Rating: 
Summary: A solid continuation on Gibson's central themes
Review: Author William Gibson has always proclaimed the influence of Thomas Pynchon in his beginnings as an author. With "Pattern Recognition," Gibson not only tips his hat to Pynchon but also seems indebted to him by means of the book's structural content. Gibson's new book, and I mean no slight in saying this, feels like a contemporary re-working of Pynchon's classic "The Crying of Lot 49." Here, Cayce Pollard, like the heroine of Pynchon's book, finds a symbol that defies decoding and, seeking its answer, slowly gains a not inconsiderable amount of self-knowledge through treks across land and people. Cayce seeks the Footage, an enigmatic series of videos that possess a singularity contrary to the postmodern age of consumption and materialism. Keep in mind, however, that this is also Gibson's first book on the just past' rather than 'near future,' so almost all sci-fi tendencies are absent. One of Gibson's most wonderful attributes is his prose. Here, he is acute and lyrical while noting how material comforts have desensitized us and led our culture to a sense of soul-decay. While always an elegant stylist, this is some of Gibson's most impassioned prose since "Neuromancer." His ear renders some of the most awe-inspiring descriptions and musings this side of Don DeLillo ("White Noise" and "Mao II"). However, whereas DeLillo mis-stepped slightly with his latest book, "Cosmopolis," Gibson's meditation is eerily, and deadly, on. I can only find one fault with the book, and that is that the end of "Pattern Recognition" starts to let the plot wrap up just a little too quickly. Still, not merely content to be behind the postmodern masters of DeLillo and Pynchon, Gibson finally closes the ranks with this novel. Through "Pattern Recognition," he proffers himself as one of the most accessible yet intelligent authors on the postmodern condition. There is much to decipher and enjoy with this read.
Rating:
Summary: His best work since Count Zero
Review: William Gibson gets back on track with this book. First of all, this is less cyberpunk than straighforward contemporary fiction. If you are looking for another Neuromancer, you'll probably be disappointed. If you enjoyed Stephenson's masterful Cryptonomicon, then this pleasingly technical yet character-driven work is probably right up your alley. The first 80% of the story is very compelling. The final act, however, feels rushed and unfinished, like the ending of many Gibson novels. Despite the weak finish, I highly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Like a bad app: ultimately bombs...
Review: William Gibson, unofficial father of the cyberpunk movement, made a legion of fans with his classic work, "Neuromancer." A futurist of sorts, his keen eye for trends makes him a fascinating author to follow. But with his latest effort, "Pattern Recognition", he stumbles - badly. Cayce Pollard - named after Edgar, the so-called "Sleeping Prophet" - is the go-to gal when trendy fashion houses need to know what will work with ever-fickle fadsters. Blessed with a preternatural ability to instinctively know hot from not, she finds herself hired into Blue Ant, the chi-chiest of the chi-chi. But their designs are less on fashion and more on finding the source of "The Footage", mysterious snippets of an ethereal Internet movie that has captured the attention of everyone from a Japanese cult to international spies, American hackers, cryptic cryptographers, meme marketeers, and film fanatics. Peril, and a vicious case of jet lag, nags at Cayce as she plunges into the mystery even as she struggles with the unresolved case of her spy for hire father, among the missing at Ground Zero on September 11th. Her mother e-mails her claiming to hear him speak warnings from the dead to his daughter on blank audio tapes. Her apartment in New York is broken into, as is her temporary residence, and a power-hungry cohort threatens her with secret knowledge only her therapist should know: Cayce's deathly afraid of The Michelin Man. The many players in the book converge from parts all over the world and eventually wind up in the very place Cayce surmised long ago upon first viewing the footage was the source. It's all thrilling and top-notch, not to mention cool beyond words. For three hundred pages, this is as good as it gets in modern techno-fiction. But in what I can only call a "complete implosion" this novel ends with perhaps one of the most singularly inept finales ever foisted off on readers by an A-level author. What was easily a four-star book punts two of those stars for this reason alone. Why so bad? Well, Gibson commits numerous sins: - He has one character come out of practically nowhere to deliver the synthesis of almost everything that happened in the previous three hundred or so pages. That is a first-time novelist's mistake. - Readers think they are getting a firecracker finale, but it fizzles out without so much as a pop. It's the kind that leaves the reader screaming, "That's it?!" If I were to summarize it here, most would agree. But you'll have to read it for yourself. - The ultimate reason for the footage existing is truly lightweight. The speculation is more interesting. When the payoff is not as thrilling as what the characters have surmised throughout the book, the author has serious rewriting to do. Those closest to Gibson should have let him know this. - The major subplot of the book also dries up and blows away. The major plot is a disappointment, so the reader prays for something, anything to happen with the big subplot, right? Don't hold your breath. - Much of the peril is revealed to be contrived and for reasons that make little sense to thinking people when the pieces come together. It logically does not follow and when paired with the explanation behind the footage cannot stand up to any scrutiny. In short, I am astonished that this book saw the light of day without a rewrite of the ending. I think that many readers will feel that "Pattern Recognition" was a complete waste of time, both the author's and theirs. We can only hope that Gibson can someday hence capture again the genie in the bottle that made him the hero of the Internet set and a writer to always watch.
Rating:
Summary: A journey into the Uber Cool
Review: In Pattern Recognition, William Gibson intrigues us with something a bit less fanciful than his previous offerings. He has turned his eye from the future choosing instead to stare down the very current trends of hyper marketing, the free flow of information via the Internet and how both the naive and powerful subvert it to their needs. The book is edgy, fast, fun, and so believable that the ending will leave you wondering if it is a work of fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: THE FUTURE IS NOW
Review: An amazing look at the future from one of the world's top futurists/authors. Gibson takes us into today like no one else can. The lead protagonist is a woman so it's kind of fun to see Gibson dabble into learning Yoga terms and such. A bit condescending at times and could give us a better peak into tomorrow but satisfying nonetheless.
Rating:
Summary: First time Gibson reader
Review: This was the first book I read written by William Gibson, and I'm satisfied, but not wowed. Below is a brief description of the story and my thoughts on the books. The story is about this girl Cayce who has this very interesting ability for marketing; she can look at a trademark / logo, and know in an instant if it's a hit. Companies pay her big bucks just to look, say yes or no, and she'd done. Now if that isn't enough, she also has this very odd allergy to trademarks! She ends up having some sort of odd anxiety attack to specific logos and has to get away immediately to recover. Gibson throughout the story puts in these references to different cloths lines and trademarks which Cayce is sensitive to, and the research seems sound. However if you're like me, and you don't care or know what Prada is, then the book looses some meaning in my opinion. I don't care what people are wearing and why she has issues with it. It seems like Gibson in some way is challenging us to look at ourselves and how caught up we are in appearance. Maybe he is pointing out how marketing in general is just recycling and cashing out on everyone else's ideas? The whole "mirror-world" reference seems to point to something Gibson isn't satisfied with and needs to bring out through Cayce. But who is really going to rebel to the point of ripping off labels on cloths and grinding down pants buttons? I thought the concept was unique, but too over done. Cayce, while working for these various firms also has this obsession with the "Footage". The "Footage" is these random video clips posted on the Internet, and "Footage Heads", discuss it on various boards on the net. She is a member of the most prominent board on the net, and uses this board as a kind of therapy tool to deal with her numerous issues. It ends up that someone she is working for wants information on who makes the "Footage", so she goes on this adventure to find the "maker". Cayce in her search starts employing some of her web-buddies to track down the creator of the footage, and travels halfway across the world a couple of times. The dialog I think is fantastic. The Internet "Footage Heads", joke and are witty just like the people who I know that have a serious passion for the net. He captured the geek-factor well, and I speak from experience on this as I was once seriously addicted to the Internet. This aspect of the book kept me reading the pages. The main issue I have is his writing; it tends to be very choppy. Someone in another review said it best that it seems he wrote the book, then went back and cut out half the words. It took some time for me to digest. Even though I might not like the choppiness, he did well in painting the picture of the characters in my mind, which I feel is important. The reason I purchased this book is because a friend of mine was raving about Neuromancer. Pattern Recognition was the only book I could find by Gibson in E-book format, so I thought what the heck. For the price I paid I'm satisfied, but I'm not biting at the bit to buy another one of his books. If you're a first time reader of Gibson and thinking of buying this, maybe check out Neuromancer first or borrow this one from the library.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating
Review: I'll leave it to others to sum up the plot of this book. I would recommend, however, that you don't read too much about the book before reading it. Had I read that the book was about marketing and fashion, I never would have picked it up. It is to Gibson's credit that he crafts a fascinating story out of possibly the two most annoying subjects available.
The real joys of this book are the dead-on observations, the throw away lines, and funny, wise descriptions.
Just read it, you won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Too bad the book ended :(
Review: I'll make this short. . . I've been a fan of Gibson's from the beginning, and I like the way he broke out of the box in this one. Loved getting inside the head of his female protagonist and spending time in her world. She became a friend, and I was sorry to leave. I'll remember this book fondly.
Rating:
Summary: A big change for Gibson
Review: Since his last book, William Gibson seems to have cross-pollinated with Connie Willis (Bellwether) and Neal Stephenson (Cryptonomicon). The result is a fascinating book that is so about right now that it's written in the present tense. The only thing other than work or sleep that kept me from finishing this book was the occasional trip over to google to look up the cultural references. Other than the Buzz Rickson's jacket (they didn't make a black MA-1, or at least not until after the book came out...) it was all dead on. The original model of Bibendum really was creepy, and it's always fun to get peeks into the bizarreness vortex that is Japanese mass culture. I may have to put a Rickson's jacket on my wishlist this year. Do you hear me Amazon? Having done a few junket trips in my life, I groaned every time poor Cayce got on a plane, and kept a constant estimate in the back of my mind of how far away her soul was. It's always interesting to see a male author try to draw a believable female main character, and I think Gibson did a very solid job. Only a postmodern heroine would beat up two thugs by accidentally remembering childhood lessons in bar mayhem. Fans expecting an sfnal book will probably be dissappointed, but if you're willing to take the book on its own terms, it's a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: Sad Disappointment
Review: As an avid follower of Gibson's work I naturally looked forward to the publication of Pattern Recognition. One of the five most boring books I've ever read or tried to read. I gave up 2/3 of the way through it, and I never fail to finish a book most of the time. Grey. That's the defining color of text/story. Grey. So bad I could not believe it was Gibson. Maybe he needs to take a decade off (God knows he's rich enough) and go traveling or something to fill him up again. Pattern Recognition is running on empty.
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