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

On recommendation...

Any additional comments?

... I got this one, and was not disappointed. Great fun. Good characters. Narration was pleasant and believable.

Exciting

The performance catches your attention and never lets go. Loved it. Can’t wait to hear the sequel.

Wow!

This was a great story, it grabs you right from the start and holds attention throughout.

Fun, unusual listen.

This is the tale of a man in desperate search for a job finding work in an unusual, 24 hour bookstore. There aren't many customers, but the returning customers are always strange, and Clay Jannon has to not only sell books, but also write about what each unusual customer says and does.

The mystery deepens as Clay uses modern technology and the help of his friends and a sexy Google employee to learn why Mr. Penumbra's bookstore is so unusual. The trip takes them to NYC and Nevada and to Google itself to solve the mystery.

I enjoyed this book. There was some techno-talk, but not enough that it was over a newbie's head, and tales of bookstores are always a fun read. This isn't a long book, but it's long enough. Robin Sloan paces the story well and there are twists and turns aplenty to keep you guessing if they will ever solve the mystery of Mr. Penumbra's bookstore.

Fabulous narration

Mr. Penumbra is a charming story with exceptional narration. It's amazing what a difference a talented narrator makes. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A Big Yes!

Fun! Mystery and intrigue and immortality for us book and word nerds! Loved the performance. It definitely enhanced an already lovely and fun story.

Refreshing

Would you listen to Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore again? Why?

No, I don't make it a habit of listening to novels twice

What other book might you compare Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore to and why?

Mr. Magorium's wonder emporium but with a secret agent twist

What about Ari Fliakos’s performance did you like?

His versatility

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No, it was just pure fun

Any additional comments?

A novel idea and an ideal novel - enjoy

A love letter to books

A great, fun, story about books, puzzles, tech, creativity, and fellowship. I absolutely loved it!

Great Pairing

Where does Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Mr. P's 24 is one of my favorites. The narrator is perfect for the tale.

What did you like best about this story?

I like all the geeky type style and book references.

Just AMAZING! Wonderful listening experience

What made the experience of listening to Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore the most enjoyable?

It was such a wonderful experience for me listening to this book that I decided to keep my audible.com account. I have always considered myself as a traditional reader who values books as in physical and visible papers. This book, thought, was meant to be listened, and the narrator did such a fabulous job that I just could not put the book down. Every part of the book was enjoyable! The story line, the modern feeling to it, and the contemporary components that you would rarely find in other books.

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

I literally could not put my headphones down even for one second. I was listening to it when I drive, before I go to bed, or even when I was walking. I finished the book in two days!

What does Ari Fliakos bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Ari Fliakos was amazing when he adds the vocal factor to each of the characters in the book. It brings the book alive. When you listen to it, it feels like that the stories and the characters are floating in front of you, around you. It just feels amazing.

Any additional comments?

Highly highly highly recommend. I do not have much of a saying because I just entered this world of audio books, but if you were a traditional reader like me, and you are wondering what on earth can audio book ever bring more value to you, try this book!