Book Review: Tommorow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Life is a complicated construct of moments in which we struggle and work through, day in and day out. So many obstacles lay in front of us as we progress throughout the course of events that the day brings.  Whether it’s work, relationships, family drama, societal struggles or any other complication; it can feel incredibly challenging to navigate it all.  In a lot of ways, video games reflect a lot of similar concepts to our real life.  Sure, they are purely fictional and often choose to branch away from modern reality, but the core idea of navigating the challenges in front of you and finding some validation or reward at the end; it’s an aspiration we seek in the real world just as much as we do in the games we play. The only key difference is games allow us to replay those challenges as often as we like without fear of permeant failure in the aspiration of overcoming them.  That idea that video games reflect all the essences of real life in a pleasing and safe space, it’s one I never really stood back to consider until now.  To think how much of my life I spent playing video games, yet I never really stood back to consider why I play them and how integral they were in structuring my life to this very point.  It’s why I am truly appreciative of the work Gabrielle Zevin has done in reflecting that intrinsic connection we have with video games and the influence they can give and take from us in our daily lives with her latest book.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow follows two childhood best friends as they progress through their personal and work lives together to develop video games.  Sadie Green and Sam Masur meet at an early age in the 1980’s and form an instant connection over their love for video games.  As their lives carry forward, the two end up meeting once again during their time at college in the 1990’s and they quickly decide to work together to design their first major video game called Ichigo. From this point, the story follows the ups and downs the pair share as they continue to develop more video games throughout the decades under their own studio.  While considerably different from one another, the book aims to reflect the core connections that tie these two characters together for good or worse and the impact they have on those around them personally and professionally. 

From a storytelling perspective, I really appreciated the way Zevin wrote this book.  You can tell her major focus was to define Sadie and Sam on multiple levels.  The course of the narrative works in establishing their complicated characteristics both independently from one another and tied together. The choice to spread their story across multiple decades was a smart one too, as it allows us to see how they both adapt to different challenges that develop in their lives.  What works so well is both of the main characters and their supporting cast are wonderfully fleshed out in a way that makes them way more three dimensional.  Sadie and Sam are not just one thing when it comes to definition, their characteristics change and shift over the course of the story which makes you respond differently to their actions in parallel.  I think it’s a reflection of a good writer that they are able to keep the intricate relationship these characters share balanced along with the developing narrative.  On that note, the narrative that carries these characters forward is really interesting and unique.  Video game development is a practice that doesn’t get the respect it rightfully deserves in my opinion.  There’s so much to being a developer, with the sacrifices you have to make from both a professional and personal level. Zevin does a great job in reflecting the complicated nature that comes from designing and delivering video games within an ever-changing landscape.   The fact that Zevin is able to balance the narrative of these characters and the games they create so in tune is one of the biggest reasons I rate this book so high.

In terms of pacing and tone, the book does a great job in that department as well, although I will argue it meanders on a bit during certain sections of the story.  I think Zevin knows what each sequence of the book requires in terms of tone. It’s a very endearing story for the most part and there’s great moments of levity and comedy littered all throughout to keep the story’s emotional core consistent all throughout.  There’s also a great deal of insight in the writing and commentary this book chooses to delve on.  Sadie and Sam both come from ethnic backgrounds and these elements represent key components of their characters. The way Zevin treats these backgrounds and other political concepts is appreciative, if not a little shallow. When I say this, I mean that the usage of some more heavy political aspects doesn’t feel all that heavy when it comes to the weight of the subject. Sometimes it seems like Zevin uses the more controversial aspects as a stepping stone as apposed to an opportunity to say something important.  I also want to note my small gripes with the latter end of the narrative.  While I did enjoy the story as a whole, it’s hard not to feel Zevin meanders somewhat near the end rather than letting a sequence end when it felt appropriate. I get the intent to flesh out and dive into as much as possible, but some of the later parts end up feeling tedious because of it. 

On the whole though, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow serves as a brilliantly constructed book that does a phenomenal feat in reflecting love, life and friendship all through the lens of video games.  The characters are rich in definition, its narrative is structured wonderfully to allow them to inhabit it from to start to finish.  As someone who loves to play video games, the books wonderfully endearing approach to reflecting the medium in a way that isn’t condescending but uplifting is something I cannot appreciate enough. Even if you are not a video gamer, there’s elements of this book that you’ll come to truly appreciate by the story’s end.