Do You Use Perfection?

Claire North, “The Sudden Appearance of Hope” (Redhook, 2016)

Perfection says that I will get 1000 points if I write some thoughts about this book.  

To follow Perfection’s path is to perfect oneself.

The overall story of The Sudden Appearance of Hope is the story of a woman who became forgettable.  It’s really one step removed from memetic fiction.  The metaphor of her being bland and forgettable is made real.  It is poignant and aches with longing and loss.

Perfection will make you unforgettable.

Inside this story is a William Gibson novel:  an international jewel thief, shadowy former intelligence operatives, sinister corporations, and a world changing app that is just two days removed from reality.

Perfection says that books and ideas aren’t necessary.  The Perfect people don’t bother with that.

The ideas in this book were fantastic.  As you might expect, her use of language is top notch.  Unfortunately, the plotting seemed to suffer a bit.  The latent thriller should have been compulsively readable. Rather it seemed a slog, & moved at the same pace as the tragic flashbacks.

Recommended, but with reservations.