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

Better suited 4 teen audience.NOT Ready Player One

I know I have been spoiled by the likes of Connelly, Deaver, Lippman, French, Child and others. This book is kind of juvenile in its plot and pacing. I think my 12 year old would love it. However, it is NOT Ready Player One (RPO). RPO is a well-polished narrative with clearly thought out characters. It moves neither too fast nor too slow. I adored it. This book has a bit of fantasy in it but it doesn't seem to fit with the non-fantasy parts. Characters are very one dimensional and predictable - almost like cartoons at times, especially Mr. Penumbra himself.
This book comes across like someone just sat down and typed it up with no effort to edit, polish or improve it after the fact. It's not awful, simply unsophisticated.

Somewhat entertaining book made better by narrator

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I wanted to like it more than I did because the premise is a good one. I'd say the parts were more interesting than the whole. The tongue-in-cheek pop culture references to our technological fixations made me smile.

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

The protagonist was my favorite character and that was entirely due to Ari Fliakos' very entertaining narration. The book would not have been nearly as good had he not nailed the reading.

Could you see Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

A bookstore is fertile ground for multiple story lines. I could see this as a TV show with Joseph Gordon Levitt as the protagonist.

I love me some secret societies...

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

Literary DaVinci Code

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

The plot was interesting, and I loved the fact that it was set in a bookstore. I'm also a sucker for anything involving a secret society-- the weirder, the better. However, the book quickly strayed from the bookstore setting, which was disappointing. I wanted more of the mystery to be about the books and place itself.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the build-up to the secret about the books. It's not any scene in particular, but I felt like the entire beginning of the book was really the best part. But then again, I love suspense.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed the bulk of the book, although I found the ending a bit cheesy and trite. I also grew weary of the portrayal of the female character. She seemed very one-note, and while she was smart, she was precocious in an off-putting way. As the only female lead, I wanted her to be dynamic like her male counterparts.

What's the fuss??

Not sure I understand all the hype surrounding this book. Other than presenting an overview of Google's organizational talents, it really is kind of a limp tale. I suppose it will appeal to young technocrates and those who like bibliocentric mysteries. Think of it as The Club Dumas Very Light. Perhaps it belongs on the Young Adult shelf. Despite the text, Ari Fliakos does a good solid reading.

An okay read - Not living up to expectations

This book, with its captivating title, gave me hope of a piece of fiction that tells a untold tale and creates a world within this book. It does not quite live up to that expectation though...

First of there is a huge issue with a book set in the near future, promising a different world, and then in fact is not really much different than today's world... Then add in descriptions of technology that is supposed to be revelations, that in fact are already among us, without adding anything futuristic to the equation...

When that pill is swallowed the story is really good, but the execution not. There is simply lacking detail, mystery and character depth. It is to shallow, just waiting to be picked up and movietized, sigh.

But in all, I enjoyed my 8 hours listen, although I kept hoping for more, all the way through...

The geek's version of beach novel

Mr. Penumbra's is a literary piece of bubble gum. A clever premise brings you into the story with great hopes. But one-dimensional characters and a plot that loses momentum produce the same stale taste that you experience with a piece of bubble gum. My mom had books she called beach novels and this book fits the bill. A pleasant simple read while lying on the beach. Easily forgotten once digested. Enjoyable enough but not a big deal when it's over.

Truly Enjoyable Multi-layered Read

Quixotic characters deal with the challenges of love, meaningful work, friendship, self-expression, and life beyond simple survival. Each unique personality finds art, beauty, and deeper relationships while seeking the secrets within some very special books. I found this novel both fun and insightful--well worth a credit. I was reminded of the magical San Francisco of 20 years ago, despite the contemporary view of Google and our current economic crisis.

A bit too cute for me

Would you try another book from Robin Sloan and/or Ari Fliakos?

Probably not.

What was most disappointing about Robin Sloan’s story?

Good book for a teenager maybe, but not compelling as an adult fiction read.

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

I liked the performance generally.

Could you see Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I'm afraid I could see it as a move or tv series. That's probably why I don't like it.

Any additional comments?

I really did some of the ideas and it was very funny at times. I love the idea of an evil empire that sells fonts.

Amazing narration; fantastic story

The story is engaging and fun throughout. Even more impressive is the production. This is what audiobooks should be—great voices, pacing, and leveraging of audio to enrich the story.

A decent quest novel.

Overall a decent quest novel that had the characters seeking a long hidden secret. I just felt the stakes never got very high and the novel just cruised along until it ended. I agree with some of the other reviews in that I got tired of hearing about Google. There was at least one instance that compared Google to Standard Oil and alluded to the fact that no company is around forever but short of that, Google seems to have the answer for everything in this novel.