The Book of George

A Novel

by Kate Greathead

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Pub Date Oct 08 2024 | Archive Date Nov 15 2024

Henry Holt & Company | Henry Holt and Co.

General Fiction (Adult) | Humor & Satire | Literary Fiction

Description

From the author of the critically acclaimed Laura & Emma comes a The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. for our times: Kate Greathead's razor-sharp but big-hearted excavation of millennial masculinity, The Book of George.

If you haven’t had the misfortune of dating a George, you know someone who has. He’s a young man brimming with potential but incapable of following through; sweet yet noncommittal to his long-suffering girlfriend; distant from but still reliant on his mother; charmingly funny one minute, sullenly brooding the next. Here, Kate Greathead paints one particular, unforgettable George in a series of droll and surprisingly poignant snapshots of his life over two decades.

Despite his failings, it’s hard not to root for George at least a little. Beneath his cynicism is a reservoir of fondness for his girlfriend, Jenny, and her valiant willingness to put up with him. Each demonstration of his flaws is paired with a self-eviscerating comment. No one is more disappointed in him than himself (except maybe Jenny and his mother). As hilarious as it is resonant and as singular as it is universal, The Book of George is a deft, unexpectedly moving portrait of one man—but also countless others.

Advance Praise

“This book is a knockout. Mesmerizing from page one, it's Stoner meets Mrs. Bridge meets George, the millennial male we can't look away from. Kate Greathead has gifted us with a character for the ages, and a novel that is sure to be swooned over and endlessly discussed.”

—Maria Semple, New York Times bestselling author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette

“The Book of George is not only an excellent novel—it's also one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. Engaging from the first page, it nevertheless gains momentum as it progresses, deftly building toward something larger and unexpected, a portrait of a character—and to an extent a generation—that's as convincing as it is moving.” —Adelle Waldman, bestselling author of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. and Help Wanted

“Kate Greathead is an astonishingly talented writer. Every sentence in this novel glitters with insight and humor. A perceptive, funny and tender portrayal of the complicated relationships that define our adulthood."—Alison Espach, author of Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance

“Delicious. . . Greathead attains a perfect balance among irritation, pathos and comedy. . . The Book of George captures the curdled resentment of a generation of young men unwilling or unable to adjust to a long-overdue redistribution of power and opportunity.”

—Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“Greathead is a gifted storyteller who reels off dialogue filled with wit and humor so well it makes page-turning a pleasure. . . . Page after page, her writing is full of humor built around prickly sarcasm and woebegone twists in George’s life. There are serious, even sad, moments, plus plot turns that give the narrative depth. The reader may begin to feel an emotional tug. . . real poignancy.”

—Kendal Weaver, Associated Press