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

Amazing Story!

Perfect book for people who likes books, technology and suspense! The narrator is great too! Very articulate.

Dan Brown and Steve Jobs playing badmitten

What did you love best about Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore?

This was a light listen with just the right mix of humor and wit coupled with tech and all around geek references to keep me tied to my car stereo and wanting more.

A Great Escape

I loved this book, and Ari Fliakos is one of my favorite narrators. Just enough mystery and intrigue to keep the story moving along at a nice pace. Very easy to listen to, no blood, guts, sadness or overly dramatic scenes. If you liked Ready Player One, this book is similar in tone.

I wish I could enter Mr. Penumbra’s bookstore!

Interesting characters, mystery, and a little romance what more can you ask for! Really enjoyed this book. Reminded me a little of Ready Player One.

Fun and quirky

I like quirky characters and stories. This fits the bill. A good hearted but somewhat lost main character who is good at making and keeping friends. Most of the characters are nerdy and endearing. The ending is on a good note but not syrupy sweet.

Subtle and Fun the whole way through.

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

The story took a normal day and showed you what mystery could be around any corner for any one.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mr. Penumbra's own innocence and his total commitment made him a treat to hear.

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

Never heard him before but I liked his style.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I loved it. The book was able to link to my inner geek. Adventure, Friendships and love stories yet it never got boring and you were kept guessing the whole way through.

Any additional comments?

Great Listen!!

A DELIGHT!

This book grabs your attention and imagination and curiosity. Then it takes you a delightful, suspenseful, and FUN ride. Grab all of your friends and MAKE THEM listen/read. They will thank you!

Hoping for more…

...but ultimately disappointed. It was my first (and probably last) exposure to this author. The whole thing read like a mashup of Dan Brown novels (and that is definitely NOT a compliment) in the whimsical style of Rob Dircks' Where the Hell Is Tesla (which IS a compliment), with an unpleasant whiff of Google infomercial thrown in for good measure. It sure had its entertaining moments, and thankfully the author didn't decide to stretch it out beyond the 7 hours it was good for. But all the characters felt like cartoonish caricatures of the usual archetypes, acting according to what the story needed, not what human beings would do. Credit to the author for coming up with a reasonable ending that felt rushed and far fetched but at least didn't invoke the preternatural or religious superstition crap that defines Dan Brown.

Fabulous book, I loved it!

This was such an unusual book. I really enjoyed it and I know I will listen to it again, because so much happened in the story. It was creative, clever and fresh. It made me laugh, ponder and gasp out loud. I was worried I wouldn't like the ending because of reviews, but it was great!

I truly love this story and the manner is is told.

Fabulous book-I want more! What about a Matt mystery or Igor? Any of them ❤️