The Book of George - by Kate Greathead

Book Synopsis

From the author of the critically acclaimed Laura & Emma comes a The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. for our times: Kate Greathead's "mesmerizing" (Maria Semple) 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.

Review Quotes

A New Yorker Recommended Book of 2024
Named a Notable Fiction Book of 2024 by The Washington Post
Named a Best Book of 2024 by Real Simple

"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

"The protagonist of this comic novel is George, a millennial with vague writerly aspirations, who sustains his aimless life style by drawing on family connections and his girlfriend's trust fund. . . . The women in George's life, who bear the brunt of his self-absorption, confront him with his egotism in occasional moments of clarity--but whether they can cure him, this wry story suggests, is less clear."
--The New Yorker

"[A] deadpan, hilarious new novel . . . Greathead's skewering of this 'specific kind of male arrogance' is deeply satisfying, but her finely layered portrait is not without pity--it's strangely, unexpectedly humanizing."
--Oprah Daily

"A revelation."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Clever and thoughtful, with legit LOL moments, this original read is moving in ways you won't see coming."
--Kristyn Kusek Lewis, Real Simple

"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

"Greathead has quietly delivered a scathing indictment of millennials in a novel that risks becoming one of those that defines a generation."
--Ian MacAllen, Chicago Review of Books

"Equally hilarious and heartbreaking, The Book of George reads like a modern epic."
--Isabelle Eyman, Camille Styles

"As accurate a portrait of 21st-century college-educated millennial brownstone Brooklyn . . . as I have ever read."
--Max Read, The Morning News

"Greathead is an excellent witness to her characters' exceedingly human conditions and a deadpan comedian of manners, and The Book of George flows like an open tap."
--Booklist

"Greathead's delicious deadpan delivery, with its understatement and ironic humor, is
addicting."
--BookPage

"A mordantly wry examination of one disgruntled man's life. . . . Greathead's portrayal of an aggrieved white man struggling to find his place in the world is as much a portrait of an unsuccessful artist as a young man as it is a portrait of our times."
--Kirkus Reviews

"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

"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, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding People

"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

About the Author