Fowler explains.
The end result? A trippy journey through history. Build Your Own Laser, Phaser, Ion Ray Gun & Other Working Space-Age Projects (TAB Books, 1983) anyone? The Monkey’s Paw is a book store, museum, art gallery, gift shop and Ripley’s Believe It or Not rolled into one. Artists, graphic designers, and academics are regular customers, but there’s something for everyone if you come with an open mind. Cosmetology textbooks, religious pamphlets, books about the future from the 1940s, anatomy textbooks, books about hair, technology, language, and dirty jokes, you’ll find it here. And you’ll find it fascinating.
With such eclectic holdings, Fowler’s acquisitions process is just as unique. The process changes daily, depending on who died, which bookstore is closing, who is moving, who is culling their collection, or what women’s auxiliary is holding a charity book sale. “I’m constantly hustling to buy books,” Fowler admits. These not-so-scientific methods means Fowler sees about a thousand books for every individual book he buys. He tracks the best finds on his blog.
With book stores rapidly shutting their doors, Fowler believes the book publishing collapse is looming. Despite this, he’s confident the Monkey’s Paw will be just fine. “We don’t sell books the old way. Here’s an object, a piece of cultural history that happens to contain a text. It’s a historical and cultural artifact as much as it is a book. Besides,” he says thoughtfully, “all my books are old, rare, out-of-print books. When we don’t produce new books, I’ll have a lot more options.”
Monkey’s Paw is located at 1229 Dundas St. West. Hours are Wednesday-Saturday 11-6, Sunday 12-5, and Monday and Tuesday by appointment.
