Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevinis the fictional story of video game creators and how their lives go once they meet each other. It's a book with a really ugly cover, a love triangle, and lots of bullshit about videogames.
Look, all the reviews told me that it was no big deal if I wasn't a gamer. The book is "accessible" and "powerful enough to transport us to a world not our own." Those reviews are lies. This book with endless scenes from video games. ENDLESS. And it didn't transport me is what I'm saying.
If you're into love triangle with cheap plot points and an unsatisfying ending, read this. Otherwise, feel free to skip this one.
2/5 stars
Line of note:
They had the rare kind of friendship that allowed for a great deal of privacy within it. One of the reasons they had become such good friends originally was because she had no insisted he tell his sad stories to satisfy her own curiosity. The least he could do was return the favor. (page 63)
Things I looked up:
cicerone (page 65) - a guide who gives information about antiquities and places of interest to sightseers
collogue (page 131) - to confer confidentially; intrigue or conspire
William Morris's Strawberry Thief - one of the most popular repeating designs for textiles
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omg! I loved, loved this book so so much I didn't want it to end. but I'm a techie and very familiar with both the east coast and west coast settings in exactly the time the story was set, so very nostalgic for me. I'm not a gamer at all, but I'm certainly gamer-adjacent with lots of friends who game.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting. I'm not really interested in in linguistics, but Babel managed to suck me in. This did not. It was clearly written for a gamer-aware audience.
DeleteThis is definitely a love/hate book! I know so many people who have RAVED about this book, and then many others that disliked it. I think I'll pass for now...but I am intrigued since it's such a divisive book...
ReplyDeleteIt IS quite divisive and I think it's because the author did not do herself any favors by writing it in an accessible way for non-game people. So if you are a gamer or know something about the tech world, you probably like it. But it's very alienating for other people and the author didn't do anything to bring us in to that world. Contrast with that Babel, which I just read and loved. I don't know anything about linguistics or writing dictionaries, but the author had the characters discuss why it was so important (as a plot point, not as some sort of strange non sequitur) and brought the readers along. Eh. I think you're safe to pass on this one despite the hype.
DeleteOh, and I went back to see what you said about Lessons in Chemistry and I saw that you loved that novel. We have opposite tastes in these two books. I liked LIC and I did finish it, but I didn't plow though it eagerly like TTT. I loved the dog character in LIC, haha! You read so much, I don't have a book goal, I would love to read a book a month!
ReplyDeleteI do read a lot, but it's my main source of entertainment. I rarely watch tv or movies, so this is what I do. I did like Lessons in Chemistry a lot more, but I think it didn't require me to make a huge stretch in why what was happening to Elizabeth was important or interesting. TTT just never convinced me that it had anything important to say about technology, gaming, or people.
DeleteHave you read The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker? I t was my favorite book a few years ago, and I think it made me like Tomorrow X 3 so much— same idea of caring about a world I never contemplated before.
ReplyDeleteHm. I haven't read The Animators. Interesting that you think it impacted how much you enjoyed this one!
DeleteI've heard a lot of buzz around this book but I know for a fact it's not for me, and not just because of the video game component. I LOATHE time travel. I am definitely not planning to read it.
ReplyDeleteThere's no time travel in this one, though. Just endless chapters about video games!
DeleteWow, you really didn't like this one! I did like it, and I'm not a gamer. I did feel that the plot started to meander a little- until the big horrific incident occurred. Some books just really need a tragedy to happen in the middle of them to pep them up.
ReplyDeleteThe big horrific incident was cheap writing. I was SO MAD. The author doesn't make the characters sit down and talk it out, but just uses this dumb plot contrivance to solve a problem she'd written herself into. I was IRATE and continue to be so. It was unearned and unnecessary.
DeleteThis is another book that I loved! I am not at all a gamer but I do have great memories of playing video games on an old-school Nintendo back in the day. So this gave me such strong feelings of nostalgia. It waned a bit towards the end but overall I really liked it!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm glad it's there for people who enjoyed it!
DeleteThis was going to be the book I downloaded next, but your review is giving me pause! I did like this author's previous book (AJ Fikry) though the premise was a bit gimmicky. I may try it at some point to share with my video game playing kids and students.
ReplyDeleteYes, I wrote that AJ Fikry was "schmaltzy and overwrought," but I read it in early COVID months and appreciated it. It would be interesting to know if I'd have enjoyed it so much in a different time.
DeleteI am thinking about reading this one. My book club is raving about it and it keeps popping up everywhere. I could have gotten a free copy but in the german translation. I did pass. If I read it I want the original one. I have a feeling it could be a book club pick...
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you didnt like it. Somehow I would have assumed you did.
I can't imagine using this as a jumping off point for a book club. What would you even discuss? It's a standard love triangle story with video games. Hm. Well, if you do read it for book club, report back what the discussion is like!
DeleteI feel VINDICATED because I did not like this book either, and EVERYONE seems to love it. WHY. I DON'T GET IT. I especially hated the cheap horrific plot point that you talked about with Jenny in a previous comment. It was so infuriating to me to use that as a plot point.
ReplyDeleteIt WAS INFURIATING. If all else fails, we can unite under our love for Delilah Green and our annoyance this book.
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