Genre: Contemporary Literary Fiction

George in Kate Greathead’s The Book of George is about fifteen or so years younger than I am. As a result many of the big events that frame his life framed mine as well making the novel quite relatable. How to summarize … George’s fairly ordinary life is set forth chronologically from 12 until his early 40s. We learn about the divorce of his parents, his college life - his friends and philosophy major, his series of jobs, and his on again off again relationship with Jenny. And more…
The novel is very much character driven. The reader learns just so very much about George. The relationship with Jenny which encompasses many eras of his life sort of hints at what George’s life in general is like. Jenny cares for George much more than he cares for her. She just sort of happens to him. They don’t choose to live together at first, but little by little, she is there. He allows all of this to happen while low key criticizing her much of the time. As they break up and come back together, Jenny puts up with so much, and continues to champion him and quite literally support him for years and years with little in return. When he does overcome his malaise and shows her some love - it always tugs at my heart strings just enough to have some empathy for him. He is like he is with Jenny with his friends and his family. At one point he spends a whole weekend playing Mario on game boy rather than cleaning his childhood room so his mother can move. When the entire place is finally packed he UNPACKS kitchen boxes to make some sentimental pancakes. He means well but seems incapable of reading a room so to speak. He floats through a variety of largely dead end jobs and seldom can pay for a place to live. But he knows he is a difficult person. He assesses himself fairly accurately. But even that self awareness doesn’t inspire him to do much on the way of changing himself. Greathead’s characterization is precise and detailed and accomplished.
What kept coming back to me as I read, was what if I had such an in-depth accounting of my thoughts and actions and choices of my chronological life. How would I fare compared to George? What is my ratio of optimism to cynicism? Of joy to sadness? Of steering my life to letting life happen to me? I even played around with the differences between being a millennial (George)versus being Gen X (me). I think reading this book after the upcoming Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner also featuring millennials just made me curious. I got a bit frustrated with both George and to a lesser extent Amy. Could it be our different generations and perhaps different approaches to life? Or, if I were truly honest (authentic? My review of the Authenticity Project is coming :-) would I sound quite like George? Now I am writing in circles. Kate Greathead’s got me thinking with her fascinating novel The Book of George, and I quite like it.

I enjoyed the writing style of the author and the characters of George and Jenny that she created. However, ultimately I couldn't see the point of the book - I imagine I'm not the target reader as I'm an older woman and not from the US but I did expect to relate to, or possibly learn, a lot more than I did.
Thank you to netgalley and Henry Holt and Company for an advance copy of this book

The writing in this was strong. You get a real sense of self from George, no matter how dislikable George is at times. You find yourself rooting for him to change and improve despite his actions. I wanted more character development from Jenny’s perspective. The style of vignettes was a nice choice, but I felt some could be shorter.

The Book of George is the kind of longitudinal story I usually avoid, but for some reason I was drawn to it, and I loved it. Well-written and engaging, it follows its title character through young and early-middle adulthood, dipping in and out of his life as he evolves (or fails to evolve) from a callow and self-centered adolescent to a callow, self-centered, and deeply sad almost-40-year-old. The author manages the impressive feat of balancing a broad timespan with depth and specificity, lingering in vignettes and allowing the reader to connect the dots between. This, plus the incredible characterization of the substantial cast of secondary characters, makes the novel feel cozy despite its scope.

The Book of George is perhaps meant for readers who see themselves in its protagonist. George is probably not someone you'd want to spend time with in real life, but he felt deeply familiar to me. This novel might resonate deeply with anyone who found Reality Bites aspirational.

George is just an every day guy experiencing every day things-or is he? Navigate George’s life with him as he experiences the ups, downs, plateaus and everything else mundane that adulthood in the 21st century has to offer.

This is a litfic (literary fiction) book unlike any I’ve read in a long time. It’s Seinfeld-like approach to telling random stories and tidbits from George’s life mixed with commentary on living through the times we have in the last 24 years is something that really struck me. It was relevant and relatable. Unfortunately, George is not the most likable character or person, and continues to make poor decisions (sometimes even knowingly?!) and we just remain along for the ride. While I appreciated the story and writing, I wish the author would’ve gone a bit further to show her hand on what the message and themes of the book were a bit more. What does Greathead want me to take away from THE BOOK OF GEORGE? Is it a nihilistic take on how none of it matters? Are we all tied together by invisible connections that make our individual choices meaningless?

George is a character that while unlikable, he was striking & relevant & someone I will not forget for a very long time. Please pick up this book if you’re looking for a new type of litfic and an adventure you won’t soon lose to the mundane nature of life.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This a pretty good book. Albeit very frustrating but I guess that’s the point, as the reader we see how charming and pull of potential George is but just falls short every time. You just can’t help to root for him though. This is very much a character book and if you enjoy those types of stories I think you’d love this!

Thanks NetGalley & Macmillan pub/ audio.
I also listened to the audiobook and it was great.

An heartbreaking and hilarious look at a pretty unlikable person, which felt very entrenched in reality. The setting vividly conveyed early-20th century New York, but the characters felt universal—distinct characters whose thoughts and feeling came through even crashing into George's self-absorbed perspective.

While I loved the writing and the examination of millennial masculinity, George was so insufferable that I had a hard time caring about what happened to him. Still Greathead hooked me in with her frustratingly realistic portrayal of the titular man-child (so many of us who've dated one can relate and it's totally why I'm Team Jenny!) even if I was rooting against him the whole time.

Thanks to Henry Holt for the copy to review.

I just could not root for George, and maybe that is the point. Most people know someone who just goes through life, letting it happen to them. Who screws up, can't commit and just can't quite grow up. Who's responsible? Crappy parents? Personality flaws? Society? The individual themselves? I wanted George to figure life out... but mostly I didn't like him enough to care.

3 stars. I liked this! George is inherently an unlikable guy but is surrounded by interesting people throughout this life. This book tracks George over the course of his life as he makes his different choices and we see how they affect those around him. In general I found myself more invested in the people around him than George itself which felt odd given the nature of this book. Even so, it was very well written and many parts of it were quite humorous. A nice story but not my favorite!

Thank you to netgalley and holt books for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I did not like George. There, I said it. He’s immature, insufferable, rude, arrogant, insensitive, lazy, and hot tempered. THE BOOK OF GEORGE is a character study of an immensely unlikable character. It follows him from his formative years through adulthood and, along the way, George learned nothing. He did not evolve. He did not grow emotionally. He did not move beyond his belief that everyone in the world exists solely to serve him.

The only character who frustrated me more is Jenny, his long suffering girlfriend. Jenny, sweetheart, you deserve so much better. Does it not bother you to work all day while George is home only to cook dinner for him every night? It bothered me. Did you not hear the warning bells when your grown adult boyfriend spent hours playing with his GameBoy while you packed up the remnants of his childhood bedroom? I heard them. Run, Jenny run. George is an emotionally stunted child in a man’s body.

Considering all that, this book made me laugh. It made me shake my head in understanding because we’ve all known or dated or worked with one or more Georges. Heaven help us. Like Jenny, we deserve better. BRAVO to Kate Greathead for accurately capturing the sad reality of the manchild.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Henry Holt & Co. for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

This book was an interesting character study, focusing on a character that felt almost too real—probably because I’ve definitely dated a George before. While I found it hard to like him, that’s clearly not the point. George is frustrating, but I still found myself rooting for him as we follow him through the years in this coming-of-age story. The author deserves all the credit for making his journey so compelling—it’s sharp, reflective, funny, and very relatable.

If unlikeable main characters aren’t your thing, this might not be the book for you. But if you’re up for an entertaining, well-written deep dive into the mind of someone drifting through life, I’d recommend giving it a chance. George is insufferable, but that’s exactly what makes it such a great read. And as someone who's been in Jenny’s shoes, let me tell you, it brought back some serious flashbacks!

I read the ebook and listened to the audiobooks simultaneously. Both provided a fantastic experience so you can't go wrong with either one.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and Macmillan Audio for providing review copies of the book and audiobook through NetGalley.

I hate George. Is it pity? Is it lack of respect for? It doesn't matter how I spin it, he's extremely unlikable. But I really liked this book for its raw and realism.

The author (a female) did a phenomenal job creating a (male) character that we instantly feel like we know. We all know someone like George and I felt like I was just hearing life stories about a friend or a friend of a friend and, despite hating the outcome of most of the stories, I wanted to hear more.

This novel really captured my interest. I'm not sure if it was because it felt so real or that I just loved to hate George. He sucked. He was lazy, unaware, and self-absorbed. But I don't think it was intentional. George has serious mental health issues he needs to work on but doesn't know that about himself. And the book, while it was obvious, didn't hone in on this issue about George. The book just bluntly and unforgivingly continued on with George's life stories leaving it up to you to diagnose.

Embarrassingly, there were aspects about George that I saw in myself (maybe that's why this book kept my interest?). I am an extroverted introvert and I believe George was, too. This blurb, particularly, hit the nail on the head for me:
G: "But I'm actually thinking of going back to school for a master's in education."
J: "To be a high school teacher?"
G: "Middle school. English."
J: "George! That's wonderful!"
George shook his head, and Jenny said no more. She understood why he'd find her gushing approval of such a practical decision patronizing.... But she should have known better. You'll make a great teacher, George. She should've just said that.

Wildly, George did have an interesting life and I didn't want his story to end. I think it did end at the appropriate time in the storyline. And that's how I know this novel deserves my 4.5 star rating. I wanted more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! We follow George navigating different stages of his life while struggling with his mental health. George has a lot of imperfections, he's selfish, self-absorbed, lazy, and can come off as very cynical. But I found myself feeling bad for George for being called out on these traits because he took the criticism towards himself well and is ashamed of his actions. However, he constantly failed to change for the better. He put his long-term girlfriend, Jenny, through so much unease and distress because he was very thoughtless towards her and took her for granted. George is a very frustrating, complicated character but also a very funny, witty and endearing one. I found myself laughing at the many crazy scenarios he put himself through. I highly recommend giving it a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for this ARC!

Pub Date: October 8, 2024.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Book of George. It is dark, witty, and sharp. George is an insufferable depressed character whom you are not meant to like, but end up loving in the end. Jenny is a sweetheart who i instantly swioned over. I feel like there is a little George and Jenny in all of us.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Henry Holt & Company and the author, Kate Greathead for this ARC.

GEORGE is available on October 8, 2024 at your local book store.

3.5

This was a provocative character study of a man named George, following his life from his childhood to his early 40s. My biggest issue with this book is that George is so fundamentally unlikable that it was difficult to want to root for him. However, this is intentional and near the end of the book another character literally delivers a monologue to George about how his quest to be exceptional or nothing at all has left him with nothing.

One thing I really did like was the authors subtle commentary on the general differences between men and women and the expectations placed upon them.

Overall, I think this was an interesting read, because the character study of George was rooted in things that I think most readers could find relatable, but it just was hard to fully care because George's growth didn't come until the end of the book, while he was well into adulthood. Perhaps however....that was the point all along...

I give this book 4 solid stars.
Gorge I give 2.
I loved this books and the way it followed George through his life.
However, I found George frustrating and insufferable.
I know this was the point. He was in a constant state of unease and with a lack of or no momentum going forward. I often felt bad for him, but I also sometimes hated the way he treated the people around him.
I have for sure know a George or two in my life, and maybe that’s why I held out hope that he would find his place and propel himself into life at some point in his story.
I think Greathead is extremely talented and it seems effortlessly creates characters we have met before or can relate to ourselves.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

The Book of George is, not surprisingly, about a man named George. The novel gives us glimpses into his life from various moments as a child to his late thirties. We quickly learn he's a flawed individual. He's not bad, per se, but he can be selfish, aloof, lazy, and inconsiderate. I always enjoy reading about characters that aren't picture-perfect, and George is certainly that.

The instances where I most wanted to shake George dealt with his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Jenny. In the beginning, he wasn't crazy about her, and yet, he strung her along. He played video games while she cleaned his childhood bedroom. He teased her about her lack of book smarts. I agree with some of the reviews I've read in that I would have loved to have gotten her perspective more often over the course of this book.

Another part about the book I liked was the slice of life format. We dropped in on George at some moment in his life, and in the next chapter, we revisited him a few years later. I looked forward to seeing what about him changed (or what didn’t).

I truly enjoyed this book. It filled me with so many emotions, and it was easy to find myself absorbed in the world of George.

George is a quirky guy - going back and forth between self confident and not caring what people thought and being awkward and needing reassurance.

George meets Jenny who somehow puts up with him and his idiosyncrasies. Their relationship was always a bit one sided, as though George just wanted someone to take care of him.

As George gets older (nearly 40 by the end of the book), he is still floundering with his life and who he was. He still didn't seem to have any sense of who he was or what he was going to do with his life.

I just really don't like George and thought Jenny should just get a real life, one that didn't have George in it. I found him very annoying.

I was given this by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own,