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It's not quite dark enough in 'the midnight library'.

Jason Sheehan

Nora Seed wants to die.

This is where we begin, in Matt Haig's new novel, The Midnight Library : with a young woman on the verge of making a terrible choice. She's lost her job, her best friend, her brother. Her relationships are in shambles and her cat is dead. More importantly, she is just deeply, seemingly irretrievably, sad. She can't imagine a day that is better with her in it. Living has become nothing but a chore.

So she ends it. Overdose. Antidepressants. The world goes black.

And then Nora wakes up. Not in heaven (dull) or hell (overdone) or purgatory (insert Lost joke), but in a library. The Midnight Library, which is the place people go when they find themselves hanging precariously between life and death and not entirely sure about which way to go.

The library is immense. Perhaps endless. And it is filled with nothing but books, shelves and, curiously, Nora's school librarian, Mrs. Elm. "Every life contains many millions of decisions," says Mrs. Elm.

Some big, some small. But every time one decision is taken over another, the outcomes differ. An irreversible variation occurs, which in turn leads to further variations. These books are portals to all the lives you could be living.

Yes, it really is that simple. And yes, it really is presented that plainly. As a place, the Midnight Library isn't really a library (of course), but is instead a 101-level lecture in parallel universe theory, philosophy and quantum indeterminacy. Really, it's a therapist simulator, minus the couch. A place of regret and possibility. Because who, in their darkest moments — or maybe just on a Tuesday — hasn't wondered what life would be like if only...

Arts & Life

Immortality, sadness and drinking with shakespeare in 'how to stop time'.

Nora certainly has. She is wracked with regret. What would've happened if she'd married her fiance rather than walking out two days before the wedding? What would've happened if she'd stuck with the band she and her brother and their friend Ravi had started rather than bailing just when they were about to get big? What would've happened if she'd stuck with competitive swimming, been a better cat owner, been nicer to her parents, followed her best friend to Australia or become a glaciologist?

Again, yes. The questions are that simple. And again, yes, they're presented that plainly.

The Midnight Library is the place where Nora gets to find out. Where, for an hour, a day or a month, she gets to dip into and sample lives where she made different choices, with the ultimate goal of erasing those regrets and finding a life she's comfortable in.

But here's the problem. Haig presents all of this as a straight line. The Midnight Library is unusual in that it follows a plot with no twists, no turns that don't feel like a gentle glide. Inside the library itself, Mrs. Elm's job is to present everything to Nora very clearly and to lay out the stakes very directly. Infinite options, yes, but maybe not an infinite amount of time in which to choose. Infinite possibility, sure, but only one shot at each of them. When Nora loses hope, the library starts to collapse. When she finds herself excited again about living, things calm down.

And there's a deliberateness to it all. A simplicity to the narrative that has to be taken as a choice on Haig's part, not an accident. After meeting another "slider" (as those who can bounce around between multiverse possibilities are called), and discussing the pop-science implications of a multi-dimensional existence, Nora muses on her situation:

[She] had read about multiverses and knew a bit about Gestalt psychology. About how human brains take complex information about the world and simplify it, so that when a human looks at a tree it translates the intricately complex mass of leaves and branches into this thing called 'tree'. To be human was to continualy dumb down the world into an understandable story that keeps things simple. She knew that everything humans see is a simplification. A human sees the world in three dimensions. That is a simplification. Humans are fundamentally limited, generalizing creatures, living on auto-pilot, who straighten out curved streets in their minds, which explains why they get lost all the time.

Haig lives by that here. He takes what could've been (what has been in so many other books) a dark or sad or curvy or weird spin through the logical and philosophical possibilities of regret crossed with multiverse theory and ... straightens it out. There is tragedy, but it feels muted by the existence of infinite chances. There is sadness and pointlessness, soft meditations on the cost of fame and the dignity of smaller lives, lots of quotes from philosophers (because that's what Nora studied in school), and quiet thoughts about the weight of meaning in a universe where everything that can happen, does.

But what sucks a measure of the color and life from The Midnight Library is that Nora, as a character, doesn't really want anything. Or maybe she does, but the arc of the plot hinges on her trying to figure out what exactly it is. And a character who doesn't actively want something — even when it is something so basic as to keep on living — is a hard character to identify with.

Ultimately, Haig gives Nora (and those of us following along with her) a straightforward path from suicide to closure, from regret to acceptance. He gives her a tree, and though there are many branches, it is still just a tree. The story, then, forms solely around the lives she passes briefly through, the choices and their consequences. Nora lives a hundred lives. A thousand. Enough of a theoretical portion of an infinity that she feels as though she has seen them all by the time we're closing on the final pages.

The only question left hanging over all of it is which one she'll finally choose. And in a multiverse of infinite choice and infinite possibility, I'm just not sure that the answer matters enough.

Jason Sheehan knows stuff about food, video games, books and Starblazers . He is currently the restaurant critic at Philadelphia magazine, but when no one is looking, he spends his time writing books about giant robots and ray guns. Tales From the Radiation Age is his latest book.

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New York Times Bestseller

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THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY

by Matt Haig ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 29, 2020

A whimsical fantasy about learning what’s important in life.

An unhappy woman who tries to commit suicide finds herself in a mysterious library that allows her to explore new lives.

How far would you go to address every regret you ever had? That’s the question at the heart of Haig’s latest novel, which imagines the plane between life and death as a vast library filled with books detailing every existence a person could have. Thrust into this mysterious way station is Nora Seed, a depressed and desperate woman estranged from her family and friends. Nora has just lost her job, and her cat is dead. Believing she has no reason to go on, she writes a farewell note and takes an overdose of antidepressants. But instead of waking up in heaven, hell, or eternal nothingness, she finds herself in a library filled with books that offer her a chance to experience an infinite number of new lives. Guided by Mrs. Elm, her former school librarian, she can pull a book from the shelf and enter a new existence—as a country pub owner with her ex-boyfriend, as a researcher on an Arctic island, as a rock star singing in stadiums full of screaming fans. But how will she know which life will make her happy? This book isn't heavy on hows; you won’t need an advanced degree in quantum physics or string theory to follow its simple yet fantastical logic. Predicting the path Nora will ultimately choose isn’t difficult, either. Haig treats the subject of suicide with a light touch, and the book’s playful tone will be welcome to readers who like their fantasies sweet if a little too forgettable.

Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-52-555947-4

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020

LITERARY FICTION | GENERAL FICTION

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by Matt Haig

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SEEN & HEARD

IT STARTS WITH US

by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022

Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.

The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.

Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.

Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Atria

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022

ROMANCE | CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE | GENERAL ROMANCE | GENERAL FICTION

More by Colleen Hoover

by Colleen Hoover

by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.

A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life.

When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death. Still, it’s a surprise when the fateful doorbell rings less than 20 pages later. His death inspires his sister to enlist as an Army nurse, and this turn of events is just the beginning of a roller coaster of a plot that’s impressive and engrossing if at times a bit formulaic. Hannah renders the experiences of the young women who served in Vietnam in all-encompassing detail. The first half of the book, set in gore-drenched hospital wards, mildewed dorm rooms, and boozy officers’ clubs, is an exciting read, tracking the transformation of virginal, uptight Frankie into a crack surgical nurse and woman of the world. Her tensely platonic romance with a married surgeon ends when his broken, unbreathing body is airlifted out by helicopter; she throws her pent-up passion into a wild affair with a soldier who happens to be her dead brother’s best friend. In the second part of the book, after the war, Frankie seems to experience every possible bad break. A drawback of the story is that none of the secondary characters in her life are fully three-dimensional: Her dismissive, chauvinistic father and tight-lipped, pill-popping mother, her fellow nurses, and her various love interests are more plot devices than people. You’ll wish you could have gone to Vegas and placed a bet on the ending—while it’s against all the odds, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781250178633

Page Count: 480

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION

More by Kristin Hannah

by Kristin Hannah

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Book Reviews

The Midnight Library – Matt Haig (2020) Book Review

“The only way to learn is to live.”

Have you ever made a decision, gone on to regret it, and then wondered how things could have turned out differently? The Butterfly Effect is the idea that every small decision carries with it the possibility of triggering much larger, life-altering effects. The belief that everything in life is interconnected, The Butterfly Effect is one of the most thought-provoking subjects many of us wrestle with at one time or another, and it is that very idea Matt Haig explores in his 2020 novel The Midnight Library. Check out our full The Midnight Library book review here at What We Reading !

Date Published : 2020

Author : Matt Haig

Genre : Fantasy, Magical Realism

Pages : 304

GoodReads Rating : 4.02/5

Between life and death, there exists a library. In this library, people are presented with every choice they’ve made and are free to live out the lives they led in these alternative universes.

Nora Seed is someone who has lived through a lot of regrets. After arriving at rock bottom, she finds herself in The Midnight Library with the choice of swapping out her life in favour of a new career, or a different relationship. However, as her time in the library continues and she finds herself drifting from regret to regret, she finds herself left pondering what truly makes life fulfilling and worth living at all.

Check out the best Books Like The Midnight Library

What Worked

Off the bat, the premise of The Midnight Library is obviously one that grabs all of our imaginations. We all have regrets in our lives, and the idea of having a place where you can go and see where all your choices would have led you is something that will keep readers thinking even after they put the book down.

And Matt Haig really does succeed in pulling together a read that is touching and ultimately uplifting that does this premise justice.

It’s a powerful book that doesn’t ever flinch away from the tone and message it wants to convey, and that is completely admirable from author Matt Haig. And it’s a message that so many readers are going to be genuinely inspired by, which is one of the best compliments an author can receive, especially in a book like this.

The Midnight Library book review - Matt Haig

What Didn’t

Ultimately, this sort of book is always going to have its fans and its detractors. The idea of people being able to lift themselves out of the pits by changing their outlook is not a notion that everyone is going to be able to get behind. And whilst, I didn’t get the vibe Haig was trying to write a preachy self-help book, certain readers might find it veers too close to just that.

There’s also not a whole lot going on that you wouldn’t be able to guess from even before you purchase the book. The narrative remains consistent throughout and this really doubles up as a self-help book, offering very little in terms of an experience that feels fresh and original.

What’s more, the main character of Nora was really not one of my favourites to follow. Whilst the journey she goes on does feel natural, it is littered with so much bad luck and hardship that it’s just unfathomable someone in the real world would ever find themselves in. Personally, I would have loved a bit more nuance to the character, a bit more genuine regret that would have made the decisions in her life so much more gut-wrenching to go back and live through.

The Midnight Library is a unique book with a premise, unlike many others in the fiction fantasy genre . The idea of a dimension between life and death where we’re presented with every different version of our lives where we made different decisions makes for an enthralling page-turner and will stick with readers long after they put the book down.

As a protagonist, Nora is too close to the archetypal ‘perfect main character’ for me. One of the classic good-at-everything, morals-for-days, and not-appreciated-in-their-time sort of figures that doesn’t make them all that interesting to read through.

And ultimately, this is what kept me from really falling in love over the course of this The Midnight Library book review. There was always a slight eye-roll that followed me around every chapter, and not being fully immersed in a book like this means you have no chance of getting the full experience.

Our Rating: 3/5

Views from around the reading world.

“With its recurring nods to ‘It’s a wonderful life’ and positive message of hope, it’s hard not to get swept along by ’The Midnight Library’…..sure, the idea that ‘life is for living and we only get one go at it’ is hardly groundbreaking, but maybe we need reminding of this occasionally and Matt Haig is just the man to do it.”

Quote supplied by Adrian from BookShelf Discovery

“The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is a brilliant novel that showcases the impact that one person can have on many lives as well as how impactful our small choices can be. Protagonist Nora is depressed and believes her life doesn’t amount to much and learns that the grass is always greener on the other side. Haid has written a masterpiece that should be read by everyone because there is a lot to take away from this novel. It reminds me of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and I would recommend this to everyone who wants to learn the secret to being content with what you have.”

Quote supplied by Ahaqir from Books of Brilliance

“Haig’s writing is beautiful and his distillation of poignant philosophical ideas is a soothing balm after a year of existential dread. I think some people will be dissatisfied with the ending because they somehow want more from this book, and I wouldn’t blame them, because Haig sets himself a nigh-impossible task with this kind of story. All I can really say in apology is that this is very much a book that is about the journey, not the destination.”

Quote supplied by Kara from Kara Reviews

“The premise is cool. Kind of like, “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “A Christmas Carol” turned on its head.

There are SOLID lessons here. I love the message…I just didn’t FEEL anything from the writing even as it addressed devastating, deep concepts. I should have been rocked, but I wasn’t moved. It all felt too sterile and formulaic, predictable, and, in the end, preachy. Like the whole thing could have been a schlocky inspirational poster.”

Quote supplied by Sarah from Sarah Z Writer

Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).

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‘The Midnight Library’: A Tale of What Could Have Been

“The Midnight Library,” best-selling British author Matt Haig’s latest book, tells the story of a woman in her thirties who, after suffering an overwhelming attack of hopelessness and despair, embarks on a journey to rediscover the meaning of life. Unfortunately, the book is as clichéd as it sounds. While initially promising an interesting mix of casual writing with the question of post-mortem existence, “The Midnight Library” ultimately fails to deliver, falling short of the intriguing novel it could have been.

The book begins with what amounts to a cursory overview of the life of Nora Seed and of everything underlying the feelings that drive her to suicide. And while it was certainly a creative choice to begin the book with Nora’s fateful decision, it is here that the most crucial weakness of Haig’s writing reveals itself — namely, his failure to develop characters that are multidimensional and relatable.

For starters, Nora’s fall from grace — which Haig spends the entire book dissecting and rehashing — is too fantastic to be of any use to the average reader. As a reader, it is hard to accept that Nora would go from being a teenage national champion swimmer destined for the Olympics, to an artist on the verge of signing with a major record label, to a broke and unemployed adult with no friends, no significant other, and no family she still talks to; indeed, it is incredibly unrealistic. None of the quirks Haig gives Nora in his desperate lunge at verisimilitude — such as her veganism, an entirely irrelevant detail repeated constantly throughout the novel — make up for the fact that she seems so unlike a real, living person. The result is that no ordinary reader is able to relate to Nora, weakening what could’ve been a much more powerful story.

But as much as parts of her story are overdone, Nora’s emotions do not receive the attention that they deserve from Haig. In general, Haig tends to focus too much of his attention on the plot and on the specific actions taken by the characters, and this has the effect of weakening the appeals to emotion he makes throughout the book. This is felt the most in the two moments where Nora’s emotions drive the plot forward: first when Nora, drowning in despair, decides to end her life, and later when love inevitably changes her mind. Intended to be moments teeming with raw, unbridled emotion, Haig’s decision to not spend enough time developing the emotional side of the novel — either through imagery, metaphor, or simply more creative writing — means that they have no bite. Instead of being rich with feeling, Haig’s writing is superficially descriptive.

As hard as it is to picture Nora as a real person, the supporting characters are even less lifelike. Although Haig’s choice of storyline — in which Nora spends most of her time “trying on” the different lives she could’ve lived — doesn’t lend itself well to great minor character development in the first place, he still makes little effort to bridge the gap. Each minor character is reduced to the relationship they have with Nora and the problem they had with her before she chose to end her life. They are subject to little complication and experience no growth. Haig misses an obvious opportunity to expand the characterization of Hugo, a character trapped, like Nora, between life and death, exploring the different lives he could’ve lived.

Indeed, Hugo is perhaps the most frustrating character of the novel because, again, of what could have been. As the only other character who is consistently himself — because he is also switching between the different lives he might have lived — he is the only person with whom Nora would have been able to develop a dynamic relationship over the course of the novel, one that could have led to personal growth for both of them in an unexpected way.

In fact, after reading Nora’s first extended interaction with him, in which he teaches her about the strange purgatory she is living in, one’s natural inclination is to believe that this will be the direction that the book takes. But this is the only interaction with Hugo that is given much attention, with the only other similar interaction between the two later summarized for the reader in what appears to be a useless blurb of information.

Instead, Haig chooses to pursue the repetitive, predictable plot that reveals itself less than a third of the way into the book. The novel’s ending is predictable. Likewise, its theme — that life is, in the end, worth living — is trite and uninteresting. “The Midnight Library” lacks a twist in either its plot or thematic elements — a twist that the character of Hugo tantalizingly offers — that would’ve given it more substance and made it more worth the reader’s time.

Ultimately, “The Midnight Library” is the story of a missed opportunity. The concept of the book is an intriguing one, but Haig misses the opportunity to create a genuinely interesting story. Instead, he commits to a repetitive, predictable plot with a cliché theme, leaving the reader a story that is best told by the description on its back cover.

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Inside the Best-Seller List

What Does a Midlife Autism Diagnosis Mean for Matt Haig?

Soon after “The Midnight Library” became a best seller, the British author learned something about himself.

In this photograph of Matt Haig, taken at the Natural History Museum in London, the author wears a dark suit, white shirt and tie. He is bald, and his reddish beard is sprinkled with gray.

By Elisabeth Egan

A great deal has happened since Sept. 29, 2020, when “ The Midnight Library ,” Matt Haig’s seventh novel for adults, was first published in the United States.

The world continued to spin through the life-altering, priority-jumbling pandemic that might have, in its own stealthy way, propelled the book onto the best-seller list for 97 weeks and counting. In his twist on the “ Sliding Doors ” story, Haig allows his main character to dip into a series of books containing alternate versions of her reality. “There was a lot of self-reflection going on during lockdown,” the British author said in a phone interview. “I suppose a novel which explored whether there’s a better path in life arrived at the right time.”

Haig also weathered some interesting developments of his own. Shortly after the publication of “The Midnight Library,” at the age of 46, he was diagnosed with A.D.H.D. and autism — which he said was “quite strange” news to receive but also made a certain kind of sense, especially when he considered his enthusiasm for routine and the mechanics of his fiction. “All my books, even ‘ The Midnight Library ’ to a degree, are about fish out of water,” he explained. “I always seem to write about people who look like they should fit in but somehow don’t.”

In his nonfiction, Haig has been candid about struggles with his mental health; his memoir, “Reasons to Stay Alive,” grew out of depression so deep, it almost spurred him to walk off a cliff. In it, he writes, “At its worst you find yourself wishing, desperately, for any other affliction, any physical pain, because the mind is infinite, and its torments — when they happen — can be equally infinite.”

Haig admitted, “I’ve never actually written about someone in fiction who would be identifiably me. I find it very hard to do that ‘look in the mirror’ thing, I think because I myself already feel that remove from being a little bit different without ever having understood why.”

Will Haig’s new awareness affect future novels? He isn’t sure — but after what he described as a “taking stock kind of year,” he’s looking forward to getting back to writing. Until then, he’s working on self-compassion: “One of the few great things about middle age is you have an acceptance of who you are and a kindness toward yourself,” Haig said. He added, “In the olden days left-handed people were told to hold the pen with their right hand, but they were always left-handed; maybe it’s the same with autism. Maybe there’s a lot of things where you try to be a round peg and you’re actually a square peg and that’s fine. You just therefore create more square holes.”

Elisabeth Egan is an editor at the Book Review and the author of “A Window Opens.”

Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is such a fantastic novel. I loved it.

As I mentioned in my October book club list , Matt Haig’s How to Stop Time was one of the first articles I wrote for the site. If that article hadn’t received great traffic, who knows where Book Club Chat would be now! Plus, I liked the story—it was a little melancholy but overall an interesting take on the time travel genre.

When I saw he had a new one coming out this year—I was very excited to see what he had in store! But wow, I didn’t expect to love The Midnight Library like I did. It’s a very heartfelt and touching novel. One of my favorites of this year.

The synopsis

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library , Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

Creative premise

Ahh I love the premise!! I thought it was such a fascinating take on the “what if” type storyline. In 2020, (which all these books are written pre-pandemic), I’ve noticed there’s been a focus on the impact of choices. Prior to The Midnight Library , I read The Book of Two Ways , which also examines the “what could have been?” type concept. And both of these novels mention multiverses! Maybe they were watching some Endgame as they wrote these, haha.

Anyway, so we meet Nora and she’s down on her luck in every way. She’s carrying a lot of baggage, mainly because everyone seems to blame her for their own problems. If Nora had done this—maybe this would have been the result, etc. So she, at age 35, is already living a life full of regrets. How sad is that? But I’m sure people can relate to that. Mid-30s is enough time to look back and see where things could have gone differently but of course, it’s not too late to make a change. But for Nora, she thinks it’s all too late.

However, The Midnight Library is full of possibilities and shows her what would have happened if she made a different choice in life such as marrying her ex-boyfriend or if she continued her swim career. Each time she steps into an alternate reality, she learns some very key lessons along the way.

What’s fulfilling in life

If you haven’t read Matt Haig’s stories before, they are actually quite philosophical in many ways. In fact, Nora was a philosophy major in college, so we have plenty of that thought process as she experiences all the different realities. This is one way I feel that his stories rise above others with similar concepts—truly pondering what is fulfilling in life?

As you read the story, you might know where it will end up—but as always, the key is the journey itself. I loved how everything wrapped up. I want to say more but no spoilers here!!! Just know I think this is well worth your time.

I highly recommend this for book clubs. There’s so much to talk about with this one. Check out my book club questions here .

Book Review: “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig

I picked up the midnight library without much information about the plot. little did i know that it would be one of the most life-changing books i’ve ever read..

You know those books that just stick with you, long after you’ve finished reading them and moved on to other books? The Midnight Library has done that for me. It instantly became one of my favorite books of 2020, but it went deeper than that. This book really rearranged my perspective and made me appreciate my life.

I realized after reading this book that the author, Matt Haig, is quite well known for some of his other books, including Reasons to Stay Alive and the incredibly quotable How to Stop Time . Let me state right now that I have every intention of gobbling up the rest of his books as soon as I possibly can.

Let me tell you why The Midnight Library was so devastatingly life-changing.

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*Mentions of both suicide/depression throughout my review

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of How To Stop Time and The Comfort Book .

Content Warnings: (Major) Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Drug use, Animal death, and Suicide, (Moderate) Alcoholism, Self harm, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

“The only way to learn is to live” The Midnight Library

In high school, during what I believed to be the height of my depression, I read It’s Kind of a Funny Story . I had never felt so seen. It made what I was going through feel less bizarre and more normalized and it also gave me hope for what was to come. Little did I know that depression would follow me into adulthood and suicide would be something I wouldn’t just contemplate but would also attempt more than once.

I’m nearing 30, crazy in love, and the founder of my own business. I could continue to list all the good in my life, but what I’m working towards saying is that, despite all of the incredible things that I get to experience daily, I still struggle with depression. It hangs like a cloud above me and sometimes the littlest things gather up and begin to feel like the worst things. I promise… this is leading up to something great!

I sobbed my way through The Midnight Library because it was like I was seen all over again but from a new perspective. I had read a few negative reviews of this book before getting it for myself, but after reading it, I began to feel as though the negative reviewers must have never experienced a lick of depression in their life, because this book hit all of it right on the nose. It depicted the hopeless feelings and general lack of desire to continue on that many depressed individuals experience.

However, it also did a phenomenal job walking the reader through just why it’s so important to continue actively working to live! My gosh, the redemption alone made me grateful that I read this book. I’ve never been so thankful for the way a book highlighted WHY and HOW living is the best choice.

This book can be incredibly triggering, especially if you’re currently in a low state or have walked through similar circumstances. Please approach this with caution and be gentle with yourself. At the same time, I also want to shove it in the face of every person who has experienced these things because it truly made me cherish my life all over again and I think it can do the same for so many others.

This isn’t a self-help book, but it will help. It will help those who have walked under this dark cloud and it will help those who need to know how to walk through it with others.

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This sounds like an amazing read, I’m yet to read one of Matt Haig’s books but I’m sure I will soon! x

Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk

It was absolutely phenomenal. Definitely tricky for me to read at times due to the triggering aspects of it. Simultaneously, it was SO HELPFUL because it gave me a new perspective that really made a difference in my life. I’m truly grateful for it.

Lovely review. I’m definitely adding this to my reading list.

I’m hoping that you not only add it to your reading list but that you actually read it (it can be so easy to add and then forget about a book). It’s incredibly impactful and I think you will love it.

Aww! This honestly gave me chills! You are not alone at all and I’m so happy that this book ended up being so much more than just that. You are amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I’ve totally been there and I know that this is going to help a lot of people <3

Lizzie http://www.lizzieinlace.com

I definitely wasn’t expecting it to be such an emotional read. I kinda got it because the title sounded fun to me. Little did I know that it would impact me in the way that it did. It was certainly triggering at times, but in the long run, I’m so grateful that I read it because it has now become one of my all-time favorites. I think I could continue to learn something new from it with each read.

I have read a few reviews on this book but I have to say yours resonated with me the most and now I am convinced I have to read this book. I will have to snag a copy and read it as soon as possible.

That honestly means so much to me. I’m glad that sharing my own personal story (however “nutshell” that version was) made an impact on you in this way. I look forward to hearing your thoughts once you’ve read the book!

I’m not sure if you know, but I have PTSD and went through EMDR therapy to combat my trauma and to heal my chronic anxiety and depression. The only weird thing is that I now have difficulty relating to books like this (because the memory no longer feels like my own). But everyone is so touched by this book and I know I’ll find that, too. So it stays on my wishlist!!

I definitely wasn’t aware of that and I need to just tell you that I admire you so much. Going through any kind of traumatic recovery process is daunting and extensive, so knowing that you’ve come out swinging is incredible to me. I can imagine that experiencing that disconnect is a little strange, but I know that you will still understand and be touched by the importance of the message in this book. I look forward to hearing what you think when you do read it!

I’ve heard really great things about this book and would love to read it!

For good reason. This book is excellent and if you’ve experienced any sort of mental health struggle in your life, I’m sure it will be all the more impactful. I know that was the case for myself.

Thank you for sharing such a detailed review. It is great that you have warned people that it could be triggering before they buy it. I have seen matt haig being mentioned before. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

It was really important to me to include the trigger/content warning because none of the other reviews I’ve read in the past have included that and I know it was triggering to me, but it could affect others at a higher intensity. Matt Haig is an excellent author. I’m looking forward to reading his other books!

I’ve heard so many good things about The Midnight Library. You’ve written such a great review. I feel like I really need to read this book myself.

I’m so glad you enjoyed reading the review. I hope it has prompted you to read it. It’s an incredible book and I think you’ll really like it!

I love it when an author can express themselves and allow their readers to connect like that. I’m sure they never will realize the impact they will have and the freedom they will give their readers. Such a great thing to consider with everything we write!

I knew very little about the author prior to reading the book and after finishing it, I went and did some research. He’s an amazing person with quite a life story. I’m really grateful for his vulnerability and the way he uses his own experiences to weave such beautiful tales. This book was certainly impactful!

This book sounds so therapeutic. I may just have to pick up a copy for myself.

Therapeutic is a good description. I think it could be for those who want to find beauty in life after struggling to see it for some time. It certainly opened my own eyes. I’m really grateful for the impact it had on me, personally.

Wonderful review! It sounds so good, and your review makes me want to read it!

I’m glad to hear that! I always hope that my reviews inspire others to read the books I’m sharing.

This is such a great book review. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts about it.

Thank you for the encouragement! I hope you get a chance to read it 🙂

I recently saw someone else recommend this book on IG. Sounds so deep! I have never experienced depression, but know so many people who have. I’m so glad this book made you feel seen and you found it so helpful too.

You’re one of the lucky ones, friend! It’s a terrible thing to walk through, but reading books like this make me feel less alone, and they also inspire me to create a better future for myself with a brighter outlook. I’m grateful for the way they affect me!

Thank you so much for sharing this! Nice to have found a book without any expectations and then to be life changing. That’s amazing! I’ll have to look into this book

It’s a really special experience to go into reading a book without knowing much and then having it blow you away. That’s definitely what happened here. I’m grateful for the fact that I did read it and for the way it changed my life!

I’ve never read the book or heard of the author. But definitely going to add this to my reading list now!

I hope so! It was one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read. I know it’ll make a world of difference for others as well.

I just want to start off by saying that I am SO thankful you’re still here with us, Stephanie! You are such a kind, wonderful person and I cherish our friendship, even if it is only online and through our blogs. You’re a strong, intelligent woman and I’m thankful to know you! I love reading your book reviews, because I can tell how strong your passion for literature is, and that you love what you do. Plus, they always make me interested in books I either wouldn’t have thought I’d like, or didn’t know of until I read your reviews.

This book sounds like yet another book you’ve read I need to add to my reading list!

I can’t even begin to express how much I appreciate this genuine, heartfelt comment, Annie. Thank you so much for the kindness you’ve shown me. I’m thankful that I’m still here as well (and if you had told me I’d feel this way even 7 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you). I’m thankful for books like these that continue to give me a fresh perspective and change the way I think about life. It’s incredible how books can mean so much, isn’t it? Literature makes such an impact! Thank you for your sweet words of encouragement. I’m sending you a GIANT virtual hug right now!

Thanks for sharing, this definitely sounds like a book I should pick up. Dealing with depression often feels like an unending battle, but there is some comfort in knowing so many others share the same struggles and still manage to build amazing lives for themselves.

It absolutely does feel that way. It’s like trudging through mud that never goes away. And that’s a light description, as I’m sure you’re aware. I’m grateful for authors who put things into perspective and give me new reasons to love life.

this looks like a great book that I need to add to my list! I definitely get a bit down emotionally as well during this time of year and think this book would really help me as well.

kileen cute & little

I guess it would also provide a new perspective for those who experience seasonal depression, but I will say that it’s far more in-depth and focuses a bit more on heavier trauma and suicide. If that’s something that doesn’t affect you negatively while reading, I highly suggest it.

I found this review after doing a search to see if anyone has explored why some people love this book and find it inspiring, while others absolutely hate it and call it trite garbage. I’m one of the ones who loves it, and I think you are correct in your assessment that “negative reviewers must have never experienced a lick of depression in their life,” That’s the conclusion I’ve been coming to. I made the mistake of recommending it for a book club meeting and I was the only one who appreciated it. Everyone else trashed it and that left me feeling a little despondent. Now I know that the book is definitely not for everybody, just those that need the message in it. Thanks for your review.

The Best Books I Read in 2020

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Entertainment

If You've Seen The Midnight Library on TikTok, Take This as Your Sign to Pick Up a Copy

As a voracious reader, I'll take a book recommendation from just about anywhere; I'm always looking for new titles to add to the stack of books on my nightstand (currently there are 11, but that's a story for another day). I have been scrolling on BookTok for a while now, and after seeing one too many reviews of The Midnight Library ($13, originally $26) by Matt Haig, I knew I needed to pick up a copy.

The book tells the story of Nora Seed, who feels as though her life is no longer worth living. She ends up in the Midnight Library, a place in between life and death, where she is able to try on different lives she could have lived. She becomes a rock star, a bar owner, a mother, and everything in between, but no life is perfect. Nora has a lot of "grass is always greener" syndrome, and admittedly, her character isn't always likable. As she travels through time and space, seeing what other lives could have been, she slowly deepens her gratitude for her own existence, the one she was so willing to leave behind. In that realization, her demeanor changes, and I found myself rooting for her by the end.

It's so easy to think that life would be better if only we had something that's out of our grasp, and Haig shows us that, quite simply, it isn't always true.

The big critique I've seen of this book is that it's predictable. It's not that I disagree so much as that it doesn't matter to me. Sure, the ending is more uplifting and the basic premise is familiar: you don't know what you have until it's gone, and gratitude and perspective are essential. But the story is told beautifully by Haig. He deals with delicate topics gracefully, never shying away from something difficult but also being sensitive with his words. It's so easy to think that life would be better if only we had something that's out of our grasp, and Haig shows us that, quite simply, it isn't always true.

If you read this book for nothing else, read it for Mrs. Elm, Nora's old schoolteacher who guides her through the Midnight Library. She is a chess player who knows just when to spit out the right words of wisdom, and her character is both endearing and thought-provoking. The world of The Midnight Library will suck you in, and don't be surprised if you finish it quickly. I know I did.

Standout Quote

"Never underestimate the big importance of small things."

Read This If You Like . . .

Uplifting stories or any other BookTok standouts.

POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Prompt(s)

If you're reading this one for the 2021 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge , use it for these prompts:

A book everyone seems to have read but you
A book about do-overs or fresh starts
A magical realism book

How Long It Takes to Read

I would give this three to five days. It's not too long, and once you get into it, it will move quickly.

Give This Book To . . .

Your best friend, or anyone who hasn't already read it.

The Sweet Spot Summary

In The Midnight Library , Nora Seed gets the opportunity to try out all the lives she could have lived, only to find out that her own life may just be the most exciting of them all.

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Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library was a sensation. His new novel is much stranger

The ibiza-set story of self-discovery verges on the supernatural, but its warmth and euphoria are seductive.

Grace Winters is an uptight 72-year-old retired maths teacher who has been unable to enjoy life since the loss of her husband and son. When she receives a message that she has been left a house in Ibiza by a friend she hasn’t seen or heard from for decades, she decides to go and see it more out of duty than curiosity. The island’s hedonism and yoga retreats really aren’t Grace’s bag. But when she gets to the Isla Blanca she finds that amid the bougainvillaea-strewn fincas, the partying and the pine trees, there is something else to discover – her own self-worth. Matt Haig likes to write about regret. His bestselling novel The Midnight Library , though ostensibly about depression, was really about the regret of the path not taken, its protagonist shown all the parallel lives she might have led, and asked if there’s one she’d prefer. The Life Impossible is rooted in a similar place. Grace is so full of regret and self-loathing (over events that are slowly disclosed) that she has lived numb even to the possibility of happiness.

This book, like The Midnight Library , also has a speculative edge, but it is far, far madder. As Grace tries to find out what happened to Christina, the friend who left her the house but whose body has never been found, she acquires a posse of eccentric friends: a marine biologist who threw away his reputation for a preposterous theory; a world-famous DJ who inexplicably (and all too conveniently) overshares in a supermarket. Grace is exposed, as are we, to a plethora of bonkers notions: extra-terrestrial life, telekinesis, the meaning of life as defined by mathematical theorem. There’s also a big, bad property developer with an agenda and a goat called Nostradamus. As Grace herself says: “I have no doubt you are as confused by all this as I was.” Yes, quite.

Robert Harris is the godfather of historical fiction - but Precipice has one problem

As Haig’s tale gets stranger and stranger, there’s always the risk that it will become not just improbable but totally unwieldy, with the reader required to buy into a gear shift that is essentially a genre U-turn.

It’s certainly true that the first few times the paranormal secret behind Christina’s disappearance is revealed to us (and Grace) it feels laughable and requires a fair bit of good faith from the reader to push on. It doesn’t help that Haig’s prose is sometimes peppered with platitudes: “Sometimes what looks like magic is simply a part of life we don’t understand” and “The point of desperation is often the point of truth”, and so on. There are points where it feels a bit too self-helpy.

In addition, towards the end, Haig becomes a little too didactic about the story’s message: you’re never too old for a fresh start! The book is structured as a letter from Grace to an old, depressed pupil asking for advice, so the didacticism does serve a narrative purpose, but the simplistic and repeated nature of its delivery still feels heavy-handed.

But there’s also a distinct warmth and self-belief to Haig’s writing that makes us want to go along for the ride. In Ibiza, we are constantly told, age is of no consequence. There’s a magnificence to Grace’s second act, a whizzing euphoria that feels contagious. I wanted to spend time with her, I wanted to find out if her madcap plans would work, and the whole thing made me desperately want to go to Ibiza, with or without supernatural leanings.

And if some of the plot details here are a touch absurd, the location also lends them a certain inevitability, as if this were all one wild, drug-fuelled night out, leaving its reader, like Grace, contemplating the beauty of the little things, from orange juice to goats, however silly that might seem.

Published by Canongate Books on 29 August

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The Midnight Library (Review, Recap & Full Summary)

By matt haig.

Book review, full book summary and synopsis for The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, an uplifting book for book lovers.

The Midnight Library is about Nora, a thirty-something woman who is regretful about her life and feels alienated and unneeded in this world. In the depths of her wallowing, she comes across the Midnight Library. In it, each book represents a portal into another variation of what her life could have been. As she reads the volumes, they allow her to access different versions of her life -- relationships she could have stuck with, careers she could have pursued and so on.

As she jumps in and out of these alternate realities, Nora's journey of self-discovery results in a life-affirming and reflective story about the choices we make, the paths we've chosen and each of our places in this world.

(The Full Plot Summary is also available, below)

Full Plot Summary

The one-paragraph version of this is: Nora Seed is unhappy in her life, tries to kill herself and finds herself at The Midnight Library, where she is able to try out different versions of her life. Through these alternate realities, she learns that the paths she'd regretted giving up weren't what she'd thought they would be. She eventually finds a life she's happy in, but in the process she learns that her original life had value. The Library dissolves as Nora decides to live. Nora returns to her original life, except now with less regrets and hope for the future.

The Midnight Library opens with a teenaged Nora Seed , who is smart and a talented swimmer. She is playing chess with the school librarian, Mrs. Elm , when she gets the news about her father's death. Nineteen years later, Nora is now a 35-year-old woman who is unhappy in her life.

A neighbor, Ash , informs her that her cat, Voltaire ("Volts") , has been hit by a car. Nora is upset and late for work, and she gets fired by her boss, Neil . She also runs to Ravi , who she was once in a band with along with her brother Joe . Both men blame her for dropping out right when they had a chance at a major record deal. After a string of other unfortunate events -- fired as a music tutor, reminded of having grown apart from her former best friend Izzy , etc. -- Nora decides to die, and she overdoses on pills at midnight.

Nora finds herself surrounded by mist, and she discovers The Midnight Library , where infinite rows of books represent portals into different variations of her life. Mrs. Elm (or something that resembles her) is here and serves as Nora's guide, explaining that the Library exists between life and death. Nora can stay in these alternate realities as long as she desires, but if she loses her will to live in the process then she will die forever.

Nora tries out a life with her ex, Dan , who she nearly married, only to discover that he would have gotten bored and cheated on her. She also tries a life where Volts was kept indoors to prevent it from being hit by a car, but learns the cat actually died of a health condition. Next, Nora is transported into a life where she moved to Australia with Izzy, but finds out Izzy would have died in a car accident. Nora then tries becoming an Olympic swimming, only to find out she is depressed in that life, too. When Nora tests out becoming an Artic researcher, she meets a man Hugo Lefèvre , who is also jumping between his alternate realities and has been doing so for a long time. But Nora longs to find a life to settle down in.

Nora tries a life where she stayed in her band and became a famous rock star, but she learns that becoming famous lead to Joe dying from substance abuse. From there, Mrs. Elm encourages Nora to pursue less "obvious" paths. Nora ends up trying out a multitude of lives and careers, ranging from becoming a single mom to running a winery or being an aid worker, but nothing sticks.

Finally, Nora recalls how Ash had once asked her out and tries a life where she'd accepted that date. Nora discovers a life that she thinks is quite nice, where they have a young daughter named Molly and a dog named Plato. In that life, Nora has patched up her relationship with Joe, and he is happily married. Nora thinks that this may be the best version of her life. However, when she goes back to her hometown she sees that her absence has had am impact. Nora sees that her neighbor, whom she used to help out, ended up having to move to a care facility. The music store she used to work at as a salesperson has closed down. And her music student, Leo , ended up falling in with a bad crowd instead of discovering his aptitude for piano.

Nora ends up letting go of that life and returning to the Midnight Library as it is falling apart. Mrs. Elm explains that her desire to live out her original life is causing the destruction. Mrs. Elm tells Nora how to exit, by finding the book representing her original life, and the Midnight Library dissolves. When Nora is back in her original, she stumbles outside for help (post-overdoing) and soon wakes in a hospital.

With her regrets laid to rest and with hope for the future, Nora is able to turn her life around. She works on patching things up with her brother, starts soliciting more students for music lessons in order to make a living and starts volunteering weekly at a homeless shelter. Nora also seeks out the real Mrs. Elm at the care facility to resume their games of chess.

For more detail, see the full Section-by-Section Summary .

If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ( $2 , $3 , or $5 ) or joining the Patreon !

Book Review

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig has been described as an uplifting book for book lovers, and it involves alternate realities so that automatically piqued my interest. I’ve been busy with some other projects and life stuff, plus struggling to get through some more “downer” type books, so I thought I’d switch to this one for a bit of a break.

I’ve actually never read anything by Matt Haig before, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but this book was a pleasant surprise. I also thought the audiobook narration, voiced by actress Carey Mulligan, was significantly better than your average narrator.

The Good Stuff

Reading The Midnight Library , it’s clear that author Matt Haig has spent considerable time thinking about The Big Questions in life, and this book is an extension or the result of that exploration. Haig has a specific message he wants to convey, and he does so through Nora Seed, the novel’s protagonist, a thirty-something woman who is dissatisfied with her life.

When Nora comes across the Midnight Library, it allows her to explore the different possible paths her life could have taken. The story is essentially about the “what ifs” in life, and it spends a lot of time considering things like what success is, how our actions affect others, or how our lives are shaped by the people around us.

While introspective, it’s also a lively book as Nora bounces from one possibility and life path to another. Though Nora is in a state of disillusionment about her life, Haig doesn’t spend much time wallowing in her unhappiness. Instead, he establishes her state of mind and then thankfully moves off of it.

As a whole, the book is hopeful and life-affirming, and it moves along briskly enough that I think most would find it a reasonably entertaining ride.

Some (Mild) Criticisms

That said, if you’re looking for something that is really intellectually engaging, this is probably not going to scratch that itch. The message Haig seeks to impart in The Midnight Library isn’t novel, nor is it particularly earth-shattering. Chances are, you’ve heard variations of these types of messages before many times. And yet, reading it, I felt reassured and comforted. It’s the type of things we all know, but need reminders of sometime.

I sort of wish this book had a little bit of humor in it. I think it would have rounded out some of the rougher edges of the book and lifted up some of the more depressing parts as well. As I was reading this, I kept thinking about Anxious People , which I read not too long ago, and how that book did such a good job of being uplifting and sweet without becoming too cloying, mostly because of its use of humor.

Read it or Skip it?

Perhaps as a result of the tumultuous times we’re living in, there seems to be a certain appetite for books and movies that probe into the Big Questions in life right now. The Midnight Library is sort of a light foray into that territory. It’s an exploration of the lives one could have lived, the things that shape us and the possibilities that open up or close behind us.

Through The Midnight Library , Haig reflects on life decisions and the meaning of life, but he does so with a very light touch. It’s not a heavy or weighty book. I wouldn’t go into this expecting some sort of life-changing revelation. I liked the story, even if I didn’t really find it all that incisive or ground-breaking.

Instead, I think this would be perfect for someone who wants to read something about the “Big Questions” in life, but doesn’t want to read anything too dense or depressing. I also think this is worth reading if you really like the idea of alternate realities.

Overall, I enjoyed this book more that I initially thought I’d would, and I’m certain I’ll be revisiting Haig’s writing in the future. Also, if you’re looking for a life-affirming and fun book to read, I’d recommend taking a look at Anxious People , too, which was released a few months ago.

See The Midnight Library on Amazon .

The Midnight Library Audiobook Review

The audiobook for The Midnight Library is narrated by actress Carey Mulligan and is really quite good. As you might imagine, the acting is significantly better than the average audiobook, and Mulligan’s voice is pleasant to listen to. She voices a drunk guy with an American accent at one point which was spot on; typically, accents in audiobooks range from somewhat passable to cringeworthy, even in the best of them. So, this was a nice upgrade.

Point is, this is a fantastic choice for an audiobook if this title interests you. It runs a little less than 9 hours.

Check out a clip of it at Libro.fm .

Discussion Questions

What do you think about Haig’s idea of success and the pursuit of success?
Why do you think of Nora’s “successful” life? Would you have wanted to stay in that version of her life?
Haig repeats the line “the only way to learn is to live” a few times in the book. Do you agree with this, and do you think it was necessary for Nora to venture into the version of her life where Voltaire is an indoor cat in order to understand that she was a good pet owner?
Do you think Nora’s parents were good parents?
What do you think of Nora’s relationship with her father? Do you think Nora was right or justified to be resentful of her father?
Why does Nora decide to forgive her parents? Do you think their histories absolve them for whatever wrongs Nora thinks they’ve done?
What do you think your version of the Midnight Library and who your guide would be?
What did you think of the references to various philosophers in the book. Did you think it enhanced your reading experience?
What do you think you got out of this book? What parts made you think the most? Were there any parts that made you reflect on your own life?
Why do you think Mrs. Elm brings up the story about Nora swimming across the river?
Why do you think Nora struggles so much trying to find a life she wants to live?
What did you think Nora’s decisions throughout the book? Are there lives you would have stayed in for longer or given more of a chance?
What do you think of Haig’s reminder to “Never underestimate the big importance of small things”. How does Haig illustrate that in The Midnight Library, and do you think what happens in the book seems realistic?
Haig describes Nora’s (and Hugo’s) experiences as being their brain’s way of translating “the strange and multifarious reality of the universe”. He also talks about how quantum physicists generally accept that alternate realities are a possibility. Do you agree with this and do you think that alternate realities are possible?
What did you think of the ending of this book?

Book Excerpt

Read the first pages of The Midnight Library

Movie / TV Show Adaptation

See Everything We Know About the 'The Midnight Library' Adaptation

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I was very disappointed with this book. It seemed more of a prototype for screen adaptation of the 1989 Sci-Fi Television series, Quantum Leap.(U.S The exception being the feature of a strong female lead. Nora seemed emotionally underdeveloped in all of her lives. Her “root “ self, with all her insecurities and self doubt overshadowed any possibilities for her to have developed into her chosen alternate states. She was definitely a product of bad parenting. Her brother Joe wasn’t far behind! Haig spends a lit of time talking at his reader, time better spent would have been developing his characters and sub plots. Guess that’s not where the money is anymore.

I agree. Characters kind of cliche, everything handed to the reader, the physics explanation is merit less. I was looking forward to this book, but halfway through I started feeling embarrassed for the author. This might be a good YA choice, but for an adult it’s a little insulting.

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The Midnight Library: A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel)

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The Midnight Library: A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel) Paperback – May 9, 2023

Print length 304 pages
Language English
Publisher Penguin Books
Publication date May 9, 2023
Dimensions 5.08 x 0.8 x 7.67 inches
ISBN-10 0525559493
ISBN-13 978-0525559498
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The Midnight Library by Matt Haig — #1 New York Times Bestseller

Editorial Reviews

A Conversation About Rain

Nineteen years before she decided to die, Nora Seed sat in the warmth of the small library at Hazeldene School in the town of Bedford. She sat at a low table staring at a chess board.

'Nora dear, it's natural to worry about your future,' said the librarian, Mrs Elm, her eyes twinkling.

Mrs Elm made her first move. A knight hopping over the neat row of white pawns. 'Of course, you're going to be worried about the exams. But you could be anything you want to be, Nora. Think of all that possibility. It's exciting.'

'Yes. I suppose it is.'

'A whole life in front of you.'

'A whole life.'

'You could do anything, live anywhere. Somewhere a bit less cold and wet.'

Nora pushed a pawn forward two spaces.

It was hard not to compare Mrs Elm to her mother, who treated Nora like a mistake in need of correction. For instance, when she was a baby her mother had been so worried Nora's left ear stuck out more than her right that she'd used sticky tape to address the situation, then disguised it beneath a woollen bonnet.

'I hate the cold and wet,' added Mrs Elm, for emphasis.

Mrs Elm had short grey hair and a kind and mildly crinkled oval face sitting pale above her turtle-green polo neck. She was quite old. But she was also the person most on Nora's wavelength in the entire school, and even on days when it wasn't raining she would spend her afternoon break in the small library.

'Coldness and wetness don't always go together,' Nora told her. 'Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth. Technically, it's a desert.'

'Well, that sounds up your street.'

'I don't think it's far enough away.'

'Well, maybe you should be an astronaut. Travel the galaxy.'

Nora smiled. 'The rain is even worse on other planets.'

'Worse than Bedfordshire?'

'On Venus it is pure acid.'

Mrs Elm pulled a paper tissue from her sleeve and delicately blew her nose. 'See? With a brain like yours you can do anything.'

A blond boy Nora recognised from a couple of years below her ran past outside the rain-speckled window. Either chasing someone or being chased. Since her brother had left, she'd felt a bit unguarded out there. The library was a little shelter of civilisation.

'Dad thinks I've thrown everything away. Now I've stopped swimming.'

'Well, far be it from me to say, but there is more to this world than swimming really fast. There are many different possible lives ahead of you. Like I said last week, you could be a glaciologist. I've been researching and the-'

And it was then that the phone rang.

'One minute,' said Mrs Elm, softly. 'I'd better get that.'

A moment later, Nora watched Mrs Elm on the phone. 'Yes. She's here now.' The librarian's face fell in shock. She turned away from Nora, but her words were audible across the hushed room: 'Oh no. No. Oh my God. Of course . . .'

Nineteen Years Later

The Man at the Door

Twenty-seven hours before she decided to die, Nora Seed sat on her dilapidated sofa scrolling through other people's happy lives, waiting for something to happen. And then, out of nowhere, something actually did.

Someone, for whatever peculiar reason, rang her doorbell.

She wondered for a moment if she shouldn't get the door at all. She was, after all, already in her night clothes even though it was only nine p.m. She felt self-conscious about her over-sized ECO WORRIER T-shirt and her tartan pyjama bottoms.

She put on her slippers, to be slightly more civilised, and discovered that the person at the door was a man, and one she recognised.

He was tall and gangly and boyish, with a kind face, but his eyes were sharp and bright, like they could see through things.

It was good to see him, if a little surprising, especially as he was wearing sports gear and he looked hot and sweaty despite the cold, rainy weather. The juxtaposition between them made her feel even more slovenly than she had done five seconds earlier.

But she'd been feeling lonely. And though she'd studied enough existential philosophy to believe loneliness was a fundamental part of being a human in an essentially meaningless universe, it was good to see him.

'Ash,' she said, smiling. 'It's Ash, isn't it?'

'Yes. It is.'

'What are you doing here? It's good to see you.'

A few weeks ago she'd been sat playing her electric piano and he'd run down Bancroft Avenue and had seen her in the window here at 33A and given her a little wave. He had once - years ago - asked her out for a coffee. Maybe he was about to do that again.

'It's good to see you too,' he said, but his tense forehead didn't show it.

When she'd spoken to him in the shop, he'd always sounded breezy, but now his voice contained something heavy. He scratched his brow. Made another sound but didn't quite manage a full word.

'You running?' A pointless question. He was clearly out for a run. But he seemed relieved, momentarily, to have something trivial to say.

'Yeah. I'm doing the Bedford Half. It's this Sunday.'

'Oh right. Great. I was thinking of doing a half-marathon and then I remembered I hate running.'

This had sounded funnier in her head than it did as actual words being vocalised out of her mouth. She didn't even hate running. But still, she was perturbed to see the seriousness of his expression. The silence went beyond awkward into something else.

'You told me you had a cat,' he said eventually.

'Yes. I have a cat.'

'I remembered his name. Voltaire. A ginger tabby?'

'Yeah. I call him Volts. He finds Voltaire a bit pretentious. It turns out he's not massively into eighteenth-century French philosophy and literature. He's quite down-to-earth. You know. For a cat.'

Ash looked down at her slippers.

'I'm afraid I think he's dead.'

'He's lying very still by the side of the road. I saw the name on the collar, I think a car might have hit him. I'm sorry, Nora.'

She was so scared of her sudden switch in emotions right then that she kept smiling, as if the smile could keep her in the world she had just been in, the one where Volts was alive and where this man she'd sold guitar songbooks to had rung her doorbell for another reason.

Ash, she remembered, was a surgeon. Not a veterinary one, a general human one. If he said something was dead it was, in all probability, dead.

'I'm so sorry.'

Nora had a familiar sense of grief. Only the sertraline stopped her crying. 'Oh God.'

She stepped out onto the wet cracked paving slabs of Bancroft Avenue, hardly breathing, and saw the poor ginger-furred creature lying on the rain-glossed tarmac beside the kerb. His head grazed the side of the pavement and his legs were back as if in mid-gallop, chasing some imaginary bird.

'Oh Volts. Oh no. Oh God.'

She knew she should be experiencing pity and despair for her feline friend - and she was - but she had to acknowledge something else. As she stared at Voltaire's still and peaceful expression - that total absence of pain - there was an inescapable feeling brewing in the darkness.

String Theory

Nine and a half hours before she decided to die, Nora arrived late for her afternoon shift at String Theory.

'I'm sorry,' she told Neil, in the scruffy little windowless box of an office. 'My cat died. Last night. And I had to bury him. Well, someone helped me bury him. But then I was left alone in my flat and I couldn't sleep and forgot to set the alarm and didn't wake up till midday and then had to rush.'

This was all true, and she imagined her appearance - including make-up-free face, loose makeshift ponytail and the same second-hand green corduroy pinafore dress she had worn to work all week, garnished with a general air of tired despair - would back her up.

Neil looked up from his computer and leaned back in his chair. He joined his hands together and made a steeple of his index fingers, which he placed under his chin, as if he was Confucius contemplating a deep philosophical truth about the universe rather than the boss of a musical equipment shop dealing with a late employee. There was a massive Fleetwood Mac poster on the wall behind him, the top right corner of which had come unstuck and flopped down like a puppy's ear.

'Listen, Nora, I like you.'

Neil was harmless. A fifty-something guitar aficionado who liked cracking bad jokes and playing passable old Dylan covers live in the store.

'And I know you've got mental-health stuff.'

'Everyone's got mental-health stuff.'

'You know what I mean.'

'I'm feeling much better, generally,' she lied. 'It's not clinical. The doctor says it's situational depression. It's just that I keep on having new . . . situations. But I haven't taken a day off sick for it all. Apart from when my mum . . . Yeah. Apart from that.'

Neil sighed. When he did so he made a whistling sound out of his nose. An ominous B flat. 'Nora, how long have you worked here?'

'Twelve years and . . .' - she knew this too well - '. . . eleven months and three days. On and off.'

'That's a long time. I feel like you are made for better things. You're in your late thirties.'

'I'm thirty-five.'

'You've got so much going for you. You teach people piano . . .'

'One person.'

He brushed a crumb off his sweater.

'Did you picture yourself stuck in your hometown working in a shop? You know, when you were fourteen? What did you picture yourself as?'

'At fourteen? A swimmer.' She'd been the fastest fourteen-year-old girl in the country at breaststroke and second-fastest at freestyle. She remembered standing on a podium at the National Swimming Championships.

'So, what happened?'

She gave the short version. 'It was a lot of pressure.'

'Pressure makes us, though. You start off as coal and the pressure makes you a diamond.'

She didn't correct his knowledge of diamonds. She didn't tell him that while coal and diamonds are both carbon, coal is too impure to be able, under whatever pressure, to become a diamond. According to science, you start off as coal and you end up as coal. Maybe that was the real-life lesson.

She smoothed a stray strand of her coal-black hair up towards her ponytail.

'What are you saying, Neil?'

'It's never too late to pursue a dream.'

'Pretty sure it's too late to pursue that one.'

'You're a very well qualified person, Nora. Degree in Philosophy . . .'

Nora stared down at the small mole on her left hand. That mole had been through everything she'd been through. And it just stayed there, not caring. Just being a mole. 'Not a massive demand for philosophers in Bedford, if I'm honest, Neil.'

'You went to uni, had a year in London, then came back.'

'I didn't have much of a choice.'

Nora didn't want a conversation about her dead mum. Or even Dan. Because Neil had found Nora's backing out of a wedding with two days' notice the most fascinating love story since Kurt and Courtney.

'We all have choices, Nora. There's such a thing as free will.'

'Well, not if you subscribe to a deterministic view of the universe.'

'But why here?'

'It was either here or the Animal Rescue Centre. This paid better. Plus, you know, music.'

'You were in a band. With your brother.'

'I was. The Labyrinths. We weren't really going anywhere.'

'Your brother tells a different story.'

This took Nora by surprise. 'Joe? How do you-'

'He bought an amp. Marshall DSL40.'

'He was in Bedford?'

'Unless it was a hologram. Like Tupac.'

He was probably visiting Ravi, Nora thought. Ravi was her brother's best friend. While Joe had given up the guitar and moved to London, for a crap IT job he hated, Ravi had stuck to Bedford. He played in a covers band now, called Slaughterhouse Four, doing pub gigs around town.

'Right. That's interesting.'

Nora was pretty certain her brother knew Friday was her day off. The fact prodded her from inside.

'I'm happy here.'

'Except you aren't.'

He was right. A soul-sickness festered within her. Her mind was throwing itself up. She widened her smile.

'I mean, I am happy with the job. Happy as in, you know, satisfied. Neil, I need this job.'

'You are a good person. You worry about the world. The homeless, the environment.'

'I need a job.'

He was back in his Confucius pose. 'You need freedom.'

'I don't want freedom.'

'This isn't a non-profit organisation. Though I have to say it is rapidly becoming one.'

'Look, Neil, is this about what I said the other week? About you needing to modernise things? I've got some ideas of how to get younger peo-'

'No,' he said, defensively. 'This place used to just be guitars. String Theory, get it? I diversified. Made this work. It's just that when times are tough I can't pay you to put off customers with your face looking like a wet weekend.'

'I'm afraid, Nora' - he paused for a moment, about the time it takes to lift an axe into the air - 'I'm going to have to let you go.'

To Live Is to Suffer

Nine hours before she decided to die, Nora wandered around Bedford aimlessly. The town was a conveyor belt of despair. The pebble-dashed sports centre where her dead dad once watched her swim lengths of the pool, the Mexican restaurant where she'd taken Dan for fajitas, the hospital where her mum had her treatment.

Dan had texted her yesterday.

Nora, I miss your voice. Can we talk? D x

She'd said she was stupidly hectic (big lol). Yet it was impossible to text anything else. Not because she didn't still feel for him, but because she did. And couldn't risk hurting him again. She'd ruined his life. My life is chaos, he'd told her, via drunk texts, shortly after the would-be wedding she'd pulled out of two days before.

The universe tended towards chaos and entropy. That was basic thermodynamics. Maybe it was basic existence too.

You lose your job, then more shit happens.

The wind whispered through the trees.

It began to rain.

She headed towards the shelter of a newsagent's, with the deep - and, as it happened, correct - sense that things were about to get worse.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books (May 9, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0525559493
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0525559498
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.08 x 0.8 x 7.67 inches
#10 in Time Travel Fiction
#109 in Literary Fiction (Books)
#426 in Genre Literature & Fiction

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About the author

Matt Haig is the internationally bestselling author of the novels The Midnight Library, How to Stop Time, The Humans, The Radleys, children's novel A Boy Called Christmas, and memoir Reasons to Stay Alive. His latest novel is The Life Impossible, which will be published in summer 2024. His work has been translated into over fifty languages.

@matthaig1 | matthaig.com

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Customers say

Customers find the writing style entertaining, simple, and light. They also appreciate the lovely character development and engrossing plot. Readers describe the book as unique, different, and a quick read. They describe the content as thought-provoking and heart-tugging. Opinions are mixed on comprehensibility and emotional tone, with some finding it hard to put down and others finding it tedious at times.

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Customers find the plot engrossing, creative, and thoughtful. They also say the book deals with real-life issues in a sensitive and well-thought-out way. Readers also mention the characters are empathetic and filled with hope.

"...The narrative flows seamlessly , effortlessly blending Nora's present circumstances with the exploration of her parallel lives in the Midnight Library..." Read more

"...I really appreciated that.There were times when this story was beautiful as it reminded me just how much the decisions we make and the..." Read more

"... Highly engaging and worth your time to buy and read." Read more

" Not a particularly happy book , but I enjoyed reading it. Some of the concepts were innovative and interesting...." Read more

Customers find the book thought-provoking, life affirming, and deep. They also appreciate the larger views of the author's life and mentions of other journeys. Readers also mention the book makes them wonder about parallel lives and explore life's infinite paths. However, some readers feel the book gets a little boring toward the end.

"...Some of the concepts were innovative and interesting . I would recommend it for a light read.The writing was smooth." Read more

"A simple and uplifting read . The turn and moral not clever enough to make you think...." Read more

"...The Midnight Library" raises profound philosophical questions about the meaning of life, the impact of our choices, and the infinite possibilities..." Read more

"...a script for the TV show Quantum Leap, I found the parallel universes premise interesting and well managed by the embedded explanations S the story..." Read more

Customers find the writing style simple, straightforward, and clean. They also say the author does a great job injecting humor and philosophy into each chapter. Customers also say it's provoking and deep while being light and fun.

"...I would recommend it for a light read.The writing was smooth ." Read more

"...Matt Haig's writing is both poignant and introspective, evoking a range of emotions that will resonate with readers...." Read more

"I did not dislike anything. This is a brilliantly written book , filled with wisdom, humor and the fantasy of making a change to your regrets from..." Read more

"This book is well written and thought provoking. It's in the same realm as the Canadian TV show Being Erika...." Read more

Customers find the book easy to read and hard to put down. They also say the content is thought-provoking and the short chapters make the book go by quickly. Readers also describe the book as a feel-good self-help book wrapped up in a fictional ride.

"Story moved along nicely, short chapters , great read for vacation...." Read more

"A really great, simple to read book with a clear message." Read more

"...so before I get to that, I'll just say that I enjoyed this simple and quick read that made me think some and reevaluate how I look at life...." Read more

"...However, I personally liked the quick read and would recommend it." Read more

Customers find the character development in the book lovely.

"...Did the author create believable and consistent characters ? Did the author manufacture vivid scenes and detailed locations?..." Read more

"... Nora's character is beautifully crafted , and her journey is one of self-discovery that many readers will find relatable...." Read more

"...The characters sucked too, and the only thing keeping me from hating even the main character by the end was the fact that it really wasn’t her fault..." Read more

"... Character was interesting and you actually find yourself cheering her on to find her best life." Read more

Customers find the book unique, different, and unusual. They also say it could make a great movie or TV series.

"Loved this book. It was different and full of adventure without leaving the library." Read more

"...was not preachy instead it was refreshingly thought provoking and original . I enjoyed it immensely and could not put it down." Read more

"...He is truly gifted in creating characters familiar to all but unique and interesting as well." Read more

"...I think that this could make a great movie - or even a great tv series - it was compelling and fun and has a great message - I wasn’t captured..." Read more

Customers are mixed about the emotional tone. Some mention the book is full of sorrow, yet overflowing with love and joy. They say it's uplifting for anyone, depressed or not, and makes a person feel less regret. However, others say it’s slow, depressing, and hard to find relatability. They also say the ending came with too much sentimentality and moralizing. They mention that there are a lot of intense, almost stressful moments in the book. They feel the book gets repetitive and frustrating, and is universal and unsurprising, with an predictable ending.

"Well…that was depressing. Short and sad . Would recommend if you want to be sad for an afternoon and feel defeated." Read more

"...This is a gem of a novel, quirky, relatable, funny, tragic , very human...." Read more

"...There are a lot of intense, almost stressful moments in the book , so I wouldn't necessarily call it a feel-goodfeel story...." Read more

"...Certainly, the first chapter was painfully believable and realistically depressing . Unfortunately, I found the story very predictable, which..." Read more

Customers are mixed about the comprehensibility of the book. Some mention it's beautifully written and hard to put down, while others say the story becomes silly or hard to follow.

"...gave it 4 stars was because at a point is seemed repetitive and it got tedious .I liked the book but it certainly wasn't one of my "must reads"" Read more

"...I highly suggested to everyone. It goes by quick and it’s hard to put down just like life!" Read more

"This was a great book. A little difficult to get into but about half way through I couldn't put it down!" Read more

"Loved it! Couldn’t put it down - it really makes you think!" Read more

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The midnight library.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 0 Reviews
Kids Say 0 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Little-girl librarian helps animal friends in sweet story.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 3+?

Any positive content.

Reading is fun! Librarians are helpful. Libraries are places of pleasure, with s

The little-girl librarian and her animal assistants cheerfully help all the anim

Celebrates books and libraries and reading. Teaches young readers about the diff

Positive Messages

Reading is fun! Librarians are helpful. Libraries are places of pleasure, with space both for quiet reading and for noisier group activities.

Positive Role Models

The little-girl librarian and her animal assistants cheerfully help all the animal visitors to the library, meeting all their different needs.

Educational Value

Celebrates books and libraries and reading. Teaches young readers about the different areas of a library (the quiet room, the activity room), how to choose a book, and the advantages of having a library card.

Parents need to know that The Midnight Library is a charming tale of a young pigtailed librarian and her animal friends. It’s set in a library open only from "midnight to dawn," and the very appealing three-color, blocky art has an old-fashioned feel that underscores the fun and mystery of the midnight hour. The story is simple: The little librarian helps out the animals who visit the library, directing noisy squirrels to the activity room, comforting a lone wolf who's reading a sad story, and issuing a library card to a slow-reading turtle. The tone is sweet and gentle, and everyone's a reader.

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

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What's the Story?

A little-girl librarian and her three owl helpers assist other animals in THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY, which is open only from "midnight to dawn." When the squirrel band plays loudly, they're ushered into the activity room. When a wolf is discovered crying in the stacks, they encourage her to keep reading until the happy ending. When a turtle still has 500 pages to read, they issue him a library card so he can finish his book at home. And, when the sun comes up, the little librarian reads a last, bedtime story to her now-very-sleepy owl assistants.

Is It Any Good?

Both the illustrations and the story in The Midnight Library are full of charm. The bold, blocky art is strikingly eye-catching. The little-girl librarian is charmingly pigtailed. The animals who visit the library all are pictured with their snouts in their books, engrossed in their reading. And, since the story ends with the little librarian reading her owl assistants a bedtime story, it's perfect for bedtime or naptime.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about libraries. What are the different things we can do there? Have you noticed different rooms or areas? What can you do in the activity room? How should you act in the reading room?

Do you like happy books or sad books, or both? What are your favorite types of books?

Do you have a library card? Do you want one? How do you get one? What can you do with it?

Book Details

Author : Kazuno Kohara
Illustrator : Kazuno Kohara
Genre : Picture Book
Topics : Friendship , Great Girl Role Models
Book type : Fiction
Publisher : Roaring Brook Press
Publication date : June 17, 2014
Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 6
Number of pages : 32
Available on : Nook, Hardback, Kindle
Last updated : July 12, 2017

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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IMAGES

The Midnight Library Book Review + Everything I Read in March 2021
The Midnight Library : Matt Haig (author) : 9781432883614 : Blackwell's
Review: 'The Midnight Library,' By Matt Haig : NPR
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Book Review: The Midnight Library
Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

COMMENTS

Review: 'The Midnight Library,' By Matt Haig : NPR
Nora Seed wants to die. This is where we begin, in Matt Haig's new novel, The Midnight Library: with a young woman on the verge of making a terrible choice. She's lost her job, her best friend ...
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Midnight Library is a very self-helpy novel with a number of cliche messages at its heart. On the night Nora Seed (because she will experience growth!!) feels suicide is the only option left, she wakes up in a library filled with books, each book containing another of her lives, a path unchosen in her root life.
In 'The Midnight Library,' Books Offer Transport to Different Lives
Sept. 29, 2020. THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY. By Matt Haig. Few fantasies are more enduring than the idea that there might be a second chance at a life already lived, some sort of magical reset in which ...
THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY
Haig treats the subject of suicide with a light touch, and the book's playful tone will be welcome to readers who like their fantasies sweet if a little too forgettable. A whimsical fantasy about learning what's important in life. 103. Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2020. ISBN: 978--52-555947-4.
Review
Review by Angela Haupt. September 16, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. EDT. This story is part of a series for people who have already read the book and want to think more deeply about the plot and ending. Major ...
The Midnight Library
The Midnight Library. by Matt Haig. Publication Date: May 9, 2023. Genres: Fiction, Women's Fiction. Paperback: 304 pages. Publisher: Penguin Books. ISBN-10: 0525559493. ISBN-13: 9780525559498. Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe, there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality.
The Midnight Library
The Midnight Library is a unique book with a premise, unlike many others in the fiction fantasy genre. The idea of a dimension between life and death where we're presented with every different version of our lives where we made different decisions makes for an enthralling page-turner and will stick with readers long after they put the book down.
Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I am continually impressed by the eclectic mix of books that Matt Haig has published in the past few years. The first book of his I read was historical fiction, then I moved onto a work of non-fiction which I failed to write a formal review of, but talked about on the radio a few years ago.
Matt Haig: The Midnight Library review
The novel's simple yet fantastical premise renders Nora's story a modern day parable, exploring regret, pain and the richness of the ordinary in life. An exquisite depiction of existential depression and the lessons it can reveal, The Midnight Library is a captivating story and an uplifting antidote to the cult of self-improvement: a ...
Book Review: 'The Midnight Library' by Matt Haig
That's what Matt Haig's The Midnight Library is. This philosophical novel about Nora, a woman whose suicide attempt leads her to a literary purgatory, of sorts, that offers her glimpses into lives and loves that might've been, was unputdownable for me. Haig's writing is beautiful and full of really vivid imagery, and I loved the Sliding ...
All Book Marks reviews for The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
While the formula grows repetitive, the set changes provide novelty, as Haig whisks Nora from Australian beaches to a South American rock concert tour to an Arctic encounter with a polar bear. Haig's agreeable narrative voice and imagination will reward readers who take this book off the shelf. Read Full Review >>. A positive rating based on ...
'The Midnight Library,' by Matt Haig: An Excerpt
100 Best Books of the 21st Century: As voted on by 503 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers — with a little help from the staff of The New York Times Book Review.
'The Midnight Library': A Tale of What Could Have Been
2.5 Stars. "The Midnight Library," best-selling British author Matt Haig's latest book, tells the story of a woman in her thirties who, after suffering an overwhelming attack of hopelessness ...
What Does a Midlife Autism Diagnosis Mean for Matt Haig?
Shortly after the publication of "The Midnight Library," at the age of 46, he was diagnosed with A.D.H.D. and autism — which he said was "quite strange" news to receive but also made a ...
Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
By Heather Caliendo. Published: October 16, 2020. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is such a fantastic novel. I loved it. As I mentioned in my October book club list, Matt Haig's How to Stop Time was one of the first articles I wrote for the site. If that article hadn't received great traffic, who knows where Book Club Chat would be now!
Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Viking. 2020. 288 pages. Reviewed by Brittany Glenn Most of us live with regrets about decisions we've made in our past. Looking back, we may label these choices as "bad," judge them as "missed
Book Review: "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig
The Midnight Library has done that for me. It instantly became one of my favorite books of 2020, but it went deeper than that. This book really rearranged my perspective and made me appreciate my life. I realized after reading this book that the author, Matt Haig, is quite well known for some of his other books, including Reasons to Stay Alive ...
The Midnight Library Book Review
The Midnight Library. From. $13. $13 at Amazon. The book tells the story of Nora Seed, who feels as though her life is no longer worth living. She ends up in the Midnight Library, a place in ...
Matt Haig's The Midnight Library was a sensation. His new novel is much
Matt Haig's The Midnight Library was a sensation. His new novel is much stranger The Ibiza-set story of self-discovery verges on the supernatural, but its warmth and euphoria are seductive
Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig has been described as an uplifting book for book lovers, and it involves alternate realities so that automatically piqued my interest. I've been busy with some other projects and life stuff, plus struggling to get through some more "downer" type books, so I thought I'd switch to this one for a bit of a break.
The Midnight Library: A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel)
Matt Haig is the internationally bestselling author of the novels The Midnight Library, How to Stop Time, The Humans, The Radleys, children's novel A Boy Called Christmas, and memoir Reasons to Stay Alive. His latest novel is The Life Impossible, which will be published in summer 2024.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Midnight Library. by Matt Haig. Publication Date: May 9, 2023. Genres: Fiction, Women's Fiction. Paperback: 304 pages. Publisher: Penguin Books. ISBN-10: 0525559493. ISBN-13: 9780525559498. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy.
The Midnight Library: A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel)
One of my favorite books of the year was "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig, a powerful and uplifting story about regrets and the choices we make." —Alice Hoffman, author of Magic Lessons and Practical Magic "Clever, emotional and thought-inspiring." —Jenny Colgan, author of The Bookshop on the Corner "Amazing and utterly beautiful ...
The Midnight Library Book Review
Kids say: Not yet rated Rate book. Both the illustrations and the story in The Midnight Library are full of charm. The bold, blocky art is strikingly eye-catching. The little-girl librarian is charmingly pigtailed. The animals who visit the library all are pictured with their snouts in their books, engrossed in their reading.