15 Discussion Questions for Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow has become a book club favorite for its rich exploration of friendship, creativity, and identity. These discussion questions go deeper than "did you like Sam or Sadie more?"

The Central Relationship

1. Is Sam and Sadie's relationship a friendship, a romance, or something else entirely? Does our language fail to describe what they have?
2. Zevin writes that "there is a time for any fledgling artist where one's work is not good enough." How do Sam and Sadie each navigate this period, and how does it shape their partnership?
3. Both Sam and Sadie keep secrets from each other. Which secrets felt more damaging? Are some secrets acceptable in close relationships?
4. How does Marx function in the Sam-Sadie dynamic? Is he the glue or the wedge?

Creativity and Collaboration

5. Sam says, "What is a game? It's tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow." What does this mean to you? How do games function differently than other art forms?
6. Creative partnerships are notoriously difficult. What makes Sam and Sadie's work? What breaks it?
7. The book shows the tension between commercial success and artistic integrity. How do the characters navigate this? Who handles it better?
8. Does the book suggest that great art requires pain? Do you agree?

Identity and Disability

9. Sam is Korean-American, Jewish, and disabled. How do these identities shape him? Does the book handle identity well?
10. Sadie faces sexism in the gaming industry. How does this manifest? How does she respond?
11. Sam's relationship with his body changes throughout the book. How does his disability shape his understanding of games and virtual worlds?

Structure and Form

12. The book spans 30 years. What is gained and lost by this expansive timeline?
13. Zevin includes game summaries throughout. Did you read these closely? How did they enhance or interrupt your reading?
14. The Shakespeare title (from Macbeth's "tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" speech) is about the meaninglessness of time. How does the book engage with this?

The Ending

15. Without spoiling specifics: Did the ending satisfy you? What does it suggest about the possibility of repair?

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