Works on Virtual reality and goes crazy - actually put inside reality program [s]

[Iceburg]

A man works on an artificial intelligence project. They decide that the AI could learn better inside a virtual reality world. The main character works on the virtual reality world but goes crazy. Years later he calls himself a 'self made man' and is a bartender. People are very shallow, and he see's a garden gnome everywhere. Eventually he discovers that he and one other lady from the project were forced into VR and that he never went crazy. The two manage to escape.

I read it in the library, 5 or 10 years ago and I believe it was a rather aged book at the time. I want to say the name of the book was the Holographic man, but I've searched that and not found it. The cover had a man at a bar and he looked transparent... I think. I'd love to discover the book and read it again.
Thanks!

[Andria]

Realtime Interrupt, maybe?

[Iceburg]

Andria wrote: "Realtime Interrupt, maybe?"
That's it! Thank you so much Andria! I've googled that book for years and not found it and then a friend told me about this site... and 12 hours later the mystery is solved. Thank you!

[Andria]

Hurrah! I'm happy to help. I'll move this to solved and add the book to our shelves for you.