This book is a departure for William Gibson. It's not his usual futuristic cyberpunk style, but rather a book set right in the here and now. It's got Gibson's standard clipped prose and peculiar plot, but he has such a way with words that it's an irresistable read.

This review is from the barnes and noble web site, credited to the publisher:
In a post-9/11 world, the present is as unpredictable as any future...

Paid to predict the hottest trends, Cayce Pollard is in London to evaluate the redesign of a famous corporate logo when she's offered a different assignment: find the creator of the obscure, enigmatic video clips being uploaded to the Internet - footage that is generating massive underground buzz worldwide.

Still haunted by the memory of her missing father - a Cold War security guru who disappeared in downtown Manhattan on the morning of September 11, 2001 - Cayce is soon traveling through parallel universes of marketing,
globalization, and terror, heading always for the still point where the three converge. From London to Tokyo to Moscow, she follows the implications of a secret as disturbing-and compelling-as the twenty-first century promises to be.

Complete bookring shipping order:
sleone, California, USA
Eskielover, Washington, USA (int'l)
Merenwen, Canada
iceagent, Canada
themarina, Canada
tiggmtl, Quebec, Canada
butlin, New Hampshire, USA
ottoshumato, Massachusetts, USA (int'l)
LaRue, New York, USA
lorelei03, New York, USA (prefer US, surface int'l)
kicket, North Carolina, USA
Ealisaid, North Carolina, USA
morris200, Georgia, USA
Davitraka, Florida, USA
WarEagle78, Alabama, USA
retc, New Orleans, USA
ghaweyn, Colorado, USA
grover3d, West Virginia, USA (int'l)
BookHaven01, Portugal (int'l)
mundoo, Australia (int'l)
katayoun, Iran (int'l)
Hengameh, Iran (int'l)
suzen, France (int'l)
chivers, Brasil (prefer Brasil, USA/Can shipping)
Metropolitan, Brasil (int'l)
...
and back to me

Released on Wednesday, February 25, 2004 at US mail in Tucson, Arizona USA.

The bookrings begins. Off to sleone in California today...

I received this in the mail today, perfect timing as I should be finishing The DaVinci Code tonight. Will read right away. Thank you!

This novel hooked me right away. Gibson parcels out words like they were of rare value and with his talent they do read as 24K. I haven't read William Gibson before, I will now look for some of his other books.He definitely understands computers; so many authors come across as outdated or seem to have knowledge only from an Idiot's Guide to... book.
I will mail this to Eskielover as soon as I get her address.

I received this book in the mail today. It goes on my pile of bookring books to be read. Thanks for sending it on.

This book took me longer than usual to read, partly because of the language used and ideas I was unfamiliar with. Once I got past CPU's and a few other things, the reading became easier for me and I didn't need to read so carefully for content and meaning.

When I finally got the hang of what was going on, the book became more enjoyable and a real page turner! The last third of the book was exciting and the plot finally came together for me.

I'm not sure that I'll go out of my way to read anything else by Gibson, but it was a good book in the overall sense of things.

This book will go out in the mail to Merenwen probably Monday or Tuesday.

Thanks for starting the ring and sharing the book with me.

This book sent to Merenwen in Alberta, Canada today.

It has arrived safe and sound. I already began another book, which I don't mind putting off in place of this one, so I've started it today.

14 pages in, intriguing characters and edgy narration. The language, although interesting, is sometimes confusing requiring a slower read speed:

p.8 "CPUs for the meeting, reflected in the window of a Soho specialist in mod paraphernalia, are a fresh Fruit T-shirt, her black Buzz Rickson's MA-1, anonymous black shirt from a Tulsa thrift, the black leggings she'd worn for Pilates, black Harajuku schoolgirl shoes...[five lines later;after another short paragraph]...CPUs. Cayce Pollar Units. That's what Damien calls the clothing she wears."

It sometimes feels as if the editor was having an off day and didn't feel like correcting the usage of commas. On the other hand, I don't feel like stopping to take the time to see if this is the true case--to see if punctuation is being abused.

Lol, I think I'll like the book though. And I'll do my best to get it off to IceAgent in a timely fashion ;)

I'm sorry that I didn't journal this when I finished...April 25. I haven't had much time lately and I wasn't sure what to write!

Overall, I enjoyed the book and the last quarter of the book kept me hooked and up reading longer than I should have. I found the ending rushed and almost toppling over itself with some things explained in detail and others very neglected. The part (SPOILER in white font, highlight with cursor to see: The part where Cayce realizes that she's "cured" of her debilitating phobia.) that leaves us hanging and guessing, is frustrating, lol, I want to know for sure. But that's just me and my curiousity.

The characterization was really good and the plot easy to follow. It's a very interesting story with a fascinating heroine. I will definitely read more of Gibson's works...probably starting with Neuromancer which is in my basement!

Now, I must apologize to everyone. I put off contacting IceAgent till I was practically done (actually, I think I started contacting her on the 25th of April). I read the last bit of the book in one sitting, something I didn't mean to do. And IceAgent lives in my own city, so I thought I'd be able to get it to her the next day...as soon as I had the address. However, I'm not sure that her PMs are getting through properly. It's been a week with several PMs. I've posted in the forums and I've PMed midwinter, so I hope I can get this on its way soon. I'm sad now because it only took me a week to read, but I've had it now for 2 weeks...again, I'm sorry for holding up the ring.

Well, themarina was quick to respond and eager to get the book so soon...I heard from her last night and mailed the book off today. How's that for some efficiency?!

Enjoy!
And thanks midwinter for making me part of your book's journey!

Yey! This came in the mail today. I'm almost finished my book and this is next on the list. Can't wait to get to it!

Gibson does it again. I'm always a little shocked when I start reading any of Gibson's work, primarily because of his writing style and imagery. This was no exception. But once I was comfortable in his world (took all of 6 pages) I couldn't be stopped. I squeezed in reading times EVERYWHERE, I just couldn't put it down.

Gibson has a way of taking the common and making it sound out of this world. Though set in the present, "Pattern Recognition" reads like a a different world with sights, sounds, tastes, skylines and worlds much different than anything I've ever experienced. I particularly enjoyed his take on 'mirror worlds' and how he managed to express the exact feelings I get when traveling and experiencing a new place. Oddly the same yet different.

A brilliantly told story.

Sending this to the next member of the ring and that is tiggmtl. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Perfect timing - I received this book the morning after finishing my previous read... Will start reading it this evening and journal then send it on it's way once done.

As I find with most of Gibson's books, his style takes some getting used to, but once you reach the zone, you can't put it down. Very enjoyable as a story and a lot of pause for thought with regards to the way products are marketed. It is interesting that the tone of the novel is anti-brand yet at the same time, Gibson's style seems to involve conspicuous use of brand names (although not necessarily the most famous ones). Thoroughly good read and highly recommended to anyone whether or not they are a fan of the author.

Released on Wednesday, June 30, 2004 at Surface Mail in Mail, Bookring Controlled Releases.

Sent to Butlin in NH, USA. Enjoy!

Received today. I am working on one book ray and have another in line. Will get to this one as soon as possible so as not to hold it up.

Well, I tried reading this but just could not get into it. I think his style of writing just put me off. I'm going to send it along to the next person who will hopefully enjoy it more than me.

8/17/04 - sent off yesterday to Ottoshumato

Received today by mail. One bookray ahead of this one, but classes start soon so I've gotta get it read quickly. Thanks, midwinter, for sharing!

Received today by mail. One bookray ahead of this one, but classes start soon so I've gotta get it read quickly. Thanks, midwinter, for sharing!

Here are some preliminary comments, at Page 200:

1. I love this book. It reached me JUST before I begin grad school, during which time (7 years) I will have very little time for fiction, and it is the perfect last novel;

2. It is very smart, and post-modern in tone, with references to Baudrillard and simulacara of simulacra of simlacra...;

3. the descriptions of cities on other continents, termed "mirror-worlds," are so apt it's frightening;

4. I wonder about its hipness. So au-currant that it will be a timpiece in twenty years, perhaps the authors's intention; and

5. the unfolding mystery is so compelling, I can't put it down.

This may well be my last novel before inundation with anthro texts and intensive Japanese lessons (the depictions of Tokyo are very strong), and I'm glad it came when it did.

Simply put, this is a novel for thinking people. It has all the gloss of an action-mystery, but with philosophical flourishes.

Thank you to midwinter; this is a big treat.

C

Edited for redundancy and incomprehensibility. Must journal when not exhausted.

Just came in the mail, thanks!

I enjoyed this, but it didn't knock me out as a masterpiece. Maybe because I haven't had much time to read, so it had to be taken in small chunks. I read the last 75 pp in one go, though, but I felt vaguely let down, like, that's all there is? PM'd next person on the list.

just rcvd - thanks! will journal again when read.

11/30 update. Okay! I really liked this book - I found it to be very evocative and didn't feel that posturing got in the way of the story, if that makes sense. Anyway, it was my first Gibson and a great introduction! Will send to the next BCer on December 1st.

Got this in the mail today (or maybe yesterday). Will get to it ASAP. Thanks!

Mailed to Ealisaid. May take a while with the holidays.

I enjoyed the book but was a little disappointed at the end. I felt it ended a little abruptly. Glad to see Gibson tackle a current setting.

Received in the mail this afternoon. Thanks for sending it so quickly, kicket!

I finished reading "Pattern Recognition" last night, and while I'm not totally digusted by the book, I can't find many good things to say about it either. Overall, it was just so-so. The thing that most struck me, in a negative way, was how hard the book tries to be "hip". (I swear if I saw the word "Google" one more time or saw yet another description of a character dressed entirely in black I was going to pull out my hair!) I was also astounded at how stupid most of the characters were.

Warning: slight spoilers

Cayce knows that someone has broken into the apartment where she is staying in London because there is a site called "Asian Sluts" (hereafter shortened to "AS") listed in her browser history...a site she never viewed. (The exact person who viewed the site is never named in the story, so let's call him X.) I found it odd that X was able to go straight to the AS site without first viewing Cayce's homepage and without using a search engine to find the site. He must have been so familiar with computers and with the AS site that he had the URL memorized. If that's the case, then why would he bother looking at it while he was in a breaking-and-entering situation, and why wouldn't he take a second and clear the history? X also calls his employer from the apartment phone, which lets Cayce hit "redial" and figure out who is responsible for the break-in. Riddle me this Batman...why the heck isn't X carrying a cell phone? Everyone else in the book has one.

Gibson tells us that Cayce has a phobic reaction to brand names. Because of this, she buys clothes and removes all labels, even going so far as to file the name off of the buttons on her jeans. (As if this would fool anyone, Cayce included.) For crying out loud...why doesn't she just sew her own clothes or hire someone to make her clothes? That way she'd get exactly what she wanted with no labels, but I guess that's just too simple and not nearly hip enough. We're also told that Cayce's apartment is so stark that it's nearly empty...again because of brand name phobia. Hasn't Cayce ever heard of custom-made? Craft shows? I would have found her character to be a lot more interesting (and a lot smarter) if she'd used a little bit of creativity.

There's a section in the story where Cayce travels to Tokyo to meet with a man who has information on the watermarks found on the footage. The Tokyo trip and subsequent exchange is pointless. The watermark numbers and the photograph could have easily been exchanged via email or by instant messenger.

Finally, the ending of the book is rushed and way too convenient, as a new character tells us all the details and wraps up the story in one long, rambling monologue. It felt like Gibson had come down to the wire and just wanted to get the book over with as quickly as possible.

I'll be sending this on to morris200 tomorrow. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read it!

Mailed to morris200 via media mail today. Happy reading, morris200!

Received and excited to read this. Unfortunately, the book has a strong odor and I am part of a very allergic household, so I will have to forward this right away without getting to read it. :o( Nevertheless, enjoy!

Mail's been slow, so I just got this. Will start as soon as classes get settled.

Since Davitraka stalled this ring, I've picked up a replacement copy. To see the rest of the ring's progress, please go to
http://bookcrossing.com/journal/2941693