“‘What is a game?’ Marx said. ‘It’s tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It’s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.’”
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow – Gabrielle Zevin
My Rating
In Summary of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
“On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts. Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.” –Goodreads Synopsis
READ IF YOU LIKE: descriptive writing; video games; literary fiction; reading about friendships; serious plots; non-linear plotlines; serious topics
Trigger Warnings: suicide, cancer, infidelity, abuse of power, chronic pain, disordered eating, car accidents, abortion, gun violence, homophobia, racism, death of a loved one
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Extremely well-developed characters | Pacing – could be about 100 pages shorter; certain parts get bogged down with gaming talk/culture |
| Character relationships have depth and thematic connections | Lots of gamer jargon (this could be a positive if you are a gamer or love learning technical terms) |
| The messiness of life and relationships realistically represented | |
| Disability representation is done accomplished with care |
The Review
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a complex, well-crafted literary fiction novel that approaches themes of friendship, loyalty, passion, and love through a unique approach.
Had I ever thought I would read a book about gamers? Absolutely not. Did this, as well as my lack of gaming knowledge, affect my ability to enjoy this book? Only slightly. While you don’t have to be a gamer to appreciate, like, and understand this book, that element just wasn’t my thing. However, don’t let this part of the review to deter you from reading this; there is a reason this book has won awards and has a high rating on Goodreads. It deeply contemplates the world and relationships between the people in it, and it prompts the reader to think introspectively about their own values regarding love and ambition.
Sam and Sadie’s relationship is truly the beauty of this novel. It’s not often that fiction writers take a platonic approach to male-female relationships when addressing topics of love. It reminds readers that love takes many forms and that each one is no less important than the other. These complex characters face the trials of life together, including issues of ambition, abuse, inner demons, and physical ability / health deterioration. They are eccentric people dealing with very real issues that create a push-and-pull dynamic between them through the years; what remains consistent is a true bond between them.
Be forewarned that this is not necessarily a fast read, as it really makes you think and feels a bit technical at times with the gaming aspect. It is, however, best enjoyed when savored over time. No matter who you are, this process will allow you to take something meaningful and heartfelt with you after. And that, my friends, is truly what the ultimate narrative storytellers – Sadie and Sam – would want for you.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Book Information
- Published: 2022
- Publisher: Knopf
- ISBN: 9780593321201
- Format: Hardback
- Length: 416 pages
Archetypes & Anecdotes 
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