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

Silicon Bay Area Mystery

Would you consider the audio edition of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore to be better than the print version?

I loved it, I will describe it as up front and in the moment ; the performance kept me thoroughly engaged and familiar the same way I felt as the story drew me in. This was beyond the fact that I knew the places that he was talking about in the City first hand. Beyond the fact that "Silicon Valley" in real time is leaking into Silicon Bay Area as well.

What did you like best about this story?

I heard the story of the 24 hour bookstore in 24 hours. I could not have waited the 500 odd years that the characters needed to puzzle out the story, but even that bizarre thought makes sense in terms of how rapidly our technology is growing. This book engaged the personal viewpoints towards technology that might be felt as differences in the terms of different generations and brings them together in a lighthearted way where the old and the young both respectively fit in harmoniously, to sort the mystery out. I don't think I have heard an author do that regarding our quantum technological shift. I liked the book because for me it was a thorough distraction from my daily life and at the same time the affirmation it gives is personal in relation. It was lighthearted amusing and very entertaining and HEY is all carried out in non violent language, which in our times is refreshing and hopeful in literature.

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

Good.

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

I like the end as I feel the characters carry on as familiar friends even after I close the book .

Any additional comments?

Thank You - Good Listening!

Unique and wonderful!

I love this book! The narrator is exceptional and definitely added to the enjoyment of the book!

Wonderful Gem

Didn't know what to expect when I bought this book and began to play it. The narrator is tremendous. The story is just as good. I loved it.

didn't know what to expect

but was pleasabtly surprised! The narration, in particular, was great. A very enjoyable voice to listen to. The story was well paced with a very satisfying ending!

A Very Millennial Book

An enjoyable tale set in contemporary San Francisco and New York, inflected with the current technology and information revolution. The author has some sense of the history of technology and information science. Novels sometimes shine for their gritty detail; this one's details are about information technology.

Such a delightful story and well read!

I found this to be intriguing without being hokey and a bright spot in the winter gloom. Thank you for such a fun read!

Good Romp

It was a good romp. Nothing brilliant but fun and a quick read. Goor for older kids and adults alike.

Delightful

This is a modern day fantasy and detective story rolled into one. I think the story would appeal to young adults but also to adults open enough to enjoy the fantasy. The narration was excellent.

Good story

The only (pedantic) thing that bugs me about this story is how the performer pronounces Euler (you-ler) I understand that the uninformed main character may mispronounce it that way, but Penumbra should pronounce it correctly (oi-ler).

Otherwise, great story!

Thoroughly enchanting

A lovely story that moves apace and keeps you guessing to the end, delightfully performed with ace characters - outlandish but completely believable. Vivid. Funny. Self aware.