rezelazny's Reviews (1.09k)

Old knowledge vs. new knowledge with a bit of mystery thrown in there makes this a delightful read. Books vs. Google (and Google is not portrayed as evil here, just a different player in the knowledge game). Clay needs a job in the worst way. His dot.com went out of business and one evening he stumbles across a bookstore that turns out to be oh so much more than your average used bookstore. Mr. Penumbra, the owner, is a bit of a mystery himself and asks Clay, what do you seek in these shelves. Clay soon befriends a girl who lives and breathes the Google universe and together with other interesting characters they start a quest to discover what lies in Mr. Penumbra's book shelves. Such an interesting read of paper vs. electronic while not really saying which side is better. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.