Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore [Hardcover]

From the first pages to the last, this refreshing, original, imaginative, thoughtful - and often humorous - debut novel kept me glued to the chair, completely charmed by the novel's style, an unusual mix of ephemera and cutting edge computer science. I was totally captivated - not just for the excitement of the story itself, but for the ideas it presents and the hints it gives of the future of writing itself. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore may be every serious reader's fantasy, a novel in which an innocent and unsuspecting person takes a night job at a bookstore where he inhabits the world of ancient manuscripts and ancient typefaces.

When Clay Jannon gets hired to work nights in a tiny, but very tall bookstore, he discovers that it is packed with what he calls "the Waybacklist" of ancient, esoteric books, most of them hand-made. He quickly learns that his few customers always arrive carrying one old book which they want to exchange for a different book from the Waybacklist. When they make the exchange, Clay must record each transaction into an old ledger, including the time, the customer's appearance, his state of mind, how he asks for the book, how he receives it, and whether he is injured. On slow nights, Clay amuses himself by creating a computerized model of the bookstore in 3D, using a program of "data visualization." Identifying each of his customers by a different color in this 3D model, he creates a line for each, and when he begins to see a pattern of overlapping colors, he is stunned, convinced that the customers and Penumbra himself are members of a secret cult.

With two computer geek friends, Clay sets out on a quest to learn the carefully kept secrets of the bookstore, using some of Google's cutting edge computer programs and many different kinds of computer languages. Knowledge of the past, as seen in the "Waybacklist" in Penumbra's store, in libraries, and in archives around the world may be interpreted in completely new ways, with new insights for the future, when the awe-inspiring magic of computer programming is applied to them, an interesting take on an old theme.

The mysteries of the bookstore come to life and keep on coming for the next three hundred engrossing pages, carrying the reader along for a wild ride. Do not think, however, that this is a "wizardy" kind of novel with magic and spells - unless you believe that the computer is magic - for this novel is also a kind of homage to the wonders of the computer and the new knowledge it can unlock for those who seek it. Despite all the seemingly arcane languages, computer or otherwise, however, the true emphasis of the novel is on people, and that is where the book's overwhelming charm lies. The characters are young and enthusiastic, and readers will identify with their search for knowledge and connection, even to the point at which they question the very nature of life and death. Even more importantly for readers, the author's own ability to see humor as a very real part of existence is refreshing and life-affirming. Captivating and fun to read, this novel, with all its stimulating detail and its unique twists and turns of plot, left me breathless - and smiling.

When Clay loses his job as web designer for a bagel company in San Francisco he bums around for a while before stumbling upon a secondhand bookstore in need of staff.

Only this is no ordinary secondhand bookstore. Oh no, where would be the fun in that? This one is open 24 hours a day, is owned by the peculiar Mr Penumbra and is home to some pretty weird goings on.

The front of the store has a fairly random selection of not-very-popular books. They don't sell very well. The back of the store has shelves of ancient volumes that are only available to a select few customers, and then only to borrow. Clay is under strict instructions not to look at these books and also to make detailed notes in a log book about each patron: what they are wearing, how they are acting, what they say etc.

And there are lots of notes to be made as these are a curious bunch of people, each borrowing a book for a few days before coming back and moving on to another. Of course, Clay cannot resist taking a peek and what he finds prompts him to put his IT skills to the test. Some sleepless nights of coding, and more than a little help from his flatmate (a special effects guy), his oldest friend (millionaire CEO of a company that designs perfect breasts for computer game characters) and his new girlfriend (she works for Google) he begins to unravel a remarkable mystery.

It would be wrong of me to reveal much more about the story because a) it is somewhat convoluted and b) I don't wait to spoil it for you. What I will say is that there are bits of Murakami (a tantalising plot, will he manage to tie up all the loose ends?), bits of Auster (glimpses of America's dark underbelly) and bits of Tom Robbins (glimpses of America's weird underbelly). This is a book for geeks (one of the few novels that gets IT stuff right) and a book for book lovers (as well as booksellers who I think will adore it). It is far-fetched, it is more than a little weird and it is an absolute joy.

I'm going out on a small limb here and guessing that reviews for "Mr. Penumbra's..." might divide along generational lines. I'm an AARP type and got some enjoyment out of the technical procedural that is central to the book's theme, but the very emphasis on the great god Google and lesser IT instruments that are the secondary characters here was lost on me. When the story veered occasionally back toward a traditional mystery, my attention span snapped back into place; when it lurched back in the other direction, I was skipping paragraphs.

"Mr. Penumbra's..." does manage to convince the reader that there is another world out there that is populated by a different kind of mind and person and probably several years ahead of the general population in perspective and imagination. This is probably not a news flash for those readers who locked into the storyline and gave the book high marks.

In any event, it was an interesting experience for me and author Robin Sloan certainly earned my respect for articulating an original plot with credible characters.