#94: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Make things anyway

Pages: 401 | Published: 2022

Note: I just finished watching game 5 of the World Series (rooting for the Astros) and my nerves are shot — what an intense game! I can barely type I’m so jittery, but the show must go on…

---

Happy Friday, readers!

This book had moments of pure beauty, and at the same time, pure frustration. I was so close to giving it 5 stars, but I ended up going with 4. I think it is a lot of fun and well worth your time, but I was left with a few nagging criticisms.

Let’s get into it.

What it’s about

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a work of fiction starring Sam Masur and Sadie Green, brilliant individuals who meet and bond over video games in their youth and grow up to become video game designers. Their relationship is the heart of the book and their characters both inspired and annoyed me to no end.

Why it’s great

I love the idea that relationships, especially a friendship-turned-business-partnership, can be messy. Sam and Sadie have charming banter, inspire and push each other creatively, and love each other deeply. They also get into serious fights where, as a reader, it is hard to pick a side. Both are justified in their feelings and that felt true to life. Sometimes, maybe even most times, there are no easy answers or obvious solutions.

I love the character of Marx. He’s the archetype of the attentive and supportive friend, but Sam underappreciates him and sees his strength as weakness. Heck, I underappreciated Marx for about half the novel before realizing he’s the best. He reminds me of the people in my life who believe in me and encourage me, and I don’t want to take those people for granted.

I also love the point that art, creation, and collaboration can be a grind:

There is a time for any fledgling artist where one’s taste exceeds one’s abilities. The only way to get through this period is to make things anyway.¹

Finally, I love the cover. What a bold design! The colors and repeated words set against Hokusai’s wave from “Under the Wave off Kanagawa” is a lot to take in at first glance. But, similar to the cover of Babel which I wrote about a few weeks ago, it is a cover that fits the story like a glove.²

What I didn’t like

Murphy’s law was in full force in this book. For those not familiar with that term, it can be summarized as “If anything can go wrong, it will.” Boy, do things go wrong. In Tom Bissell’s review for the New York Times, he said:

…if there’s a criticism to make of Zevin’s novel, it’s that the professional parts of her game creators’ lives seem far too easy, while the personal parts often seem far too hard.

Poor Sam. His personal traumas really piled on and crossed the threshold from believability into downright absurdity. Maybe I’m way off base — and feel free to correct me in the comments — but can’t relationships be complicated enough without a multi-tiered wedding cake of traumas?

Do I recommend it?

Yes, I still recommend it even though I love/hate it. The good outweighs the bad. If you’re a hard-core gamer, you may not enjoy it in the same way that nurses and doctors can’t enjoy Grey’s Anatomy.

Did you read this book and if so, what did you think? I also love hearing what people are reading and enjoying, so let me know in the comments.

Thanks for being here and have a great weekend,

Kyle

1. Emphasis mine. In fact, I might get a MAKE THINGS ANYWAY tattoo ;).

2. The wave is an obvious reference, but I also see a nod to Magic Eye® and old video game font.