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 breath of fresh air

Very enjoyable fast paced and optimistic. Highly recommended for anyone who cherishes a good book and an intriguing puzzle.

Quirky and different! A fun listen.

I agree with the reviews that say you have to listen to Ari Fliakos read this little book to get the full effect. It is a charming code-cracking, secret society busting mystery set in San Francisco. It is a juxtaposition of computers and books, e-readers and ancient tomes. Our hero is a failed computer nerd surrounded by a bevy of successful friends when he chances upon a job at a tiny bookstore. He chances upon a deep secret among the dusty volumes and strange characters that fill the shelves and aisles of the narrow store.
Robin Sloan's book is a loving wink at gamers, fantasy book lovers, computer whizzes and collectors of esoterica. For all of us and everyone else, it is well worth a listen.

Delightful, warm, and clever

Whimsical, charming story full of light-hearted humor. There's a big Google product-placement (I hope the author was well-paid), but the mix of tech and book-love made me smile over & over.

Add this one to your Must Listen List!

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

Yes. The narrator does an excellent job. The story is inviting and the narration lends an edge to the story.

Which character – as performed by Ari Fliakos – was your favorite?

Carl and Mr Penumbra are excellent

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

What do you think happens in a 24-hour bookstore?

Any additional comments?

I found myself not wanting to stop the story to do other things. At each point I found myself lingering just a little bit to see where we were going with the tale. The 7 hours of listening was hard to break into 30 minute drive pieces. I don't think anyone minded that I didn't hop out of the car when I reached my destination.

Just plain fun!

Two worlds existing at the same time. An ancient odd bookshop and the tech world of Google. The customers of the bookstore are mysterious; who are they and why do they want the books from the back? There is a mystery to be solved and Google employees are quickly trying to solve the problem with high tech to protect Mr. Penumberbra and preserve his bookstore. I enjoyed the characters and the creative story. College students digging deep to discover an ancient secret.

Books, computers, and a secret society--awesome

I only wish I had listened to this book sooner. It's a delightful story, read by a great talent. Highly recommended for those who love books AND computers.

A Genuine Pleasure

Laughed out loud. Great performance Clever book. Maybe won't appeal if you have zero tech knowledge but even then this book is a sweet romp. Enjoy!

A fun and short read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would. It doesn't take too long to listen to and it has a good pace that keeps you interested all the time.

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

I didn't know which way the story was going to turn, so that was exciting.

Have you listened to any of Ari Fliakos’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was the first time.

Who was the most memorable character of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore and why?

I liked Mr. Penumbra himself. He seemed so old and full of secrets.

Any additional comments?

I wonder how much the author was paid by Google to write this book which reads as a hidden advertisement for Google.

Charming and fun book

I enjoyed the classic quest story interwoven with high-tech. I've recommended this book to several people and all have enjoyed it as much as I did.

Weird

Weird but the historical facts were very interesting. ARe there really "secret societies" everywhere? This book made it seems so.