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The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (2020)


Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars


This book has been popular on Goodreads since its release and was a Goodreads Choice 2020 winner. This book starts out rather sad and does deal with difficult topics such as depression and suicide. However, the overall tone of the book is much more comfortable and even charming.


The Analysis:


Nora Seed is unhappy with her life. She suffers from depression, works a dead-end job, is estranged from her brother, and her cat just died. Nora decides to end her misery by taking an extra-large dose of sleeping pills. Nora then wakes up in an enormous, never-ending library, where she is greeted by her old school librarian. The librarian explains that all the books in the library contain the limitless alternate versions of Nora’s life. In one book, she is married and in another, she is a rockstar. Some books are short, while others contain many years of a possible future life. Nora is given the opportunity to try out the other lives and see how things would have turned out if she had made different choices. She is given the opportunity to undo regrets and see what might have made her happier, although every new life comes with new and unforeseen outcomes.


The Midnight Library is ultimately about gaining perspective. It is easy to get caught up in what-ifs and think that the grass might be greener in another version of life. We often fail to see that just because we could have taken a different path, doesn’t mean that the other path would be perfect. By viewing her potential other lives through a different lens, Nora is able to see that some objectively good outcomes may not bring the fulfillment and satisfaction she would have expected. The messages in the book are insightful and comforting, but they often feel a bit cliche. The book is somewhat predictable and not exactly advanced in its revelations, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A good message is still good, even if it is simple.


The book is filled with moments of grief, humor, and joy. The author manages to strike a balance between sad and hopeful, making the whole book feel bittersweet. As a friend pointed out, this book would be great reading for young adults, who are constantly faced with choices about their future and likely a few regrets about their past. The Midnight Library would resonate with anyone who is at a crossroads or is feeling lost or disillusioned.


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