I was an early reader of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P back in 2013 so I jumped at the chance to read The Book of George when I saw the blurb comparing the too. While interconnected stories are not usually my thing, I thought the Book of George was a good fit for the style choices. George is a clueless, listless young man who can't quite commit and relies on his mom a bit much. Through a series of stories, Greathead paints George's life, forcing the reader to grudgingly sympathize with George, in spite of his many failings.

This book is definitely not for everyone. George is an entitled, unlikeable man with a lot of privilege and a lack of self-awareness. I think Greathead was successful and if the book finds the right reader it will be a solid read.

The audio version was probably not the best way for me to connect to the character in these vignettes but I think the production quality was good and I enjoyed the narrator.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is the story of George. It follows his life from about 12-40. He is witty and handsome and knows it. This was such a fun story.

The Book of George chronicles the life of a man named George from his teen years until his adult years - high school and college, first jobs, first loves, family issues, grief, loss, all of it. This book had me cackling. George was quirky and eccentric and made some of the worst decisions ever. I loved the cast of characters coming in and out of his life, in many full circle moments. The banter oozed with dry wit and sarcasm. Weird thoughts popped in his head and were shared with reckless abandon. And I may never look at a squirrel again without wanting to barf. It was sort of a saga of George and I was here for it.

Everyone knows a George, but you probably don’t want to hang out with a George. He’s self-righteous without having the ability to actuate anything, he needs someone to take care of him but doesn’t have the ability to reciprocate in a meaningful way, and well, he’s just annoying. George is not a bad person, he’s just George.

I went against my better judgement and read/listened to this novel even though I didn’t like the books it’s compared to. I’m not mad about it, I’ve thought the book a bit since I finished it and the writing is very good (plus it has my alma mater in it so that was fun). My personal issue is that I can’t read about such an annoying self righteous character for an entire novel. I get that’s the point of this novel so I do not fault the author, I fault the reader and that is me. If you like this sort of pompous annoying guy and you can tolerate a novel about him - this is a very well written one. I thought the choice of a female narrator for the audio was clever and made the character a much more tolerable person and I did enjoy her reading of the novel.

3.5 stars

thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley

Oh George. I so wanted to like this novel, and I was fully into it in the beginning. But I am reader that sometimes can read unlikable characters and sometimes not, and unfortunately, George was not a guy I liked spending time with. I thought the narrator did a great job with this story. I felt for Jenny and her relationship. I just wanted something here to help me root for him, and for me, it just didn't work.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt Publishing, and MacMillan Audio for the arc.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I tried my best to get through it, but in the end, I found George to be an incredibly unlikable character.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Book of George" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audio book. I really didn't care for the story at all. I know a lot of readers thought it was good but it really wasn't my type of book.

Told in vignettes of George’s life from age 12 to nearly 40, The Book of George is a thoughtful examination of the ennui of millennial masculinity. George is, to put it simply, insufferable. He relies on his charm and privilege to skate through life, enabled by the women around him. He’s depressed and accomplishing little but also exerting the minimum amount of effort, seeming to expect that things will be handed to him. He’s selfish, self-centered, occasionally funny, and sometimes cruel. Despite George being nearly completely unlikable, the prose is compelling and Kate Greathead is a gifted storyteller.

Having a female narrator give voice to George’s life is a striking, meaningful choice. Blair Baker delivers the narrative in a wry, observational tone that perfectly complemented my impressions of George.

Many thanks to NetGalley , Henry Holt & Company, and Macmillan Audio for providing me advance copies of this book.

✨ Publication date: 10/8/2024

“You have this eyore effect going on. You act all pathetic and self loathing, but you’re actually extremely egotistical.”

✨ Genre: Contemporary fiction
✨ Steamy rating: Mild
✨ Profanity: Moderate

The quote above sums up this book. George was very unlikeable. George is a white privileged male with a huge ego and no regard for anyone else. This book follows George’s life from an early age to near 40. He can’t seem to figure out what he wants to do with his life or if he’s capable of truly loving anyone.

At times I liked this one, but at times I thought it was slow and irritating. Yes, George is irritating. It ended slightly weird too. I have mixed feelings.

Triggers: Infidelity, death of a parent, stroke, and depression

Thank you @macmillan.audio for early access to The Book of George.

#macaudio2024

DNF at 26%. A lot of reviews seem to stick up for George. Let him manifest into a character that everyone knows of a George at one point in their life. But so what...?! It doesn't mean that I want to read about those people and how, like George, they're unlikable and just simply...dry as dust. I don't mind a dull character honestly, but the storyline has to be interesting enough to where the book stayed engrossing.

I tried, really tried. I tried with the pacing, which was fine, but I didn't find myself captivated by anything. It was like watching a reality TV episode where someone just did mundane things and you wondered why the hell you were watching it. It wasn't like I was hoping George would somehow change his ways or had some sort of revelation, that wasn't going to happen, but I at least hoped there was a good shift in anything regarding his life. Perhaps I didn't stick long enough to get the magic from the story like others did, but I was fine bowing out.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Pub Date: 10/8
•
The Book of Geroge follows a man through 3 decades of his life and how some people will never change. I feel like there are too many "Georges" in the area where I live. Oh, you know, the men that always think they are better than everyone else, while simultaneously not contributing to society in any meaningful way. "Georges" are usually charismatic, charming and handsome, they just expect the world to do their bidding.
•
This is a great representation of how many men (and let's not be biased here, women also) are in this world. It was so frustrating to see people be used and manipulated by people like this. I struggled to find any compassion for George in this story even while he was sobbing the woe is me tune majority of the story. Nothing was ever his fault; he wouldn't commit to a wonderful woman, and he just worked dead end jobs barely being able to support himself. This story made me think very much about myself and about the "Georges" that I have dated and made me realize that I have so much to be proud of in my life.
•
I listened to this one via audiobook and it was narrated by Blair Baker. I think it was an awesome narration and it definitely kept my attention. If youre thinking of checking this book out - be sure to listen to the audio!
•
Overall, while this was not my most favorite book, but this one made me think, it made me chuckle at times, and it really made me appreciate all that I have done. I think people are going to love this one.

Lovers of Fleishman Is In Trouble will find the writing comfortable.

We've all known a George. A lost boy who is self-important, constantly depending on others to get him through but never giving them the accolades they deserve. I found myself looking for anything that redeems him or explains his behavior, but I wasn't ever able to do it. I enjoyed the writing, however!

It may be that I am not a literary fiction lover, but this book didn't land for me. I had a hard time connecting with George, as I was focused on his flaws. There were certainly clever moments and the writing overall was good, but the story wasn't one I could connect with.

I don’t feel right giving this a rating because I think this book will be well loved by many and just wasn’t for me.

I liked the structure, the concept, the writing is simple and direct but I just couldn’t stand George and while I thought the final chapter was really profound it didn’t save the experience. George in a word is stagnant and hard to like and not in the enjoyable way.

Sure we all know a George but I don’t want to.

I love George! I know George, and you probably do, too. George is his own worst enemy. He holds potential and privledge in multitudes but he simply can’t get out of his own way. Supported by his mother and long suffering girlfriend, Jenny, I found myself frustrated with both of them for allowing George to be George for so long. But also understanding how easily one can fall under his spell and want to help him better himself. The sharp writing and killer humor make this character study so easy to read. You will root for George, relate to him in some ways, be frustrated by him in many ways, but ultimately want the best for him.

I don’t even know how to rate this book. George is terrible. Is this really someone’s story? What a waste. It was honestly so sad, in a really cringe worthy way. I kept reading on thinking there would be a point in the story where things would take a turn, but they never did. Could’ve guessed Jenny was a double masker from page one though.

The Book of George is a meandering look at a pretty unlikeable and unaccomplished man. His main claims to fame are stumbling into a role in a hidden camera Super Bowl commercial (making a fortune he squandered on crypto), and leading on a woman for several years who was outrageously patient with him until she wasn't. George is incredibly selfish and unpersonable -- going more for laughs from his brief stint in comedy in school than connection, for example getting asked to stop being a book club facilitator for showing up all the members and treating it like a lecture. Some of the characters were interesting in their reactions to his antics, especially is mother and sister. A nice redemption scene at the end was probably good for him but too little to late for the reader. This was a tough one to connect to.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of The Book of George. The print version is published by Henry Holt and both versions will be available October 8.

4.44 stars rounded to 4.

“Everyone knows a George” they said. UGH. They’re probably right. What’s a George, you ask? A George is millennial male “brimming with potential but incapable of following through”. He’s mercurial, going from funny and cheerful to sullen and brooding in an instant. George isn’t interested in spending time on pursuits that don’t engage him or help him get ahead, and he’s not likely to remain invested when the going gets tough. Usually, a George has redeeming qualities that help him get by in life despite his ennui.

The Book of George follows one such George over two decades, poignantly presenting snapshots of his life. It’s the Elizabeth Strout/Olive Kitteridge formula and it’s used brilliantly here to evoke a sense of time passing without much momentum from George (highly characteristic of a George). While I don’t read character-driven novels as much as genre fiction, this story grabbed and held my attention from the beginning. It almost feels Seldfeldian — nothing much happens with George but the situations and settings we see him in are varied enough to keep the story feeling fresh and interesting.

Note: If you’ve ever been emotionally invested in a George, parts of this book may be tough to read. I was married to a George and reading this took me back to some memories that are hard to relive. I’m glad I read it though, because I feel so seen and so much less alone.

Audio: The audiobook is performed by Blair Baker, a female narrator, which is such a telling choice for this book that explores masculine millennial ennui. Having a woman read the story feels like taking power away from the Georges of the world and leveling the playing field a bit. Just… yes.

Overall ratings
Exact star rating: 4.44
5-pt star rating: 4

Attribute ratings
Characters: 5
Atmosphere/Setting: 4.5
Writing Style: 5
Plot/Pacing: 4
Intrigue: 4
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 4

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.

A third person narrative about a bumbling, lazy, charming and inconsiderate guy named George. This is really the story of his long suffering partner, Jenny. Jenny is a lawyer, mature and kind hearted, and deserves so much better. The story begins as they are servers at a restaurant, going through a decade of life. I file this under “cringe fiction” as it is so well-written and creative. In many ways it’s actually a great book. But at the same time I disliked George so, so much. He is selfish, self-centered, arrogant and OBLIVIOUS. There is one chapter in particular, in which George’s mom is selling the house and he needs to come home to clean out his childhood bedroom. I was so angry at George I wanted to throw the book across the room. Which is saying a lot because I listened to the audiobook. George, you need therapy, my dude.

I appreciated that the audiobook has a female narrator, although this is explicitly written about George. This really solidified the fact that we are Jenny, we are trying to make sense of George through a female lens.

Thanks to @netgalley and @henryholtbooks and @macmillan.audio for the ARC. Book to be published October 7, 2024.

#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booklover #arcreview #booktok #netgalley #bookrecommendations #thebookofgeorge