TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’ve always believed that there’s more to video games than the face value. As the recent 'The Last of Us' show has proved, they can be intricate and deep, pitting the best and worst of reality against the insanity of space/war/the apocalypse and any other fill-in-the-blank virtual backdrop.

This is a story of video games and how they bring us together, how they tear us apart, how we escape to them and through them, and how sometimes we find ourselves while looking through the eyes of a different character. As it’s said somewhere in the book, you can tell a lot about a person by the games they like to play. But you can tell a lot about yourself — who you used to be, how you’ve changed, what you’ve missed — by what you play too.

I’ve had these thoughts in the past, but I’ve never seen the idea turned into an entire novel before. And it’s done beautifully. The writing is infectious, not over-handed or trying too hard. Sometimes a little cheesy, but who doesn’t enjoy a little cheese every once in a while? The prose reminded me of V. E. Schwab and Haruki Murakami, descriptions of lives and relationships over time with flashbacks used frequently, along with some very candid passages and an underlying love story that isn’t perfectly conventional or expected. And it only gets better as you close in on the end.

This isn’t my favorite book of 2022 like many people on Goodreads, but that’s due to personal preference. I completely understand why it’s so beloved. I believe this is a book for anyone at any time. Take it to the beach. Read it post-breakup. I can see it being enjoyed casually or tearing your heart out, just like a video game can. It may just depend on where in life it finds you.

While the title is a play on the famous Macbeth quote, I don’t think this book wants to leave you with only a taste of nihilism. We can be affected by something and disassociate, believing there is no point to any of this if we all are doomed to a life of “sound and fury” with only one outcome guaranteed. But really, understanding our inevitable fate and the pointlessness of existence ensures our freedom. Freedom to try again, to care again, to hurt again. We might as well while we’re here. Besides, who knows what game is waiting to be played tomorrow.