Sourdough - Robin Sloan

    2017; 259 pages.  Full Title: Sourdough, or Lois and Her Adventures in the Underground Market.  New Author? : No.  Genres : Humorous Fiction; Magical Realism; Baking.  Overall Rating : 6*/10.

 

    Did you ever bite into a piece of food and find yourself transported into heaven?  If so, what type of food was it?  Was it French food, or maybe Italian?

 

    For Lois Clary, it was a fast-food “combo sandwich, double spicy”, courtesy of a nearby hole-in-the-wall eatery called Clement Street Soup and Sourdough.  Delivered on motorcycle by one of the two brothers that own the shop.

 

    Frankly, it was the bun that made the sandwich such a delightful culinary experience.  The sourdough was divine.  She guessed it was some sort of ethnic cuisine.  When she asked the delivery guy about it, he said, “It is the food of the Mazg!”

 

    That sounds Asiatic.  Vietnamese food, maybe.  Oh Lois, you’re in for a mouthwatering surprise.

 

What’s To Like...

   Sourdough is the follow-up to, and is written in the same style of Robin Sloan’s Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.  The primary storyline is set in the San Francisco area; with occasional messages from a couple of cities in Europe.

 

    The story is told in the First-Person POV, but by two different narrators: Lois is the main one, and a guy named Beoreg is the other.  He is of Mazg extraction and does a lot of explaining to Lois.

 

    The central theme of the tale is Lois’s learning to deal with her “left-lobe/right-lobe” dichotomy.  Her primary job makes use of the analytical lobe of her brain: she’s a programmer for a tech company that builds “robotic arms” to perform repetitive tasks.  Their current project is how to get a robot to correctly crack open a raw egg.  Yeah, good luck with that one, Lois.

 

    Lois’s other brain lobe comes into play when she discovers the joy of baking sourdough bread.  What additives give it the best flavor?  What is the best texture of the bread?  And why does playing background music seem to affect the baking sourdough bread in weird ways?  Your analytical lobe won’t help you figure that out, Lois.

 

    It was fun to watch how Lois’s mental struggles impact her lifestyle.  Her newfound passion for baking sourdough loaves introduces her to new friends and moneymaking opportunities.  But it also competes with her programming time.  Ah, if only those two endeavors could be combined.

 

Ratings…
    Amazon:  4.2/5 based on 5,575 ratings and 634 reviews.

    Goodreads: 3.75/5 based on 63,455 ratings and 10,158 reviews.

 

Excerpts...

    It was Peter who recommended switching to the liquid meal replacement that he and many of the other programmers preferred, and that seemed easier to digest under the circumstances, which were extreme and unrelenting.

    “Slurry,” he said.  “It’s outstanding.”

    Slurry was a nutritive gel manufactured by an eponymous company even newer than General Dexterity.  Dispensed in waxy green Tetra Paks, it had the consistency of a thick milkshake.  It was nutritionally complete and rich with probiotics.  It was fully dystopian.  (pg. 17)

 

    “Come join us at Café Candide.”  It took her acolytes a moment to process what they’d just heard.  When they did, their eyes went wide, and they looked at me with bewilderment and horror.

    Clingstone continued.  “Bring the starter back to the café.  You’ll apprentice under Mona Rahut.  You met her.  There’s no better teacher.”

    I felt the disorientation of a generous offer that in no way lines up with anything you want to do: like a promotion to senior alligator wrestler, or an all-expenses-paid trip to Gary, Indiana.  (pg. 190)

 

Kindle Details…

    Sourdough currently sells for $11.99 at Amazon.  Robin Sloan’s main bestseller, Mr. Penumbras’s 24-Hour Bookstore, and his other novel, Moonbound, also cost $11.99.  He also has several novellas to offer for $2.99 apiece.

 

Kewlest New Word ...

Pareidolia (n.) : the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern – most commonly a human face.

 

He looked like the kind of person who might have taken up residence in a turnip restaurant in Berkeley. (pg. 159)

    There’s almost no cussing in Sourdough; I counted just six instances in the entire book.  I don’t recall any adult situations and I didn’t spot any typos.

 

    The writing is superb, the characters are unique and fun to meet; and there’s a lighthearted tone to the story that’s entertaining without devolving into silliness.  So how come the 63,455 readers at Goodreads only give it (on the average) a 3.75 rating?

 

    The storytelling is to blame.  Things start out well – strange happenings with the baking of sourdough; strange brothers running Clement Street Soup and Sourdough; strange faces in strange places.  Alas, none of those mysteries are satisfactorily resolved.  The ending is weak, involving some overeager Lembas acting up.  And if “lembas” sounds familiar, it’s that magical elven bread in LOTR.

 

    If you enjoyed Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and/or are an avid bread baker, you’ll probably eat up Sourdough.  Pun intended.  Otherwise, don’t be surprised if the ending is a letdown.  Perhaps the intention is to deal with the unresolved plot threads in a sequel.

 

    6 Stars.  One last thing. One of Lois’s new hobbies involves gaining membership in something called the “Lois Club”.  The only stipulation for joining this social club is that your first name has to be Lois.  Guess what!  Lois Clubs are real!  They’ve been around since 1979; they hold annual conventions; and they even have a Facebook group.  Google it.