Get Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow book club questions here. This award-winning bestseller follows Sam Masur and Sadie Green through decades of friendship and video games. You’ll get fully prepared to explore its themes of human connection with your group. Print a PDF of the discussion questions to take with you below as well!
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Book Club Questions
Discuss the colorful, video game-inspired book cover which explicitly references The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai.
Why did Gabrielle Zevin choose Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow as the title? For reference, in the novel, Marx says:
“What is a game? […] 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.”
If you read Macbeth by William Shakespeare, share your thoughts on how it influenced this novel and its title. For reference, the Macbeth soliloquy appears in Act 5 Scene 5:
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”
Discuss the significance of the epigraph by Emily Dickinson, which is also referenced in the title of the final chapter (“Freights and Grooves”):
“That Love is all there is, Is all we know of Love; It is enough, the freight should be Proportioned by the groove.”
Discuss the pros and cons of video gaming for the characters.
Do you agree with Sam’s quote that “[t]here is no act more intimate than play”?
How does art imitate life in the business of video game creation?
How do differences like race, culture, class, sexuality, and gender shape the story?
Discuss the theme of cultural appropriation in the video games.
Was success a blessing or a curse?
Would success have been different if it first occurred for the characters later in life?
How do each of the main characters view success?
Discuss the changes to Sam’s and Sadie’s friendship over time.
How did Sam and Sadie cope with problems in their friendship over time?
Discuss the highs and lows of the business.
What roles did Sam, Sadie, and Marx play in the business and why?
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these complex characters.
How does love show itself in different ways in the characters’ lives?
What role does mental health play in the story?
What types of gender discrimination did Sadie face as a female in a male-dominated business?
How does Sam’s injury and disability impact his life?
Did the pivotal act of violence in the novel surprise you?
How do the characters cope with grief and loss?
How did identity and alter egos shape Sam and Sadie?
Were Sam and Sadie better off as friends (as opposed to lovers)?
How may the novel have differed if Sam and Sadie were romantically involved?
Compare and contrast Sam’s and Sadie’s friendship to same-sex friendships.
Why did Sadie and Sam hold things back from each other?
Given the progression of technology, how many this story differ if it were set in today’s times?
How would you answer this question from the novel: “Do you leave the formation of memories to happenstance, or do you decide to remember?”
Name some of the pop culture references sprinkled throughout the book.
Discuss this popular quote: “There is a time for any fledgling artist where one’s taste exceeds one’s abilities. The only way to get through this period is to make things anyway.”
Is there anything beloved from your childhood that you took into adulthood in the way that Sam and Sadie took with them their love of video games?
Talk about your best friend.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a bestselling, award-winning book. Was this a book that lived up to the hype for you?
Printable PDF Discussion Questions
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Book Club Study Guide
- Hardcover Book
- Zevin, Gabrielle (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 416 Pages – 07/05/2022 (Publication Date) – Knopf (Publisher)
- New York Times bestseller
- Voted Book of the Month’s Book of the Year 2022
- Amazon’s #1 Book of 2022
- Barnes & Noble Book Club Selection and Book of the Year Finalist
- Jimmy Fallon Book Club Pick
- Named one of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, TIME, GoodReads, and Oprah Daily
Quick Plot Summary
In Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Samson “Sam” Masur and Sadie Green meet in a hospital as children during the 1980s. She’s there with her sister, who is receiving cancer treatment. He broke his foot in a car accident in which his mom died. They quickly bond over their shared love of video games, but life tears them apart.
Years later, Sam is a Harvard student, and Sadie is an MIT student. He spots her at a Boston train station and yells out to her, referencing the video game “The Oregon Trail”:
“SADIE MIRANDA GREEN! YOU HAVE DIED OF DYSENTERY!” (p. 6)
They reconnect and their lives forever change as a result. Together, they create their first blockbuster video game, “Ichigo,” before even graduating college. Along with Sam’s roommate, Marx Watanabe, they start the company Unfair Games.
But, intelligence and success aren’t all glamour. Over 30 years, their friendship experiences epic peaks and valleys that are characteristic of love, family, work, and play. However, here, they’re all mixed together, along with themes like discrimination and identity.
It’s about having a life in which the most important person in it is your best friend, for better or worse.
For more, watch the book trailer below:
Themes to Keep in Mind
- friendship over decades
- male/female friendship
- video games
- identity
- how work impacts your personal life
- cultural appropriation
- grief
- mental health
- disability
About Author Gabrielle Zevin
about
Gabrielle Zevin is a Harvard-educated American author and screenwriter. Her New York Times bestseller, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, is also popular with readers.
Book Review with Reading Tips
My Review: ★★★★★ (and The Literary Lifestyle’s Book of the Year 2022)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is often called a book about friendship and video games. I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment.
Drawing thoughtful reference to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it’s both plot and character-driven, which is not an easy feat for an author to accomplish.
I like to say that it starts very well and continues on that path until, at one climactic event, it becomes something remarkable. (When you get there, you’ll know it.)
It left me begging the book not to end. It’s an unforgettable tale of identity, love, and, of course, the importance of “play” that people will discuss for years to come.
TIPS
- I very much enjoyed the audiobook version of this novel, but I think it would work well in any format. I hope to read my print version someday because the writing is so beautiful.
- Macbeth is not necessarily a book you need to read before you read this book, but it does help to know the plot and Macbeth’s famous soliloquy, which inspired the title. I read the play and watched the 2021 adaptation, The Tragedy of Macbeth, starring Denzel Washington in tandem with this book. I found the experience of indulging in all three at the same time to be very impactful.
- You do NOT need to like video games to read this top-rated book. Yes, they are a big part of it, but you don’t need any baseline knowledge or interest to understand and enjoy it.
- For more, check out Gabrielle Zevin’s interview on The Tonight Show, which was both cool for an author to have the chance to do and insightful.
Book Club Food Ideas
- Persimmons, which Marx calls his favorite fruit
- Pizza, inspired by Sam’s family restaurant
- Jewish and/or Korean food that celebrates Sam’s mixed heritage
- Nostalgic food popular in the 1980s and 1990s, inspired by the many pop culture references in the novel
Frequently Asked Questions
Ludo Sextus means “sixth game” at the end of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. It’s a game drive Sadie gives Sam. This implies that Sam and Sadie will collaborate on their sixth video game together.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is a book that uses video games as a metaphor for the importance of human connection and love in many forms across time, from friendship to romance and family.
In Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, it is not explicitly said that the main characters, Sam and Sadie, are autistic. Some readers imply that they are on the spectrum.
The main theme of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is the beauty of friendship over time, throughout the highs and lows of life.
Conclusion
These Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow book club questions help you dive into one very memorable work of literary fiction. With these curated discussion questions, you’ll have more lively talks about friendship and video games. Your book club will love reading and discussing this popular award winner.
What to Read After Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
If you’re interested in Macbeth:
If you want similar book club suggestions, check out these great book club books about friendship:
