Gibson, William: Pattern Recognition
Pattern Recognition
Writer: William Gibson
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 367
Pattern Recognition is one of the hardest books I've ever read, and not because of content, but because of language and style. This being the first book I've read by Gibson, I didn't know what to expect, and if I hadn't been "required" to read this particular book for the month of November, I may have put it aside. But I'm stubborn, and plus, I believed I had something to learn from this book and this writer, so I plugged on and am glad I did.
Characters: Cayce Pollard is probably one of the most passive-aggressive female protagonists I've ever read. And that's interesting, because as writers, we're often encouraged to create strong characters with clear goals, and while Cayce was strong in the sense that she was an quirky character with very definite sense of who she is, she certainly didn't have a solid sense of direction. Perhaps this is the imitative fallacy, where the writing reflects the character or the action, but it took nearly 100 pages for the book to pick up--character-wise and plot wise.
The CP quirks were interesting. She did have a solid handfuls of issues, which made her complex in a realistic way, though by way of fiction I wondered how much of it was necessary. The hang-up over her father I felt was the most underplayed in terms of development, though it did have a continuous role in the novel. Her manta, "...he took a duck in the face at (how many?) knots..." amused me to no end, because it seems exactly the kind of thing that someone struggling the hold themselves together would repeat. Obsessive/compulsive in the right way, and provides a nice touch of humor when she's in public. Her allergy to brand-names...interesting, though I was sorry to see it go in the end, though I'm sure that signifies a more definite nod to character direction than I've looked into it.
One of the things I could relate to this character was her obsessions. I haven't read any books where the main current of plot was an internet film and the actions of an online discussion board, and this amused me to no end. Truly modern, and it was this obsession of hers that kept me sticking with the story.
But truly, my favorite thing about this character? Her attachment to her Buzz Rickson. I have NO idea what these things look like, but based on the description, and the fact she wore it every where she goes? Made me want one like nothing else. Then again, I adore jackets. Moving on, I was very sad to see it die at the end (yes, jackets can die), and even more sad that she didn't get another one either. Again, maybe another indication of character development? Her first one is ruined, and she gets another, but when that's ruined, we hear nothing about a third. Yes, they're rare. But this is fiction, and for that matter, plausible given the context of the story.
In terms of the secondary characters, there's not much to tell. Some weird, some definitely human. Dorotea creeped me out, simply because I don't understand that kind of terrorism, even if you're getting paid for it. It probably has a lot to do with how I view corporations and marketing, but still. I was glad to see Dorotea's story connected with Cayce's through-out, and glad to see the nod to the forum in the end. Still, I wonder what happened to this character, especially in light of the rather extreme and dramatic endgame.
Boone Chu was interesting but disappointing in the end. Self-serving characters rarely hold my attention, and there seemed to be no good reason for this guy to be such, especially since he and Cayce connected so once they met. The fact that Boone's character pretty much went by way of the toilet was only redeemed by the meeting of Parkaboy, Cayce's best friend from the forum. The indication that he and she hooked up in the end was sweet and lovely, and that spoke volumes more about the change in her character than any of the other previously mentioned indicators. To me, anyway. I have a romantic bent in me, somewhere. :)
Plot: As previously mentioned, it took a while for this story to get it's direction and go. Everything was set up well, mind you, and I never felt like someone pulled the blinders over my eyes, but it took FOREVER to get to the point where I was ready to read without putting it down.
As mentioned, the focus of the footage by the anonymous filmmaker was fascinating. More fascinating the idea that people seemed to think they could FIND this person, but perhaps that's only because I'm not that familiar with the computer business. The description of the footage was lovely, and the passion the main character showed for it was a clear hook, but the journey to find the maker sometimes left me blinking in confusion. Even now, I'm still not sure how all the pieces connected where they did, but I am satisfied with the overall picture. The two sisters were touching, as was the story of the creation. What was so beautiful is very hard to articulate, so you'll have to take my word for it. Of course, the conspiracy surrounding the sisters and the footage was a bit harder to swallow (very Alias-ish, actually), but it all worked out in the end--again, in ways I'm not sure I understand.
The prison confused me to no end. Cayce is essentially kidnapped, taken there and given drugs, and when she escapes, learns that this is a good prison and all of this is a misunderstanding? Oookay...so basically, she escaped and ruined her Buzz Rickson's for nothing? But why the drugs, the hints that this was a BAD PLACE when indeed it wasn't? I want to know what they were doing to her, and if it was a just a way to get her to escape, then bleh. Easily could've cut out those pages and had her waking up and learning what was really going on. In the prison, sure, but we could've at least saved the jacket, yes? :)
I think that was the hardest thing to swallow plot-wise through the whole book. That the climax wasn't based on anything she did, but rather a huge swelling of action based on other people. Granted, it was all hinted at beforehand, but still...I felt about as dazed as Cayce did by the end, wondering what had happened and why. Still, the book was satisfying.
Setting: This was one of the reasons I had a hard time with this book. I'm not big on setting anyway (though I love mood and atmosphere), but this book was inundated with pop-culture references and descriptions that simply made my eyes glaze over. I always ask myself, when I see lots of description, is this needed? Would the character truly be paying attention? In this case, Cayce would, but I still debate how necessary it was. But because I'm not a fan of such things, I will always question it. The mood was well set, and the description of the footage was spectacular, but setting in terms of place description always loses me.
Style: And this was the biggest obstacle to reading this book, which, in many ways, is a bad thing. Style will turn people off faster than anything, so when you have one like Gibson's, I believe you have to be careful. And the scary thing is, I felt a particular connection to his writing, most because my shorts tend to be present tense in either the first or third person. That, and I do like my fragments.
But Gibson takes fragments to the extreme. There's a subject at the beginning of a paragraph, and then the rest are fragments. It's an extreme example of how the style actually works, and it is very hard to slog through. I got used to it, eventually, but again, had I not been "required" to read this, I probably wouldn't have gotten very far. Though, I have to admit, it's good to read something different in terms of style in this genre, because it forces me to pay attention to the work rather than rush through. Granted, there's a lot I'm sure I missed, but overall, the style alone kept me on my toes.
Would I recommend this? Yes, but with a warning. This is not light and easy reading, and unless you're super-used to this kind of style, don't expect a fast read either. The good (or bad, depending on how you look at it) thing about this book is that it's meant to be digested slowly. You truly experience the world you're thrown into, even if you have a hard time understanding it.