2 January 2014

Bibliophile: A Review of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, Robin Sloan

There is an element of magic in reading consecutive books that fall into similar themes all by happen-stance. As gleefully mentioned in my last post, I have a heap of books to work through that continues to grow even though I am supposed to be on a "library-only" policy. The growing mass is all thanks to the newly discovered SF used bookstore I found mere blocks from my house. Rather shocking because it is literally down the street and I have literally been in this store countless times never to be able to find the SF section until yesterday when I spied a small sign pointing up leading me to a third floor wonder world. You think you know your neighbourhood! I came home happily owning a collective anthology of the first three Dragonriders of Pern novels and China Mieville's Un Lun Dun, an author I am slowly, ever so slowly trying to appreciate.

From this growing pile, I was gifted two gems both with plots interlaced with the love of reading and the joys of a paper bound novel. I feel intoxicated from the printed word this week, excited with SF after a rather lackluster year end. Nothing like a good book followed by another to put a girl back on track for 2014.

 Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan hooked me in by the end of page one. I found myself gorging on a chapter or two then putting the book to the side, all in an attempt to delay the reading process.  With good books, really good books, I like to drag them out as long as I am able.  Easily a day read, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore has tinges  of an Agatha Christie mystery to it, wrapped within a secret society quest all tightly bound up within the framework of present day mysticism. I find it remarkable that over the years "quest" books like these always fall into my hands by accident. I never research them, never think to even quest for those very quest-like books in my search for new novels. Quest books are the most allusive of all the genres, seemingly to appear when you most need them.  

Sloan's writing is not superb, this is not a literary masterpiece but it is a good read and at times that is all one really is looking for: a plot that moves, an uncertainty of what may come next and a cast of characters we want to spend time with.  Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore finds our protagonist laid-off with few skills to call his own looking for a job. Needing a job, any job, his newly acquired midnight-shift clerk position at a 24-hour bookstore leads us and him on a quest for the seemingly supernatural within the streets of present day San Francisco. This is a romance with the printed word, the power of print at a time when e-readers rule the world and bookstores seem to be disappearing faster than movie rental stores.  Not wanting to give too much away, the level of intrigue that builds through the book takes a mundane turn at the denouement. More a reflection of my own levels at which I want abstract surrealism, I was disappointed but began to see the benefits to Sloan's ending. Most times our search for life and the answers to our existence can be best found in the simplest of forms. 

9 comments:

  1. I've requested this book from the library. The title complete grabbed my attention when you mentioned it in your last post. Your positive review causes me to hope the book will be ready for pick-up soon.

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    1. Enjoy! It is a great little read during this cold beginning to the new year. Keeps you distracted and entertained while the temp. outside is unspeakable.

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  2. This is one of the books I want to read this year. I can't believe I haven't already done so because highly praised books about books are one of my favorite things. The "romance with the printed word" you describe is something I love.

    How cool that you discovered the science fiction section of the used bookstore so close to your home! While that would be very dangerous for me I would love it.

    I am trying to develop an appreciation for China Mieville's work, but I haven't had any luck thus far.

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    1. Hey Carl, I know I am having a hard time with China Mieville's works too, I feel I am supposed to like him and want to give him a chance. Wasn't a huge fan of The City and The City, people keep telling me to read Embassytown...guess I am going to have to give it a go some time this year.

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  3. It didn't help that before I read any of his works I read interviews where he was critical of Tolkien and Lewis. Now its okay to be critical of their work, but the way I interpreted his remarks was that he felt the classics should be forgotten and people should move on because they weren't worthy of our attention. That turned me off a bit to the guy, and then I've tried two of his books, Un Lun Dun and The City and The City and haven't finished either because I haven't seen what the big deal is. I need to give him a complete chance by actually finishing a book. I think Kraken will be my next attempt.

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    1. This is the very reason why I try to avoid reading about authors! There is the danger of being so annoyed that you can't enjoy their works any more. Kinda how I feel about Lewis and his allegories with Narnia as well as His Dark Materials author Phillip Pullman. Love both series, hate that both have hidden messages to kids in them.

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  4. I am the same way and have mostly advocated for not staying away from authors because of personal issues they might have. But the reality is that enough time has passed since Mieville has annoyed me and I still haven't been able to click with his writing style. I want to. I want that switch to be turned on where I go "ohhhh!!! that's what everyone was on about!".

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  5. Sounds like a great book! Love the title as well

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  6. Hey Nigel,you should write about book titles and their lure for your next post! Maybe I should too....

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Thanks for taking the time to reading, and commenting on this post! Thank the Maker, thanks you.