I read this in a single sitting - sat down to with the intention of just reading the opening chapter but never quite managed to put it down. I loved and hated George - he's a brilliant character - and this has been a great recommendation for readers who liked Good Material and want to read in the same vein.

I’m struggling a bit with my review of this book. Maybe because it wasn’t quite what I expected but that’s not to say that’s necessarily a bad thing. The book follows George from age 14 to his late 30’s. George was expected to do well in his life; George expected to do well in his life but life doesn’t always give you what you expect. This is a slow paced character driven novel so don’t expect fast paced action!

Briefly, at college when writing his dissertation he got a job in a restaurant and there he met Jenny. Although she clearly fancied him he didn’t feel the same but as they came closer they started a relationship, one that would last, on and off, for many years. Throughout the timescale George starts jobs but never seems to last for long and job hopping often means home hopping too.

George was probably one of the most annoying character I’ve read for a long time. His treatment of Jenny made my blood boil but I did feel that she facilitated his behaviour at times. I did like Jenny as a character, she was full of good intentions and tried to put George on the right path on a number of occasions. However, he was unambitious and lazy, although there were times when I wondered if he was supposed to be on the spectrum? He had relied on various women through his life, his mother, his sister and Jenny and there were no indications this would change. Despite all this I was rooting for George, I wanted him to pull his socks up and get a good job and stick to it, to marry Jenny and live happy ever after. Did he? You’ll have to read the book. A compelling and interesting novel. 3.5⭐️

Oh, George!

This man took me on a rollercoaster.
The book reads almost like a biography, following a series of moments that paint a picture of who he is.
Inept, funny, socially awkward, likable, pitiful, irresponsible, relatable, cringeworthy, egotistical, irredeemable, redeemable.

It’s easy to feel like I’ve known someone like George before. He’s not a bad person, but he’s not a particularly good one either.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book was George’s relationship with Jenny. In many ways, she’s like him—but his opposite.
At times, she’s the lifeline he needs to keep from drowning; at others, she’s the source of his anger and depressive tendencies, simply for being her true self.

It’s hard to tell whether they bring out the best or worst in one another. Are they exactly what the other needs, or would they be better off as friends? I still don’t know, but I found this tender yet toxic dynamic surprisingly realistic.

A funny, sad, and honest portrait of a man like many.

This smart funny novel is reminiscent of Dolly Alderton. As you navigate through George will feel familiar and you’ll find the heartstrings pull at this tender novel

Unfortunately this was not what I was expecting at all, which is totally my fault for going in with expectations, but this was pitched to me as a funny, relatable story and I just found it quite dull to be completely honest. I ended up DNF'ing at around 50% as I just was not invested at all, really sorry! It's not for me, but i'm sure lots of people will love this!

I really enjoyed this book. The chapters were a good length to read in a 30-45 minute sitting. I also liked how the book spans across George's lifestyle from a young age up to mid-40s. Whilst there are no major plot twists or events, this book is somewhat 'amusing' and comedic on a basic level with George's encounters and thoughts, which kept me reading.

THE BOOK OF GEORGE by KATE GREATHEAD

“We all know a George. He's the kind of guy who's brimming with potential but incapable of following through; he doesn't know if he's in love with his girlfriend, but he certainly likes having her around; he's distant from - but still reliant on - his mother; he swears he'll finish his novel one day.
Sure, you might find him disappointing. But no one is more disappointed in George than George himself”

I went back and forth throughout this book thinking George was insufferable to thinking actually he lazy but he’s alright. Maybe that’s what made him feel like a real person, aren’t we all multiple things as once? And the blurb is right, we all definitely all know a “George” in life, I’ve probably even been a “George” and one point or another growing up. Aside from George and my inability to make up my mind on him, this books had multiple other characters who were equally as complicated. I think George’s girlfriend was potentially the only person I liked throughout the entire story. I thought this was brilliant as it kept the characters from feeling one dimensional which is needed in character driven story.

This is a slow paced, character driven story with no plot twists or gotcha moments but the characters are entertaining enough to keep this from feeling like a chore to read.

As funny as it is astute and as singular as it is universal, The Book of George is a deft, unexpectedly moving never-coming-of-age that is both the story of a single life and of a thousand men.

I think I must have misunderstood what this book is about which is totally my fault, I didn’t think it would be such a focused character study. As a result I didn’t enjoy it as much as I initially thought I would as I do struggle to connect with character studies. Despite that though I do believe people who enjoy this type of book would enjoy this, my low rating is just a reflection of my personal preference and inability to speak on whether it’s an amazing character study as they are not my usual reads.

Thank you to netgalley and atlantic books for allowing me to read this before publication.

I loved the sound of this but unfortunately the content didnt quite meet what I was expecting and I didn't really care about what happened to George or was going on in his life.
Im sure its a me problem though so give it a go!

Considering this is a slow character study of a book. I’m surprised how much I liked reading about George’s life. I wish it was longer.

I’m sorry, i’ve got 15% through and i just can’t keep going. I dislike all of the characters and there’s just nothing to hook me. I expected a funny story but it’s just dull and going nowhere. Not for me.

Ok this book was spot on in the statement that we all know a George and secretly, I think we can all be a George at times.

“We all know a George. He's the kind of guy who's brimming with potential but incapable of following through; he doesn't know if he's in love with his girlfriend, but he certainly likes having her around; he's distant from - but still reliant on - his mother; he swears he'll finish his novel one day.

Sure, you might find him disappointing. But no one is more disappointed in George than George himself.”

I really enjoyed this read. Although George is insufferable at points, you can’t help but want the best for him. If you’re looking for a book with a huge twist or plot this isn’t what you’re going to get. The Book of George feels like a true to life story that follows a man from his teens into his thirties as he struggles to make his way through life BUT I also found George hilarious at points. His to the point attitude and not picking up on social queues made some great moments in the book. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic for this ARC!

The Book of George by Kate Greathead features a realistic and relatable flawed protagonist struggling with how he feels about himself and with how others perceive him and worrying about not fulfilling his potential.

this is a social satire/character study of a man called george, told from childhood to middle age. george is emblematic of men who live in a particularly selfish or self absorbed way, whilst also struggling to make anything of their lives or potential, instead being trapped in the inertia of arrested development. at it's best, it's reasonably reminiscent of the chip chapter of the corrections, and some of the more of the outrageous behaviour from george functioned well as episodic scenes of humour. i wasn't 100% sold on how it all tied together and i felt the overall book would have probably worked better with a more tragic ending but it was an enjoyable read!!

Really disappointed to say that I couldn't connect with this at all.

I must be in the minority as I definitely don't know a George. I found the voice really unrelatable and was just left baffled by this book.

Clearly not the right reader for this.