Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

A Novel

By: Gabrielle Zevin

Narrated by: Jennifer Kim, Julian Cihi

Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Short-listed, Wingate Prize

In this exhilarating novel by the best-selling author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry two friends—often in love, but never lovers—come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

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.

They borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo: a game where players can escape the confines of a body and the betrayals of a heart, and where death means nothing more than a chance to restart and play again. This is the story of the perfect worlds Sam and Sadie build, the imperfect world they live in, and of everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy.

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, games as artform, technology and the human experience, 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.

Cover image: The Great Wave (detail) by Katsushika Hokusai. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

©2022 Gabrielle Zevin (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

WINNER OF THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD • NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • WINGATE PRIZE NOMINEE • LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK CLUB PICK

One of the Best Books of the Year: The New York Times, TIME, Buzzfeed, Entertainment Weekly, Oprah Daily, Slate, Self.com, Bookpage, Kirkus, SheReads, GoodReads, Goop, and The What List

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year • A Jimmy Fallon Book Club Pick • A Time Must-Read Book of the Year • A Washington Post Notable Work of Fiction • BookPage Best Fiction of the Year

"Delightful and absorbing...Zevin burns precisely zero calories arguing that game designers are creative artists of the highest order. Instead, she accepts that as a given, and wisely so, for the best of them plainly are...Expansive and entertaining...Dozens of Literary Gamers will cherish the world she’s lovingly conjured. Meanwhile, everyone else will wonder what took them so long to recognize in video games the beauty and drama and pain of human creation."—Tom Bissell, The New York Times

"A tour de force... A moving demonstration of the blended power of fiction and gaming....Zevin describes herself as 'a lifelong gamer.' That level of experience could very well have produced a story of hermetically sealed nostalgia impenetrable to anyone who doesn’t still own a copy of 'Space Invaders.' But instead, she’s written a novel that draws any curious reader into the pioneering days of a vast entertainment industry too often scorned by bookworms. And with the depth and sensitivity of a fine fiction writer, she argues for the abiding appeal of the flickering screen."—Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“Whatever its subject, when a novel is powerful enough, it transports us readers deep into worlds not our own. That's true of Moby Dick, and it's certainly true of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, which renders the process of designing a great video game as enthralling as the pursuit of that great white whale….There are…smart ruminations here about cultural appropriation, given that the game, Ichigo, is inspired by Japanese artist Hokusai's famous painting The Great Wave at Kanagawa….It's a big, beautifully written novel about an underexplored topic, that succeeds in being both serious art and immersive entertainment.”—Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air

Absolutely Amazing.

Among the best developed characters I have ever encountered in literature. I am 72 and have never been a gamer and that didn't stop me from loving everything about this great novel. It sits among my all time favorites and atop my To Be Re-read pile, too.
Highly recommend.

Starts good then gets rapie and drawn out

Seriously great concept that goes far too deep into weird rape and bdsm for no good reason. The tension and grossness of the one character comes off just fine without going into great detail. Then in the middle it just keeps drawing out the same points over and over again, stumbles over itself, try’s to find direction and ends up awkward and disappointing. Had higher hopes and this author could go places if she wanted but for me it would require refinement and reflection.

Frustrating

This book left me feeling frustrated and unsatisfied. I’m not a gamer at all but decided to give this a chance because of all the recommendations. It was quite beautifully written, a rich world with complex characters and relationships, and a few touching moments and even some profound observations. And I also enjoyed the perspective on creativity and ambition. But in the end I was just frustrated with these characters, especially Sadie, she was hard to empathize with, and I am not sure what the point of slogging through all those painful and dysfunctional relationships was.

jfbc- picked this book

JFbc Jimmy Fallon's book club- I would have never listened to this book but Jimmy Fallon suggested it on his late night show . I only read books fantasy but I decided to try it. and I'm glad I did I loved it couldn't put it down . the author writes it very profoundly and straightforward. you'll love it it has life and changing moments and it's not mondaine .

A beautiful story

A beautiful story. Wrapped up in a world I am totally unfamiliar with. and yet I never felt like I was missing anything because of that unfamiliarity.

Wonderful story about a love that transcends romance

A friend recommended this, and it’s nowhere near what we typically both read, but he was right. It’s a delightful story that explains the minutia of game making (for those like me not entirely familiar) seamlessly while still keeping the reader captivated by the narrative. I will be consuming this in other formats as well to fully appreciate the story.

A Beautiful Story

I am really puzzled by all of the negative reviews here. I thought this book was wonderful, well-written with nuanced characters. The narration was a bit monotone at first but got better as the story went on. This is a hauntingly, heartbreakingly beautiful story and I was thinking about it long after I finished reading.

the best friendship stories in a long time

whether you’re into video games or not this book has nothing to do with that. This is a coming of age, ode to friendships, life’s intricacies, and human interactions. I thoroughly enjoyed it core to core. If you’re tired of romance, crime, and self improvement reads, I’d highly recommend this book. You will be taken on a journey of childhood friends who through it all still find themselves not being able to answer life’s most basic questions.

Whatever you’re thinking it’s not what you’re thinking it is!

When i read the title details and synopsis i began to imagine what this book would be about.

I was wrong about everything and I loved every word of this book. The story and the characters were so well written.

You dont need to be a gamer or have any esoteric knowledge to enjoy this book.

Take a chance. Well worth it.

It was okay for me

I was compelled to listen and read this story because of all the wonderful reviews. Honestly, it was just okay for me. I did enjoy the development of the characters but the story was so dragged out. There were many times I juSt wanted to stop but I felt I need to do finish so I could have an honest opinion. I really enjoyed the performance of the narrator. Overall it was just okay for me.