Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow

by Gabrielle Zevin

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Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow is about game making and so much more than game making. It’s about the beauty of the many kinds of relationships one can have with others: friendship, partnership, companionship, romance… It’s also about perfectionism, how it can motivate the most brilliant of creations but also induce crippling doubt and fear. It’s about regrets, about what could have been, about wasted time and potential. It’s also about grief, how sometimes it binds us together and other times tears us apart.

At first I was worried that the book was going to be about the partnership to rivalry cliche surrounding the game Ichigo. However when the cast of characters migrated to California, the world suddenly shed the claustrophobic shell and opened up to new terrains.

Sadie is a force of nature. She is driven by a pure and almost innocent sense of perfection that she defined for herself. It doesn’t mean that worldly concerns. When she was infuriated by the public believing Sam to be the sole creator of the game, It wasn’t about fame. It was about credit, about the pride of a creator, and about importance of leaving her mark on the world. I find the treatment of her grief particularly poignant.

Sam is full of brilliance and flaws. His timidity, insecurities, and self-doubt are what make him flesh and bone. One of the most tender moments in the book was when Sam describes Sadie’s hand. He noticed the things that can only be noticed by a lover. When he was at desperate to reach and heal Sadie, he built a world for her. While their relationship was never romantic, I cannot think of a more romantic gesture than this.

I have conflicted feelings about Marx as a character. Even though we weren’t given many moments from his point of view, we understand intrinsically that he moves through the world with an intuitive sense of what is truly valuable. I hesitate to say that he was my favorite character. Yes he is vivacious, generous, and so completely secure in himself. Marx is a prince among men. If you see him in real life, please send him to my bed immediately. As much as I love him, I don’t find him compelling as a character. He is simply too perfect.

Overall, I thought that Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow was engaging and beautifully written. The characters were well-developed and the themes explored were both universal and deeply personal. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in game making, relationships, or simply in reading a great story.

Lastly, in honor of Marx, here’s Sir Ian McKellen delivering the “tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” speech