I was very confused by this first reading of “Patchwork Girl.” Most of this confusion stems, I think, from my ignorance to how to work the program. Clearly, I have not been convinced that digital media will replace books; this reading only solidified this. With books, the plotline is laid out for you, and unfolds smoothly as you turn the pages. I strongly disliked the computer reading, because I could not get any real sense of a story; I found myself feeling wary of getting too involved in whatever section I happened to be reading, because I was afraid I was in the wrong section of the tale, or that I had missed something.
I also found the program very difficult to navigate; sometimes, I would click sections on the map, and a blank screen would appear; I think that was an error, given that I doubt the author would not write anything for a section. It was also very confusing, because it seemed as though you could click anything on the screen, and it would take you to another page; this made it difficult to follow along with whatever was going on. Honestly, I am not too sure what the story is. Also, there were many different characters mentioned, besides the Patchwork Girl and Mary Shelley. I wondered who was the uncle, or Margolette; there was no explanation for who they were.
I was able to read some of it, though I’m not too sure where it was leading. I suppose the voice was of the creator, Mary Shelley. She explained that she had selected the most beautiful parts of the most beautiful people, such as movie stars; however, to keep the Patchwork Girl from becoming too vain, Shelley made her body parts of grotesque different colors. This, to me, seems like a control issue; the creator not only wants to control life, but also the Patchwork Girl’s actions and feelings once she is indeed alive.
The one part I liked was the visuals; I felt that it was appropriate for the digital media, given that so many websites and the like include pictures. As the Patchwork Girl said, “I am buried here. You can resurrect me, but only piecemeal. If you want to see the whole, you will have to sew me together yourself.” The graphic stitches and separated body parts in the pictures helped show this. Ultimately, though, I would much rather read a book and conceive the visions in my head; at least then, I would be able to grasp some sense of the story.
