Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

A Novel

By: Robin Sloan

Narrated by: Ari Fliakos

Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

A gleeful and exhilarating tale of global conspiracy, complex code-breaking, high-tech data visualization, young love, rollicking adventure, and the secret to eternal life - mostly set in a hole-in-the-wall San Francisco bookstore.

The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone - and serendipity, sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers’ behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore.

With irresistible brio and dazzling intelligence, Robin Sloan has crafted a literary adventure story for the 21st century, evoking both the fairy-tale charm of Haruki Murakami and the enthusiastic novel-of-ideas wizardry of Neal Stephenson or a young Umberto Eco, but with a unique and feisty sensibility that’s rare to the world of literary fiction. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is exactly what it sounds like: an establishment you have to enter and will never want to leave, a modern-day cabinet of wonders ready to give a jolt of energy to every curious listener, no matter the time of day.

©2012 Robin Sloan (P)2012 Macmillan Audio

A fun but I exciting mystery

Listened on a road trip. We are both techies so got some good chuckles. Hoped for more tension from the "mystery" still found it entertaining. Great reader

great!

very original story with well developed characters. Interesting and enjoyable. I definitely didn't expect it to turn out the way it did.

A truly telling tale

Extraordinary mix of mystery, fantasy and folklore. Artfully narrated, seamlessly transitioning from character to character.

Geeky, literate, clever, magical

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kat Potente - geek girls are cool :)

Which scene was your favorite?

The first entry of the group into the "library" in New York.

Any additional comments?

This book made me think about the future - particularly the harnessing of collective human intelligence by means of a game, to solve the world's problems.

Harry Potter meets Google

The over-all story isn't quite as full and satisfying as it might be but it is a fun and intelligent read and deeply steeped in my own home - the Bay Area and its current high tech culture. It's also written by a real book lover. If you enjoy real history given a fantastical twist (tho all the real magic here is computer generated) then this would be a good one to try. Our relationship with books and the storage and dissemination of knowledge is explored with fondness and humor.
The characters begin to be delineated quite well but it struck me as a story that would develop very well into a series; and yet the writer makes a huge effort to close the door on this option with an epilogue chapter on "what happens next". Pity.
I also thought it was very convincingly read by Ari Fliakos - and I'm not at all easy to impress.

Amazing

Harry Potter meets Da Vinci's code. Books, e-readers, a secret society in a quest and digital technology get together in this fun, enjoyable mystery. And everything started at the mysterious 24 hours bookstore. The story grabbed me from the first line, and just wanted to know what will happen next.
The narrator deserves 10 stars. Wonderful!

Entertaining,

If you could sum up Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore in three words, what would they be?

Was always waiting for it to develop into a really good story. Entertaining but not very serious. A story you can listen to when doing housework etc. as it does not require full attention.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

yes, but only mildly so.

Any additional comments?

A story for light-hearted fun. Good for long drives.

Original, Engaging and Enlightening

Excellent story, and truly fantastic narration. As I listened I thought more than once on what a great job the narrator did and what a perfect match his voice was for the main character. One of those where you find yourself looking forward to the next time you get to listen.

Very enjoyable story. Great narration.

A story of mystery for the young and old. From the depths of time to present day technology, this story keeps you immersed in a world of the imagination.

A charming and wonderful story

Robin Sloan has brought a wonderful story to life and it is narrated perfectly in this audio version. I wouldn't change a thing. This one is highly recommended.