Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
“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 is a novel that contains multitudes. On the surface, it is the story about video games, specifically the legendary games created by Sadie Green and Sam “Mazer” Masur, starting with the blockbuster, Ichigo. At its core, however, this is a story of two best friends and what it means to love and be loved.
Regardless of whether you’re an avid gamer or you’re never played a video game in your life, Zevin will undoubtedly hook you into the world of Tomorrow Games with her complex characters and masterful storytelling. Every character has been carefully and lovingly crafted, each bearing their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses, quirks and flaws. You will love them and then hate them, but you’ll never stop rooting for them. Zevin takes the reader on a journey over thirty years, spanning from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Venice Beach, California, with stops in New York City and Japan. The broad scope of the novel is only reflected in its subject matter, from commentary on sexism in the gaming industry, living with disabilities, the intersection of politics and art, and toxic relationships to discussions on more abstract themes such as love, grief, and mental health. Much like her characters, Zevin is capable of building a world that is filled with extraordinary depth and detail, but it is the nuances she weaves wherein the true beauty of her skill lies.
If you read this novel, be prepared, because there is a good chance that you will be thinking about it tomorrow… and tomorrow, and tomorrow.
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