The Book of George, Kate Greathead
The Book of George, Kate Greathead
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
Club: $13.49

The Book of George
A Novel

Author: Kate Greathead

Narrator: Blair Baker

Unabridged: 9 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/08/2024


Synopsis

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.

"Baker captures the overarching impact of the audiobook, making this listening experience exceptional, especially for the Georges who may hear themselves in the narrative."—AudioFile

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

About Kate Greathead

Kate Greathead is the author of Laura & Emma. Her work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and on PRX’s The Moth Radio Hour. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, the writer Teddy Wayne, and their children.

About Blair Baker

Blair Baker is a queer, non-binary actor living in New York City. They began audiobook narration in 2022 and has since recorded around 20 works. Blair has been a finalist for the Golden Crown Literary Society Goldie awards two years in a row. They are a proud alum of the Macmillan new narrators program and Save Me, Stranger by Erica Krause (a Macmillan Audio production) received a rare starred audiobook review from Booklist. They voiced Sid in Previa: A Tech Heist, a podcast produced by Audible that won the 2024 Ambie Award for Best Fiction Podcast. Blair loves to narrate joyful queer romances, quirky sci-fi adventures, and literary fiction. Their narration style is grounded and honest, and their alto voice provides a warm and witty vibe to the stories they tell.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jillian on January 02, 2025

This is like the origin story for someone’s terrible boyfriend. George is not a monster, but he’s not particularly attentive or empathetic. He leaves the chores—and the breadwinning—to his girlfriend while he spends years half-heartedly working on his unpublished novel. While he thinks he has the po......more

Goodreads review by Terrie on February 02, 2025

The Book of George by Kate Greathead is a Character Study of Millennial Masculinity! When I began this immersion read, I thought I'd made a horrible mistake by requesting The Book of George. Seriously. I even set it aside for two months deciding if I wanted to pick it up again. Eventually, I did and......more

Goodreads review by Ron on October 07, 2024

Perhaps the dude abides, but lately the dude just slides. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal ran a front-page story lamenting the economic and social descent of guys. According to reporter Rachel Wolfe, “Presented with a more-equal playing field, young women are seizing the opportunities in front of......more

Goodreads review by Susan on March 13, 2024

I haven’t dated a George but I have parented one. Oh the frustration of it all! Kate Greathead nailed it with her portrayal of this young man from age 12 to almost 40. George is smart, handsome, witty yet he can’t seem to propel his life forward. So much potential but going nowhere. He is at times i......more

Goodreads review by *TUDOR^QUEEN* on August 16, 2024

4.5 Stars This was a very interesting character study of "George". We follow him as he boards at college and navigates life into his late thirties. A drug that is given for anxiety and depression is mentioned a few times in the book, so we get a glimpse into the fact that he "has issues". He can't se......more


Quotes

“A revelation.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“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