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salgalruns's review against another edition
3.0
There are sure a lot of folks out there that loved this book, but for me, it was just weird. I suppose you could say that it was a puzzle, hidden within stories, and that's well and good. However, it just didn't grab me the way I would have liked.
Lots of themes intermix to make this story what it is, from super old stuff like printing presses to modern day Google and beyond. Tied into that are elements of living forever, model building, general Internet, and the battle between real and electronic books.
Imagery is spectacular. I would almost be fearful of this ever becoming a movie for fear it wouldn't live up to what I have in my mind between the Bookstore in San Francisco, the caverns in New York or the warehouse in Nevada. I'd also LOVE to see Mat's creation - although right now, it's a chaotic mess that just appears wonderful.
Suprisingly, I think this story fell for me with the characters. None of them really connected with me, which is highly unusual. They all had their own personalities, that's for sure, but nothing super memorable. It's a quick read, and would be enjoyed by those liking the weirdly wonderful...
Lots of themes intermix to make this story what it is, from super old stuff like printing presses to modern day Google and beyond. Tied into that are elements of living forever, model building, general Internet, and the battle between real and electronic books.
Imagery is spectacular. I would almost be fearful of this ever becoming a movie for fear it wouldn't live up to what I have in my mind between the Bookstore in San Francisco, the caverns in New York or the warehouse in Nevada. I'd also LOVE to see Mat's creation - although right now, it's a chaotic mess that just appears wonderful.
Suprisingly, I think this story fell for me with the characters. None of them really connected with me, which is highly unusual. They all had their own personalities, that's for sure, but nothing super memorable. It's a quick read, and would be enjoyed by those liking the weirdly wonderful...
carlisajc's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, beautiful. I loved it, and I think any bibliophile will feel the same way. This book works its away around the intricacies of our modern day, when ancient books meet high-tech computers. I loved the adventure, the intrigue, the wonder and awe toward the written word that I've come to feel myself.
Also the paperback cover is glow-in-the-dark, so it has that going for it.
Also the paperback cover is glow-in-the-dark, so it has that going for it.
justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
A love letter to friendship and curiosity, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is a puzzle-solving adventure filled with millennial quirkiness and Silicon Valley eagerness.
I'll admit this is not a piece of 'serious' literature with the most in-depth characters, and its conclusion is a little simplistic and cliché, but what it does provide is a huge dose of passionate optimism. The reader can easily sense Robin Sloan's genuine obsession, and fan-boying over all the covered topics, from practical movie special effects, to typography. I also thoroughly enjoy the parallel made between the pioneering spirit of book printing and today's boundless advancement in the tech industry.
I recalled this book blew up when it was first released in 2012, and the hype ended up provoking some unwarranted cynicism: yes, Google is mentioned constantly (I didn't mind it, but I also work with Google on the daily, so maybe I'm already immune), yes, there's an overlay of 'techbro' attitude—but with the lighthearted tone, I didn't find any of its remarks problematic, and calling this novel 'glorifying start-ups without addressing the toxicity' might be an exaggerated over-reaction to a topic beyond the novel's intent and reach.
While I wholeheartedly enjoyed the carefree joy offered in Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, I do recognize this is probably best suited for a relatively niche audience; if you're a bookish millennial who loves puzzles and D&G, and is looking for a breezy escapist read with lots of imagination, then give this a try!
p.s. this is another book that's great on audiobook—the stream of consciousness writing style is well-suited for the medium, and the narrator really stretches his boundary to portray all the characters.
A love letter to friendship and curiosity, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is a puzzle-solving adventure filled with millennial quirkiness and Silicon Valley eagerness.
I'll admit this is not a piece of 'serious' literature with the most in-depth characters, and its conclusion is a little simplistic and cliché, but what it does provide is a huge dose of passionate optimism. The reader can easily sense Robin Sloan's genuine obsession, and fan-boying over all the covered topics, from practical movie special effects, to typography. I also thoroughly enjoy the parallel made between the pioneering spirit of book printing and today's boundless advancement in the tech industry.
I recalled this book blew up when it was first released in 2012, and the hype ended up provoking some unwarranted cynicism: yes, Google is mentioned constantly (I didn't mind it, but I also work with Google on the daily, so maybe I'm already immune), yes, there's an overlay of 'techbro' attitude—but with the lighthearted tone, I didn't find any of its remarks problematic, and calling this novel 'glorifying start-ups without addressing the toxicity' might be an exaggerated over-reaction to a topic beyond the novel's intent and reach.
While I wholeheartedly enjoyed the carefree joy offered in Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, I do recognize this is probably best suited for a relatively niche audience; if you're a bookish millennial who loves puzzles and D&G, and is looking for a breezy escapist read with lots of imagination, then give this a try!
p.s. this is another book that's great on audiobook—the stream of consciousness writing style is well-suited for the medium, and the narrator really stretches his boundary to portray all the characters.
tsummers_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
heathercottledillon's review against another edition
4.0
"Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" is not at all what I expected, but I loved it. I had trouble following some of the technological details (okay, a lot of the technological details, and I'm a librarian so it's kind of embarrassing to admit), but that didn't keep me from enjoying the mystery and feeling the characters' anticipation right along with them. I love that there's this whole mysterious, exciting world created by books, and Sloan's writing style creates the perfect atmosphere. How can you not love lines like "We need James Bond with a library science degree" and "I have waited my whole life to walk through a secret passage built into a bookshelf"? It's just good, nerdy fun.
pajamas's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
amanda1793's review against another edition
2.0
So this book took forever... And I don't really feel as though that was unwarranted...
The story at the beginning was long, drawn out and repetitive with a few bits of excitement. The middle was a bit of the same, repetitive and at times drawn out. And then the end made no sense.
I can see the majesty of figuring out the code, finding the real meaning to the reasons the Unbound have to do what they have to do... And I'm glad they didn't give away the huge secret that they thought they were going to find and that friendship conquers all and blah blah blah. But was it necessary for that to go on and on?
Like I say, I've been reading this book off and on for about a year, and maybe my fault was picking it up right after completing "Ready Player One" and hearing reviews that this particular book was just as fun as that... But I have to disagree. As I say, I feel like this was the fault for me.
The characters themselves were interesting in their own right and they did do some pretty interesting things and made some badass decisions and discoveries, but I still find the book as a whole drawn out.
If your into typography, and quests, this is probably better fit for you... But I just have to say it's not my kind of book.
The story at the beginning was long, drawn out and repetitive with a few bits of excitement. The middle was a bit of the same, repetitive and at times drawn out. And then the end made no sense.
I can see the majesty of figuring out the code, finding the real meaning to the reasons the Unbound have to do what they have to do... And I'm glad they didn't give away the huge secret that they thought they were going to find and that friendship conquers all and blah blah blah. But was it necessary for that to go on and on?
Like I say, I've been reading this book off and on for about a year, and maybe my fault was picking it up right after completing "Ready Player One" and hearing reviews that this particular book was just as fun as that... But I have to disagree. As I say, I feel like this was the fault for me.
The characters themselves were interesting in their own right and they did do some pretty interesting things and made some badass decisions and discoveries, but I still find the book as a whole drawn out.
If your into typography, and quests, this is probably better fit for you... But I just have to say it's not my kind of book.
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
A preposterous conspiracy of historic and typographical proportions involving Aldus Manutius and Google in San Francisco!
My Take
This was a lighthearted joy and should appeal especially to anyone interested in fonts, typography, books, bookstores, and computer coding! And if you want to know how this all works together, well, you'll just have to read it!
A little bit love and a little bit computer coding all wrapped up in a mysterious conspiracy. One that's been operating for centuries with groups struggling to decode the clues. It's a conflict between traditionalists and computer geeks. The geeks will enjoy the descriptions of Clay's playing and the atmosphere and excitement at the Google campus. I know I did…! Well, I also enjoyed Mat's artistic efforts. My fingers kept itching to get into the studio!
I did enjoy Clay's virtual partying.
About the whiniest I can get is wishing that Sloan had teased us along more when Corvina campaigned against Penumbra on the phone with Clay.
There's nothing deep about this, other than the bit of ending philosophy. The characters are a sendup of their respective age and interest groups, all mixed in with a plunging economy.
Festina lente...
The Story
It's an odd bookstore with a few books in the front for the average customer off the streets while the Waybacklist (shades of Peabody and Sherman!) is the true purpose of the store with its arcane books that may only be borrowed.
It's Clay's curiosity that sets things off after he meets a Google coder and wants to impress. Only he's too impressive to the wrong people.
The Characters
Clay Jannon is desperate for a job and just that bit too curious. He has a background in design and computer coding and a definite interest in marketing. Matthew Mittelrand is one of his roommates and a special effects artist at Industrial Light and Magic. Ashley Adams is a fellow roommate and their landlady.
Neel Shah is his best friend—the typical high-school-nerd-turned-millionaire with Anatomix. Even better is the type of coding on which he made his fortune—boys everywhere will be drooling, LOL! Neel hires guys like the young Russian hacker, Igor.
Ajax Penumbra appears to own the bookstore and has some very odd requirements, such as the logbook. An interesting bit of history. Oliver Grone is a graduate student at UC Berkeley, studying archeology; he handles the afternoon shift. If it's before 1200, Oliver knows it.
Some of the bookstore's customers include:
Maurice Tyndall; Fedorov worked at HP; Imbert; Rosemary Lapin is a retired programmer from the olden days; Monsef; Greg (he's also a hardware engineer at Google); and, Muriel the goat farmer.
Clark Moffatt was another of Penumbra's customers. He was also the author of The Dragon-Song Chronicles---with a mystery in the third volume that Clay solves. It's a little bit Paul is dead...
Tabitha Trudeau runs the California Museum of Knitting Arts and Embroidery Sciences. She has access! Cheryl represents Consolidated Universal Long-Term Storage LLC on the phone.
Google
Kat is a programmer who specializes in data visualization. She eats, sleeps, and breathes code for Google. Jad runs the Book Scanner. Raj is one of those brilliant coders who'd probably flunk Social 101. Others involved in the decoding include Prakesh and Amy.
Grumble is a programming hacker breaking DRM code.
The FLC Company hiding the Unbroken Spine
They worship Aldus Manutius and his trusted friend, Griffo Gerritszoon. There are three levels within the society: the novice, the unbound, and the bound who have produced their codex vitae. Eric is the little jerk pulling Clay's chain. Marcus Corvina is the First Reader. Edgar Deckle is another former student of Penumbra's. Now he guards the Reading Room.
The Cover
The cover is a white background with a grid of stacked and leaning books in yellow with a script slanting the title across it. Rather computer-like...
The title is to the point, for it is Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore.
My Take
This was a lighthearted joy and should appeal especially to anyone interested in fonts, typography, books, bookstores, and computer coding! And if you want to know how this all works together, well, you'll just have to read it!
A little bit love and a little bit computer coding all wrapped up in a mysterious conspiracy. One that's been operating for centuries with groups struggling to decode the clues. It's a conflict between traditionalists and computer geeks. The geeks will enjoy the descriptions of Clay's playing and the atmosphere and excitement at the Google campus. I know I did…! Well, I also enjoyed Mat's artistic efforts. My fingers kept itching to get into the studio!
I did enjoy Clay's virtual partying.
About the whiniest I can get is wishing that Sloan had teased us along more when Corvina campaigned against Penumbra on the phone with Clay.
There's nothing deep about this, other than the bit of ending philosophy. The characters are a sendup of their respective age and interest groups, all mixed in with a plunging economy.
Festina lente...
The Story
It's an odd bookstore with a few books in the front for the average customer off the streets while the Waybacklist (shades of Peabody and Sherman!) is the true purpose of the store with its arcane books that may only be borrowed.
It's Clay's curiosity that sets things off after he meets a Google coder and wants to impress. Only he's too impressive to the wrong people.
The Characters
Clay Jannon is desperate for a job and just that bit too curious. He has a background in design and computer coding and a definite interest in marketing. Matthew Mittelrand is one of his roommates and a special effects artist at Industrial Light and Magic. Ashley Adams is a fellow roommate and their landlady.
Neel Shah is his best friend—the typical high-school-nerd-turned-millionaire with Anatomix. Even better is the type of coding on which he made his fortune—boys everywhere will be drooling, LOL! Neel hires guys like the young Russian hacker, Igor.
Ajax Penumbra appears to own the bookstore and has some very odd requirements, such as the logbook. An interesting bit of history. Oliver Grone is a graduate student at UC Berkeley, studying archeology; he handles the afternoon shift. If it's before 1200, Oliver knows it.
Some of the bookstore's customers include:
Maurice Tyndall; Fedorov worked at HP; Imbert; Rosemary Lapin is a retired programmer from the olden days; Monsef; Greg (he's also a hardware engineer at Google); and, Muriel the goat farmer.
Clark Moffatt was another of Penumbra's customers. He was also the author of The Dragon-Song Chronicles---with a mystery in the third volume that Clay solves. It's a little bit Paul is dead...
Tabitha Trudeau runs the California Museum of Knitting Arts and Embroidery Sciences. She has access! Cheryl represents Consolidated Universal Long-Term Storage LLC on the phone.
Kat is a programmer who specializes in data visualization. She eats, sleeps, and breathes code for Google. Jad runs the Book Scanner. Raj is one of those brilliant coders who'd probably flunk Social 101. Others involved in the decoding include Prakesh and Amy.
Grumble is a programming hacker breaking DRM code.
The FLC Company hiding the Unbroken Spine
They worship Aldus Manutius and his trusted friend, Griffo Gerritszoon. There are three levels within the society: the novice, the unbound, and the bound who have produced their codex vitae. Eric is the little jerk pulling Clay's chain. Marcus Corvina is the First Reader. Edgar Deckle is another former student of Penumbra's. Now he guards the Reading Room.
The Cover
The cover is a white background with a grid of stacked and leaning books in yellow with a script slanting the title across it. Rather computer-like...
The title is to the point, for it is Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore.
jowithtwoiis's review against another edition
3.0
I just couldn't finish this. It was a slog through the middle part of the book. After rolling my eyes at it every time I went to pick it up I decided to give it a rest and return it.
I should also mention that one of the points is for the glow in the dark cover.
I should also mention that one of the points is for the glow in the dark cover.
booknerdjo's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0