My Review on Mr. Penumbras 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan follows Clay Jannon, a web designer looking for work in San Francisco, through a mystery of unexpected twists and turns. Clay recently has been let off from a techgig at a local bagel shop called New Bagel and is in need of work in a time where landing a job is unlikely. While walking down the street, Clay enters Mr. Penumbra's store where a “help wanted” sign is shown. The dusty, old fashioned, and bizarre bookstore captivates Clay’s eyes and Penumbra emerges from the shadows. Clay is given the night shift at the bookstore and his instructions are to give detailed descriptions of the customers who walk in. Clay meets Kat, a girl from Google who is interested in his 3D model of the store, something Clay just does to pass time. Through the uncanny store and exotic customers, Clay uncovers the Unbroken Spine, a secret society determined to uncracking a code for eternal life. Clay makes it his mission to crack the code, discover what the Unbroken spine truly does, and acquire Kats love.
A theme that I think is really important in Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore is old vs new or tradition vs the future. Tradition is represented through the society of the Unbroken Spine and simply the books that are in the novel. Likewise, the new is presented through Google, e readers, and technology in general throughout the book. The Unbroken Spine does not believe in the idea of e readers, audio books, or really any other option other than a book. The group of book lovers believe in the old, not the new. In the beginning parts of the novel, Penumbra's bookstore does not contain any new books, only the old ones that have been there for years. But as the book progresses, new books and best sellers take the shelves. The futuristic ideas are not accepted through the unbroken spine but are obtained by Kat, Clay, and many other characters within the novel. Clay is a lover of technology but works at a bookstore, this is a huge representation between the clash of old and new, Clay says, “I walk alone in the darkness and wonder how a person would begin to determine the circumference of the earth. I have no idea. I’d probably just google it” (210). Although Clay is surrounded by books everyday he would rather look up something than dive deep into a book for the answer. This is the biggest combination of old and new we see, Google. Kat works at google and helps Clay with attempting to crack the code for immortality. We find out that members of the Unbroken Spine are open to using technology, Penumbra being one of them. Although Penumbra owns the store, he is a lover of e readers and has an urge to use technology more in the store, getting new computers, putting up more ads, and proposing the use of technology to the Unbroken Spine. Clay can use google or he can have “the right book exactly, at exactly the right time” (288).
The main character Clay Jannon represents a leader throughout Robin Sloan’s Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore. Today being a leader is one of the most important qualities someone can have. Clay is a leader and an inspiration within the novel because he does not follow others but rather sticks to himself and his ideas. The Gerritszoon text was in front of everybody's eyes the whole time. “Nobody in the fellowships five-hundred-year history thought to look this closely. Neither did any of Google’s code-breakers” (275). All the members of the Unbroken Spine kept trying to break the code like every other person that worked before them. Clay, on the other hand, rose to the top as a leader and discovered the tiny hinges in the Gerritszoon text and ultimately cracked the code.
I loved this novel. To be honest, I am not a big reader but really want to read more and especially enjoy whatever it may be I am reading. Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore really showed me how much I can love a book. I found myself wanting to read more than what was assigned and figure out what could happen next to Penumbra and Clay. I also loved how this novel was written. I could fully understand what was going on and it was a very enjoyable read. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading and wants a fun mystery to dive into. I think really any reader would love this novel but a couple of people on set genres may not. Book lovers who only love reading genres such as biographies, history or autobiographies, this may not be the book for you. This is a book filled with mystery, thrilling turns, fiction, science fiction, and more. I have not enjoyed reading a book in a long time and reading Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore changed that immediately. I loved this book and hopefully you will too if you take part in the great adventure Robin Sloan produced.
A theme that I think is really important in Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore is old vs new or tradition vs the future. Tradition is represented through the society of the Unbroken Spine and simply the books that are in the novel. Likewise, the new is presented through Google, e readers, and technology in general throughout the book. The Unbroken Spine does not believe in the idea of e readers, audio books, or really any other option other than a book. The group of book lovers believe in the old, not the new. In the beginning parts of the novel, Penumbra's bookstore does not contain any new books, only the old ones that have been there for years. But as the book progresses, new books and best sellers take the shelves. The futuristic ideas are not accepted through the unbroken spine but are obtained by Kat, Clay, and many other characters within the novel. Clay is a lover of technology but works at a bookstore, this is a huge representation between the clash of old and new, Clay says, “I walk alone in the darkness and wonder how a person would begin to determine the circumference of the earth. I have no idea. I’d probably just google it” (210). Although Clay is surrounded by books everyday he would rather look up something than dive deep into a book for the answer. This is the biggest combination of old and new we see, Google. Kat works at google and helps Clay with attempting to crack the code for immortality. We find out that members of the Unbroken Spine are open to using technology, Penumbra being one of them. Although Penumbra owns the store, he is a lover of e readers and has an urge to use technology more in the store, getting new computers, putting up more ads, and proposing the use of technology to the Unbroken Spine. Clay can use google or he can have “the right book exactly, at exactly the right time” (288).
The main character Clay Jannon represents a leader throughout Robin Sloan’s Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore. Today being a leader is one of the most important qualities someone can have. Clay is a leader and an inspiration within the novel because he does not follow others but rather sticks to himself and his ideas. The Gerritszoon text was in front of everybody's eyes the whole time. “Nobody in the fellowships five-hundred-year history thought to look this closely. Neither did any of Google’s code-breakers” (275). All the members of the Unbroken Spine kept trying to break the code like every other person that worked before them. Clay, on the other hand, rose to the top as a leader and discovered the tiny hinges in the Gerritszoon text and ultimately cracked the code.
I loved this novel. To be honest, I am not a big reader but really want to read more and especially enjoy whatever it may be I am reading. Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore really showed me how much I can love a book. I found myself wanting to read more than what was assigned and figure out what could happen next to Penumbra and Clay. I also loved how this novel was written. I could fully understand what was going on and it was a very enjoyable read. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading and wants a fun mystery to dive into. I think really any reader would love this novel but a couple of people on set genres may not. Book lovers who only love reading genres such as biographies, history or autobiographies, this may not be the book for you. This is a book filled with mystery, thrilling turns, fiction, science fiction, and more. I have not enjoyed reading a book in a long time and reading Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore changed that immediately. I loved this book and hopefully you will too if you take part in the great adventure Robin Sloan produced.
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