Book 25 of 52: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
I’ve had a copy of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin on my bookshelf for a while, and kept passing on it. Too many people whose literary tastes I trust posted that they were WRECKED or DESTROYED by this book — in a positive way. I have no problem with those kinds of reads but didn’t know if I could handle one right now.
Turns out I didn’t need to worry. I liked this book very much but it didn’t quite reach deep enough into my chest to pull my heart out.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is about three friends, primarily Sadie and Sam, who meet when Sam is in the hospital and Sadie’s sister is too. They bond by playing a video game. Why Sam’s in the hospital is the first slight mystery of the book, and the narrative moves along while dropping hints about foreboding events in the future or in the past as the story moves ahead. What happened to Sam’s foot? Why does he live with his grandparents? Did Sadie’s sister survive? What was the big event that changed everything for the gaming company they eventually form? And where does the third friend, Marx, fit into all this?
I’m not a gamer, but I don’t think that matters so much. It didn’t when I watched the Apple TV+ Mythic Quest, which this somewhat matches in tone. Mythic Quest is more zany, but the focus on friendship and relationships and how they evolve over time, from their pandemic episode and parts of the third season, made me feel that it could fit in Zevin’s world.
There is an extended game play near the end of the book that didn’t land with me, which is perhaps why I didn’t feel shattered by the end of this as many of my friends did. But I still read through this in just a few days, and I’m glad I finally picked it up.
One surprising result of reading this is that I tracked down a role player game that my older brother and I used to play: The Lost Crown of Queen Anne, which came out in 1988.
FANCY! I’ve played a few rounds over the last two days, and will probably pick at it some more over the holiday weekend. So: good book, reintroduced me to a game from my childhood, did not rip out my heart. Not bad all around!
Nail polish: Snooze In by Essie.
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