The Book of George: A Sunday Times hottest new book of 2025

by Kate Greathead

288 pages, Hardcover

Published January 30, 2025

About the author

Kate Greathead is the author of the novel Laura & Emma. A graduate of Wesleyan University and the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College, her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Vanity Fair, and Moth Radio Hour. She was a subject in the American version of the British Up documentary series, and she lives in Brooklyn with her husband, the writer Teddy Wayne.

Reviews

[Alla Dumnych · Rating 5 out of 5]

Я в захваті.

[Lara Eleveld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Droevig boek eigenlijk. Soms moeilijk in te leven in George himself.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had so many thoughts finishing this book that I just don’t know where to start:

1. I feel really sorry for George. Clearly lost and unsure of what he wants or what he should be doing. I definitely related regarding the pressures of growing up and where you should be/ what you should be doing at certain points.

2. Let’s face it, George is kind of an arsehole. He takes advantage of Jenny and knows she deserves better but can’t let her go because he’s worried about being alone, fundamentally.

3. I loved Jenny’s chapter the most and it really brought the whole book together for me. Maybe that was intentional. The whole book is Jenny essentially trying to get George to experience happiness and pockets of joy, but he is a huge pessimist. I think the point was we see George happy from Jenny’s perspective, but is he really happy? I also think the point was that George is happy when he plays the joke on Jenny at the end, meaning that you need human contact to be happy.

Overall, I did really enjoy the book but struggled at certain points because I didn’t like George. However, I definitely sympathised with him but Jenny saved it for me.

[Didem Soydan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t hate George all that much. Maybe it’s because, culturally, we’re surrounded by these boyish men all the time. He felt very familiar; maybe not immediately as my husband or my dad, but as the guy my bestie married and then divorced, the one my cousin dated for years before finally leaving, or maybe even a cousin himself. Georges are everywhere.

I have Georges as friends, and they’re amazing. Once you get to know them, you kind of start to appreciate their aloof, careless, slightly bored, narcissistic attitude. But I definitely wouldn’t recommend getting into a relationship with one.

I think the book was narrated so much better than some of the books hyped by the Bookstagrammers in 2026. The author maintains this distant, observant perspective without overwhelming the reader with too many details. The information she gives us, the timeline, the little windows she opens into the characters’ lives—it’s all perfectly balanced. I quite liked it, actually, and I think the reason I don’t hear or see it talked about more often is George.

[Mya · Rating 5 out of 5]

George was of course insufferable but I found the book incredible. The writing and the narration / interiority was so realistic and astute as to being a disillusioned millenial growing up around the turn of the century. I read it within 3 days. There's little plot, more like it follows key points of his life to show his development and character through his life. An exploration of character profile. I couldn't stop reading it.

[daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

with one of my favourite books seemingly being the reference point of this one (Stoner by John Williams), i don’t know what it says about me that my favourite literature pieces are about the mundane lives of truly mediocre men.

i really liked this one, and i will try not to read further into that 🙂‍↕️

[Silvia Traverso · Rating 4 out of 5]

George il protagonista è un uomo sicuramente molto intelligente ma non riesce a raggiungere l'obiettivo di scrivere un libro perché incapace di vivere nel quotidiano . Questo incide ovviamente sulle sue relazioni affettive .

[Hannah Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t find meandering George a particularly compelling character and was glad when some of the people in his life told him he needed to get a grip by the end of this book. I feel I’m not the target audience really… but some funny moments.

[Poppy Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Camille Cardot · Rating 4 out of 5]

The average life of a mediocre man. It’s dark and funny and smart and I had a great time reading it.

[Simone · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was boring and the ending made me mad :)

[Holly Nichol · Rating 4 out of 5]

George was such a nightmare but also so realistic!! Poor Jenny

[Vinaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uff! George is annoying! :)