Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
A Novel
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Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
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Narrated by:
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Ari Fliakos
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By:
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Robin Sloan
About this listen
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 AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Adam
- 06-04-16
didnt fulfill its promise
for the first few dozen chapters I was caught by the mysterious bookstore, puzzling goings on, likeable characters. but then it fizzled out. cant exactlt say why - lack of excitement, too much google love....
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- DaveD
- 18-03-20
Delightfully Different 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
You know how you feel when you are looking for your next read / listen and, as if by magic , you stumble on a gem of a book. Well, Robin Sloan’s “Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore” and narrator Ari Fliakos gave me exactly what I was looking for. Characters abound in a clever, funny story that had me hooked on every printed word.
Read it and enjoy: listen to it and feel the fun and joy of a modern day winner.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JoF
- 02-10-17
A definite favourite
Loved loved LOVED this book. Will certainly revisit to enjoy again. An excellent story, entertainingly read
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- William 7
- 27-09-17
Good listen
The audio book was great, both entertaining and informing...even though it lacked a decent ending to tie-up the tone that was set in the first half of the book (personal opinion)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- EGR
- 24-05-15
Starts well, then get more and more boring
I think I can honestly say that I've never read a more boring book. The premise is interesting, and the first couple of chapters are good. From then on it's downhill all the way. Just as an example:
at one point the protagonist needs to collect something from a storage facility. After what seems like twenty minutes of boring and irrelevant drivel, completely unconnected with the plot, he finally collects the article, but even then, as he's leaving, he needs to tell us what colour the office computer is. Why?
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Hamburgerpatty
- 13-12-15
For me the best bit was...
Would you consider the audio edition of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore to be better than the print version?
I haven't read any novel for nearly two decades so I would not have chosen this title other than as an audiobook. What a discovery. I felt from the opening bars - I was hooked by cane like a vaudevillian BUT pulled into the drama by Robin Sloan - and Ari kept me wanting to hear more.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore?
I loved the part towards the end of the novel when the author discusses the joy of audio books.
What does Ari Fliakos bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
I wouldn't have read the book. Ari gave flesh and bones and soul to the characters - the sort of 'egg stains on their ties - plant pots in their offices' detail. He painted great pictures of people with Robin Sloan's words. My favourite 'Ari' character was that woman in Nevada.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The only reason why I purchased the title is because it was reading group selection. Fantasy wouldn't normally float my boat. Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore was a delightful surprise. It captured me at immediately once upon a time a struggling web designer walked into a bookstore.... I did laugh. More than once.
Any additional comments?
Great find Robin Sloan and Ari Fliakos. I will certainly be 'goofling' them.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Colonel Failure
- 10-12-14
A happy mystery
Would you listen to Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore again? Why?
I certainly would. It's cheerful and full of well defined and interesting characters working their way through a mystery at a brisk pace.
What does Ari Fliakos bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
A very likable narration that adds a great deal to the listening experience.
Any additional comments?
This is a happy and engaging story and made me smile frequently while reading it. The perfect antidote to the Da Vinci Code, this isn't pompous GCSE drivel, doesn't take itself too seriously and has characters that you'll feel are old friends by the end of the story.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mr. P. Mcenerney
- 02-01-18
Enjoyable story with great narration
I enjoyed this story and all the characters in it. It is beautifully told and I looked forward to having an hour spare to listen to more.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Guney
- 09-08-15
Awesome
It's like an Indiana Jones story but for an avarage guys like us living in current times.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jenny
- 23-09-15
A gem
I LOVED THIS BOOK. It's odd and quirky, yet involved, interesting and a complete page-turner. Our hero, Clay Jannon, is a perfect foil to Mr Penumbra. Secrets, strange codes, odd people and a quest - what's not to like - all set in the age of the internet, computer geeks and Google. It's a story for our time, utterly readable, charming and even informative!
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1 person found this helpful