Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin, is one of those books that once you enter you don’t want to climb out of, and pine to get back into every time something in the ‘real world’ draws you away from its words. I’m not sure I have a good metric for why this happens to me with some books and not others, though a couple of common threads come to mind (none of which should be that surprising): the writing does not get in the way nor does it distract from the story being told; the characters, even with their flaws, are people I want to get to know better; the story itself draws me in and keeps a good pace; and there is some insight or depth achieved through the story or characters. In the case of this book, all of these were true, including that both the story and the characters (obviously intertwining, but not co-extensive) had depth to them.
But I should go back to the beginning. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (taken from Macbeth) is the story of two friends, Sadie and Sam, and their relationship over a 25 year period. It tracks their ups and downs, their fights and deep understanding of each other, the way they inspire and challenge one another. It’s about the love they have for one another, but a love that always remains platonic. The medium of the story is their love of computer games, and their creative partnership in making them, which adds energy and excitement to the narrative. And while the discussion of computer games takes up a good deal of the book, it really functions as the template upon which to explore their changing relationship. Even if you have no interest in computer games, which I don’t, it in no way gets in the way of enjoying the book.
What gives the book depth is the time it takes to explore the character’s backstory and personal life, not just their evolving relationship, which would have been powerful in and of itself. In particular, the author digs deep on Sam, his growing up with a single mom and a physical disability, and the psychological toll these take on his emerging adulthood.
I really enjoyed this book, as you can tell. It felt somewhere between a vacation read and something more serious, which was perfect for what I needed at that moment.
Just Because I Liked It:
- The Harvard Study of Adult Development is one of, if not the longest, long-range studies that have ever been done. This is an interview with the Program Director (the 3rd I believe) about his new book, on Sam Harris’ podcast. It was so fascinating, especially the findings of and discussion about the impact of relationships on our health and well being.
- Alan Mulally is famous for turning around both Boeing and Ford, two iconic American companies. In this interview, which is chock-full of wisdom, I found him deeply unpretentious, and an extremely thoughtful leader – and parent!