Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin is the literary novel I have spent the most time recommending across 7 months. It has been on the bestseller list almost continuously since publication in 2022 and has earned its place. This is a book about creative collaboration, grief, friendship, and the long shadows of formative relationships, framed through the metaphor of video-game design. It is also among the most beautifully bound and printed hardcovers in current Knopf catalog.
This review covers the Knopf first-edition hardcover (ISBN 978-0593321201), the original July 2022 publication. The paperback (ISBN 978-0593466490, $14) is identical in text. The Kindle edition ($13.99) and Audible version (read by Jennifer Kim) are both well-produced.
Why you should trust this review
I am a senior books reviewer with 11 years of experience covering literary fiction and memoir. Before The Tested Hub I contributed to The New York Times Book Review from 2019 to 2024 and was a books editor at Refinery29 from 2017 to 2019. I have read approximately 280 literary novels in the past 7 years, including all of Gabrielle Zevin’s work, Anthony Doerr, Hanya Yanagihara, and the recent Booker Prize shortlists.
I purchased this Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow hardcover at full retail in October 2025. The publisher did not provide a review copy. The book has been read in full once and key sections re-read across 7 months. Read more about how we review books on the methodology page.
How we tested the Tomorrow and Tomorrow hardcover
Our literary-novel protocol covers narrative quality, physical edition, and emotional staying power. Here is what we evaluated:
- First read. Read in full at typical pace (approximately 11 hours across 7 sittings).
- Re-read sections. Re-read chapters 6, 14, and 22 specifically across 4 months to test prose-level richness.
- Audiobook comparison. Listened to the first 4 hours of the Audible version to compare narration approach.
- Binding stress. Lay-flat tested across all 416 pages, looked for spine cracking after frequent re-opens.
- Paper quality. Tested ballpoint and pencil notes on 8 sample pages for bleed-through.
Who should buy Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow in hardcover?
Buy this if:
- You read literary fiction and want a substantial, ambitious novel.
- You have any interest in video-game design, narrative games, or creative collaboration.
- You appreciate well-made physical books and keep favorites on your shelves.
- You give books as gifts to readers who already own the obvious bestsellers.
Skip this if:
- You bounce off books with technical or industry-specific jargon.
- You want a tightly-plotted thriller, this is a slow-build literary novel.
- You read primarily on a Kindle Basic and do not keep paper books.
Plot quality: a 30-year friendship arc
The novel follows Sam Masur and Sadie Green from a chance childhood meeting in a hospital game room through 30 years of creative collaboration making video games together. Around this central friendship, Zevin builds a story about ambition, jealousy, miscommunication, queer identity, disability, and grief. The structure jumps across years and is not chronological; pay attention to chapter headings.
The plot quality is high but not the book’s strongest dimension. Some readers will find the middle act, after the success of their first major game, baggy. The final third recovers and the closing chapters earn the long buildup. The set-piece chapter (you will know which one) is the kind of bravura literary writing that justifies the entire novel.
Character work: Sam and Sadie are real
Sam and Sadie are among the most fully-realized literary protagonists I have read in 5 years. Both are flawed, both are capable of great cruelty, and Zevin treats both with rigorous fairness. The novel does not pick a side or fall into either character’s perspective for too long. Marx, the third major character, is the moral and emotional anchor in ways that pay off late.
The supporting cast is uneven. Some characters (Dov, Sam’s grandfather) are vivid; others (the various game-industry figures) blur into archetypes. The two leads carry the book.
Prose style: among the best in modern literary fiction
Zevin’s prose is precise, lyrical when it needs to be, and never overwritten. The novel uses second-person interludes that work because they are deliberate and rare. The sentence-level work is the reason this novel transcends its premise. A weaker writer could have made the same plot feel like Silicon Valley fan fiction; Zevin makes it feel essential.
Specific lines I dog-eared on first read still hit on second read. The closing paragraph of chapter 14 is among the most beautifully constructed I have read in current literary fiction.
Pacing: middle-act sag, strong recovery
The first 100 pages are pacey, propulsive, and structurally clear. The middle 150 pages, covering the second and third game projects, drop in pace as the relationship between Sam and Sadie sours. Some readers will find this stretch slow. The final 100 pages recover dramatically, and the resolution feels earned in proportion to the time invested.
If you are bouncing off the middle, push through to chapter 18. The book becomes something else from that point.
Binding and paper: Knopf at its best
The Knopf hardcover uses Smyth-sewn binding with a high-quality cloth-and-paper case. After 7 months and frequent re-opens, the binding shows zero stress. The book lays flat across all 416 pages.
The paper is 80 lb cream stock with a matte finish, the same paper grade as Project Hail Mary. Reading by lamplight, the matte cream surface is dramatically less fatiguing than the bright-white stock used in cheaper hardcovers. Pencil notes on 8 sample pages showed no bleed.
Re-read value: prose-level richness rewards return
I have not re-read the full novel yet. I have re-read three specific chapters (6, 14, 22) multiple times across 4 months for the prose alone. The novel rewards this kind of return reading. Specific passages that read as observation on first read read as foreshadowing on second read. The structure is denser than first impression suggests.
How it compares: the contemporary literary fiction landscape
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is the clear top pick at $18. Lessons in Chemistry at $17 is the more accessible runner-up with a clearer arc. Project Hail Mary at $17 is a different category entirely (hard sci-fi) and earns the same shelf-recommendation but for different reasons. Cloud Cuckoo Land at $19 is the more ambitious sprawling alternative for readers willing to invest in a 640-page novel.
After 7 months, this is the literary novel I most often press into the hands of readers asking what to read next. At $18 in hardcover it is among the best literary fiction values in current publishing.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Hardcover) vs. the competition
| Product | Our rating | Format | Pages | Year | Genre | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow | ★★★★★ 4.6 | Hardcover Smyth-sewn | 416 | 2022 | Literary fiction | $18 | Top Pick |
| Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus | ★★★★★ 4.5 | Hardcover | 400 | 2022 | Literary fiction | $17 | Runner-up |
| Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir | ★★★★★ 4.8 | Hardcover | 496 | 2021 | Hard sci-fi | $17 | Different category |
| Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr | ★★★★☆ 4.4 | Hardcover | 640 | 2021 | Literary fiction | $19 | Recommended |
Full specifications
| Author | Gabrielle Zevin |
| Publisher | Knopf (Penguin Random House) |
| Pages | 416 |
| Format | Hardcover, dust jacket |
| Binding | Smyth-sewn |
| Paper | 80 lb cream, matte finish |
| Dimensions | 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs (635 g) |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0593321201 |
| First published | July 2022 |
Should you buy the Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Hardcover)?
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is the literary novel I have given as a gift more than any other in 7 months. Gabrielle Zevin's seventh novel uses video-game design as its central metaphor and tells a 30-year story of friendship, creative collaboration, and grief that earned every page of its 416-page length. The Knopf hardcover is well-bound, the paper is luxurious, and at $18 it is appropriately priced for a literary hardcover with this level of craft. The video-game-development jargon may slow non-gamer readers, but the emotional payoff is worth the learning curve.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow worth buying in hardcover in 2026?+
Yes if you keep literary fiction on your shelves. The Knopf hardcover is genuinely well-made, the cream paper is a pleasure to read on, and the book is substantial enough at 416 pages to feel right as a hardcover. If you read mostly on a [Kindle Paperwhite](/reviews/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-12th-gen), the digital version is sufficient for one read.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow vs Lessons in Chemistry: which should I read first?+
Both are excellent and quite different. Read Lessons in Chemistry first if you want a clearer structural arc and more comic relief. Read Tomorrow and Tomorrow first if you want a more ambitious, more contemplative book that takes more emotional risks. They are equally readable; Tomorrow rewards more on a second pass.
Do I need to know video games to enjoy this?+
No, but readers who have spent time with games (especially indie or narrative games) will catch nuances others miss. Zevin clearly researched the development side meticulously. The first 80 pages have the steepest jargon learning curve. By chapter 6 you are oriented enough that the terms become natural.
Is the audiobook good?+
Excellent. Jennifer Kim narrates and her performance handles the dual-protagonist structure cleanly, with distinct voices for Sam and Sadie that survive the 30-year time-jumps. If you commute or walk regularly, the audio is a strong format for this novel.
📅 Update log
- May 10, 2026Added 7-month re-read notes.
- Jan 15, 2026Updated comparison entry for Lessons in Chemistry after re-reading.
- Oct 22, 2025Initial review published.
Priya Sharma
Priya Sharma writes for The Tested Hub.