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 … 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 twenty-first 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 reader, no matter the time of day.
more
different theme than ANY book I have EVER read, and I read a lot. Kept me wondering what would happen next, and my guesses were so wrong… Wonderful book!
Wonderful
Each twist and turn was so unexpected and delightful. Brilliant concept and beautifully written.
I just couldn’t connect with the story line nor the author’s writing style. I read about 4 chapters and then just deleted it. Very strange book.
Enjoyed this one. Not something I would normally have tried, but very well written and entertaining.
Could not put this book down. Read it in one sitting!
I really enjoyed this book. It was an unusual premise and was approached with a great sense of humor. The author obviously did a great deal of research which I always appreciate.
The love child of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus and Neal Stephenson’s Reamde, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is a hugely enjoyable story of friendship, living, and the lure of the mysterious. It’s a good-hearted, optimistic book about the meeting of modern technology and medieval mystery, a tonal road map to a positive relationship between …
Robin Sloan is a skilled architect, and Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is an ingeniously designed space, full of mysteries and codes. A clever, entertaining story that also manages to be a thought-provoking meditation on progress, information and technology. Full of intelligence and humor.
If you love books, you’ll love this original book.
Terrific book!
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, the one bookstore that stays open all day and all night. Clay Jannon has lost his job as a marketing designer for a small bagel company. He is left with no job and nothing to show for his previous employment. One day he comes across a help wanted sign in a bookstore front. The front of the store contains the more …
One of my favorite books of all time!!
A love letter to books and the paper laced world therein. The tone and voice of this book is distinct and enticing. The colors, shapes, and opinions flow freely from the main character and paint a beautifully whimsical scene. You’ll fall in love with the idiosyncrasies and oddities the author carefully crafts, from the shop itself to the misfit …