Rules
In this book club you will discuss Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin in a small group of 4-6 readers. You will start a conversation by responding to discussion questions about the text. The book club opens with a brief introduction that one of you reads out loud. The book club then continues in four rounds:
- Round 1 consists of 5 quiz questions about the text. One of the group members acts as the quiz master who reads each question out loud, after which everyone (including the quiz master) writes down their answer. The correct answers will appear on the screen after you have turned over the final question card. You may then check your answers and calculate your scores.
- Round 2 consists of genuine questions that you have. Each group member consults the group about a part of the text that they thought was unclear. Together, you try to find answers to the questions that are raised. After everything has been cleared up, your group is ready to proceed to the next round.
- Round 3 consists of questions for discussion. There are two categories to choose from. The person with the most correct answers to the quiz questions gets to be the first to turn over a card and respond to the question. The other members of the group may then add to the discussion by responding and sharing their ideas. Take turns until all cards are flipped.
- Round 4 is when you get to review the text. How many stars would you give the text and why? Discuss this together until you have reached a shared verdict. Use the text box to explain your choice.
Introduction
‘To allow yourself to play with another person is no small risk. It means allowing yourself to be open, to be exposed, to be hurt.’
Sadie first meets Sam in a hospital, where Sam is recovering from foot surgery. They bond over video games, spending hours playing together. At first, Sadie visits Sam as part of her community service, but their connection grows deeper. However, when Sam discovers the truth, their friendship falls apart.
Years later, fate brings them back together at a subway station. Sadie hands Sam a floppy disk containing a game she created called ‘Solution’, reigniting their shared passion. Sam convinces her to collaborate on creating a video game, a decision that strengthens their relationship and propels their careers.
Through Sam and Sadie’s journey of friendship, creativity, and hardship, the novel explores the complexities of love in all its forms. Does love always need to be equally distributed? What does love between friends look like, and how do Sam and Sadie express love in their friendship? What happens when fiction imagines relationships between LGBTQ couples that are not allowed to exist in our political reality? In this book club you are invited to discuss questions like these.
Round 1: Quiz
Quiz question
1. What is Sam and Sadie’s first successful game called?
2. Who does Sam live with after his mother’s death?
3. Who was Sam’s roommate and eventually became his business partner?
4. What was the reason Sadie’s sister was in hospital?
5. Who is Dov Mizrah?
Answers
- Sam and Sadie’s first successful game is called Ichigo.
- Sam lived with his grandmother and grandfather – Bong Cha and Dong Hyun.
- Marx Watanabe
- Sadie’s sister, Alice, was in hospital because she was being treated for leukemia.
- Dov Mizrah was Sadie’s professor, her lover, and a producer on Ichigo.
Round 2: Initial questions
What questions popped into your head while reading Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow? Were there any parts that left you confused or wondering? Take turns sharing your questions about the story and try to come up with answers together. Use evidence from the text to support your ideas.
Round 3: Discussion
Personal connections?
Card 1/8 - Personal connections?
Why do you think Sam and Sadie find comfort in playing video games? What are things you turn to in difficult times?
Card 2/8 - Personal connections?
Sam and Sadie play games for various reasons: for fun, comfort, distraction, to make friends etc. What are your own experiences with playing video games? If you do, for what reasons do you play games?
Card 3/8 - Personal connections?
The game Mapletown started receiving some criticism after Sam decided to make it more inclusive. What incident prompted Sam to make this change? What were the consequences Sam and Unfair Games faced because of this decision? Do you think Sam should have been more careful? Why (not)?
Card 4/8 - Personal connections?
The novel shows that homosexual marriages, which were illegal in several states of the US in the 2000s, are allowed to exist and even celebrated in the virtual worlds of video games. Do you think that fictional worlds can bring about change, for example the legalisation of gay marriage, in our own reality? Why (not)?
Card 5/8 - Personal connections?
Throughout the story, Sam and Sadie face several setbacks, ranging from business failures to personal loss. Can you think of a time when you faced failure? How did you respond and what did you learn from the experience?
Card 6/8 - Personal connections?
Sam and Sadie pour their hearts into making video games. Is there something in your life that you feel passionate about? How does it shape who you are?
Card 7/8 - Personal connections?
Sam first studies mathematics and he is pretty good at it. However, he doesn’t love it. Would you take the same step Sam did? Do you think it is important to love the subject or profession you’re studying? Why (not)?
Card 8/8 - Personal connections?
Sam and Sadie deal with their grief in different ways. What are the main differences? Do you think you would respond like Sam or like Sadie if you had to cope with a similar loss or other difficult emotions? Explain your answer.
Personal connections?
That was the last card!
Food for thought?
Card 1/8 - Food for thought?
Sam and Sadie seem to experience their friendship differently. Describe the differences by giving examples of how Sam and Sadie express their love for each other.
Card 2/8 - Food for thought?
The novel deals with different types of love: friendship, romantic love, and creative and business partnerships. Name examples of all these types of love from the book. Do you think these relationships were always well-balanced? Can an unbalanced relationship still be meaningful? Explain your answer.
Card 3/8 - Food for thought?
Sam struggles with his physical disability. At first, his foot fails to properly heal, later he experiences phantom pains after his foot has been amputated. In what ways does his disability shape his identity and experiences?
Card 4/8 - Food for thought?
In what ways are the challenges Sadie is confronted with, as a (starting) game developer, rooted in historical gender inequalities—in society and, more specifically, in the tech industry?
Card 5/8 - Food for thought?
Consider how the author shifted her writing styles in different parts of the novel such as ‘Both Sides’, ‘The NPC’, and ‘Pioneers’. Did these shifts influence your reading experience? Explain how they also reflect the changing relationships between the characters.
Card 6/8 - Food for thought?
Sadie blames Sam for Marx’s death. What could her arguments have been to come to this conclusion? Do you agree with her? Why (not)?
Card 7/8 - Food for thought?
Looking at other characters in the book (Dov, Ant, Simon, Marx, Sam’s grandparents, etc.), besides Sam and Sadie, who would be NPCs and who wouldn’t? Try to come up with a definition of an ‘NPC’ in the context of this novel.
Card 8/8 - Food for thought?
At one point in the book, Sam asks Sadie why they hadn’t ever got together. Did you want or expect Sam and Sadie to end up together? Why (not)?
Food for thought?
That was the last card!
Round 4: Review
Review Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow by rating the novel on a scale of one to five stars, and then provide an explanation for your choice. Discuss what aspects you enjoyed and what aspects you didn’t, and provide reasons for your opinions. Reflect on whether the discussion influenced your individual perspective, and if so, how. Incorporate examples and arguments from your responses to the discussion questions to support your review.