The Midnight Library
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?
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⭐️eh. This one just didn’t do it for me.
I’m really not sure what to think about this one, other than the superficial observations after reading the things I DIDN’T like: the odd approach to ‘mental health awareness’ that appeared to me more like I “change in perspective” and “it’s all in your head” sort of vibe, alongside the references to God and faith that felt mildly insulting, and the general distaste for Nora Seed. Which in and of itself is an issue considering she is the main character.
I don’t know, really. I come off reading this feeling bogged down by regrets on every page and “joy-sucking” of wet blanket character Nora described in another review (accurate).
I don’t enjoy the trope of being able to “try on” every life and decision you could ever make as means to change your fate or future, either. Seems a bit disingenuous to the moral of the story, which is undoubtedly a message of finding happiness where your feet are planted and learning from mistakes. But in the way this was expressed in THIS book, it felt…clunky.
Nora comes back to library after every life having something to gripe about- she’s chasing a life of perfection while “learning” (but not really) that no perfect life exists. Sure, she gets closer and closer with every decision to finding that joy and misery coexist in every life, but she still hyper-fixates on the negative and is left wanting more. We know she struggles with depression, yet she comes out of it BECAUSE she got to live out other decisions and lives with no consequences/the ability to go back and start over if she wanted. And that, for me, appears to take away two things: 1) the seriousness of depression and the idea that it can all be fixed just by changing your mindset and 2) the sincerity of her change of character/outlook on life thanks to her INNER development and not just in part by the knowledge of how every life and decision plays out so she knows she’s not missing out on anything.
Similarly, she comes back into her original (root) life with a weird sense of predictability, thanks to her opportunity to try other lives. So does she REALLY appreciate her true life and self and decisions for what they are? Or is she just returning to her old self knowing what decisions she has/gets to make now in order to achieve the positives of those deviant lives from the library?
The pacing was fast, perhaps a bit too fast. For what were her central “lives”-a rock star, a glaciologist, a swimmer, a wife- the chapters of each were short and we got thrown into some seemingly random side quests that didn’t add to the story at all but in word and page count. And I did not like the interaction with Hugo in the arctic, and Nora dips from disappointment in the middle of them having sex (☠️). Again, clunky and oddly placed while not propelling the plot at all really.
And the reference with Mrs. Elm ‘not being God’ but directly quoting Exodus with ‘I am Who I Am’ left a bad taste in my mouth. The whole concept of being able to try on lives and take control of your fate by belonging yourself, rather than developing better decision making and use of free will, is not a concept rooted in God or Christian thinking at all, which is FINE- this is a fictional book and those concepts are allowed to exist but SEPARATE from those ideologies. Why throw that in at all? It felt like the author was trying to answer that question of “well, is this God giving the FMC another chance? Because suicide is not His will nor the answer to a difficult life?” But instead, it was a roundabout way of falling back on the message of “YOU, individual, are in control of your own life and faith, or heaven or God has nothing to do with it,” and that is what left a bad taste in my mouth. I would’ve been fine reading this without any mention of God or faith, and would’ve been able to keep a distinct separation between reality and fiction for entertainment and the creativity of authors. But no, we had to pose a challenge with a direct quote from the Bible that feels blasphemous to the source when used in this context.
And Nora Seed. I had appropriately placed empathy in the beginning; we all have those seasons when everything feels pointless and hopeless and “black hole-esque”. I was looking forward to a redemptive arc and a second chance for her to see her life and her self from a new and more appreciative perspective while owning what she has done in her past. Yet…she ended being every part the wet blanket described in an earlier review. I lacked emotional connection or investment into her as soon as she entered the library, and it was grueling to journey through every life and possible decision with her constantly focusing on the misery of her choices and the death of SOMEONE in every timeline. There never felt like there was any real connection to any life. She seemed to hate every one in some way.
And the constant stream of philosophy and metaphors further bogged down the reading experience, and didn’t add to quotable or memorable components of this book I’m sure it was trying to achieve. Nothing landed with me the way I’m sure it was intended to. Too much of a good thing turned from emotive to something more down the lines of waxing poetry in an over consuming way.
Less notably, I had anxiety the whole read because the steady stream of jumping into a life without any knowledge of what’s going on with no memories or recollection of the life you’re now “living” sounds very much like a recurring nightmare I have (HAHAHA). Being in school and not being able to find your classroom or having not studied for the test you’re suddenly taking, anyone??
All in all, not my favorite read. I didn’t enjoy this enough to even recommend to the right reader, though I’m sure majority would probably like this and appreciate the underlying message. It just wasn’t for me.
I’m really not sure what to think about this one, other than the superficial observations after reading the things I DIDN’T like: the odd approach to ‘mental health awareness’ that appeared to me more like I “change in perspective” and “it’s all in your head” sort of vibe, alongside the references to God and faith that felt mildly insulting, and the general distaste for Nora Seed. Which in and of itself is an issue considering she is the main character.
I don’t know, really. I come off reading this feeling bogged down by regrets on every page and “joy-sucking” of wet blanket character Nora described in another review (accurate).
I don’t enjoy the trope of being able to “try on” every life and decision you could ever make as means to change your fate or future, either. Seems a bit disingenuous to the moral of the story, which is undoubtedly a message of finding happiness where your feet are planted and learning from mistakes. But in the way this was expressed in THIS book, it felt…clunky.
Nora comes back to library after every life having something to gripe about- she’s chasing a life of perfection while “learning” (but not really) that no perfect life exists. Sure, she gets closer and closer with every decision to finding that joy and misery coexist in every life, but she still hyper-fixates on the negative and is left wanting more. We know she struggles with depression, yet she comes out of it BECAUSE she got to live out other decisions and lives with no consequences/the ability to go back and start over if she wanted. And that, for me, appears to take away two things: 1) the seriousness of depression and the idea that it can all be fixed just by changing your mindset and 2) the sincerity of her change of character/outlook on life thanks to her INNER development and not just in part by the knowledge of how every life and decision plays out so she knows she’s not missing out on anything.
Similarly, she comes back into her original (root) life with a weird sense of predictability, thanks to her opportunity to try other lives. So does she REALLY appreciate her true life and self and decisions for what they are? Or is she just returning to her old self knowing what decisions she has/gets to make now in order to achieve the positives of those deviant lives from the library?
The pacing was fast, perhaps a bit too fast. For what were her central “lives”-a rock star, a glaciologist, a swimmer, a wife- the chapters of each were short and we got thrown into some seemingly random side quests that didn’t add to the story at all but in word and page count. And I did not like the interaction with Hugo in the arctic, and Nora dips from disappointment in the middle of them having sex (☠️). Again, clunky and oddly placed while not propelling the plot at all really.
And the reference with Mrs. Elm ‘not being God’ but directly quoting Exodus with ‘I am Who I Am’ left a bad taste in my mouth. The whole concept of being able to try on lives and take control of your fate by belonging yourself, rather than developing better decision making and use of free will, is not a concept rooted in God or Christian thinking at all, which is FINE- this is a fictional book and those concepts are allowed to exist but SEPARATE from those ideologies. Why throw that in at all? It felt like the author was trying to answer that question of “well, is this God giving the FMC another chance? Because suicide is not His will nor the answer to a difficult life?” But instead, it was a roundabout way of falling back on the message of “YOU, individual, are in control of your own life and faith, or heaven or God has nothing to do with it,” and that is what left a bad taste in my mouth. I would’ve been fine reading this without any mention of God or faith, and would’ve been able to keep a distinct separation between reality and fiction for entertainment and the creativity of authors. But no, we had to pose a challenge with a direct quote from the Bible that feels blasphemous to the source when used in this context.
And Nora Seed. I had appropriately placed empathy in the beginning; we all have those seasons when everything feels pointless and hopeless and “black hole-esque”. I was looking forward to a redemptive arc and a second chance for her to see her life and her self from a new and more appreciative perspective while owning what she has done in her past. Yet…she ended being every part the wet blanket described in an earlier review. I lacked emotional connection or investment into her as soon as she entered the library, and it was grueling to journey through every life and possible decision with her constantly focusing on the misery of her choices and the death of SOMEONE in every timeline. There never felt like there was any real connection to any life. She seemed to hate every one in some way.
And the constant stream of philosophy and metaphors further bogged down the reading experience, and didn’t add to quotable or memorable components of this book I’m sure it was trying to achieve. Nothing landed with me the way I’m sure it was intended to. Too much of a good thing turned from emotive to something more down the lines of waxing poetry in an over consuming way.
Less notably, I had anxiety the whole read because the steady stream of jumping into a life without any knowledge of what’s going on with no memories or recollection of the life you’re now “living” sounds very much like a recurring nightmare I have (HAHAHA). Being in school and not being able to find your classroom or having not studied for the test you’re suddenly taking, anyone??
All in all, not my favorite read. I didn’t enjoy this enough to even recommend to the right reader, though I’m sure majority would probably like this and appreciate the underlying message. It just wasn’t for me.
This one was not for me at this time. I liked the concept, but felt like it became repetitive until the easily predicted ending. To be fair, there is a lot of potential for philosophical thinking if you want to reflect and go deep. I was not in that headspace when reading it, thus it almost became a DNF. If you want to think deeply and philosophically, you will enjoy it much more than I did with my current frame of mind.
This book seems to be a self-improvement book or “self-help” book poorly disguised as fiction.
This book just wasn’t for me. When I read a book with an underlying lesson to be learned, I need it to be underlying. This book however was very obvious in its message, and for me, that took away from the story. However, I found no interest in the story or the characters. I thought the premise sounded good, but this book, unfortunately, didn’t work for me.
This book just wasn’t for me. When I read a book with an underlying lesson to be learned, I need it to be underlying. This book however was very obvious in its message, and for me, that took away from the story. However, I found no interest in the story or the characters. I thought the premise sounded good, but this book, unfortunately, didn’t work for me.
thenextgoodbook.com
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
288 pages
What’s it about?
When Nora Seed decides she no longer wants to live anymore she finds herself suddenly thrust into "The Midnight Library”. The Midnight Library is a place where she hovers between life and death. Here she can choose alternative lives to address her many regrets. But what life (or death) will Nora ultimately choose?
What did it make me think about?
This story certainly made the point that all our choices (small and large) create our path in life.
Should I read it?
This book was much like the most comfortable pair of shoes you own- just so easy to slip into. My assumption is that this book will be a favorite too many- and offensive too few. I liked the book and enjoyed taking a break from so many books lately that are trying to convince me of a viewpoint. I would recommend this one- especially if you are ready for a break from heavy reads.
Quote
“ ‘Between life and death there is a library’ she said. ‘And within that library, the shelves go on for ever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be different if you had made other choices… Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?’ “
If you liked this try-
Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland
The Storied Life of A.J. Fiery by Gabrielle Zevon
The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
288 pages
What’s it about?
When Nora Seed decides she no longer wants to live anymore she finds herself suddenly thrust into "The Midnight Library”. The Midnight Library is a place where she hovers between life and death. Here she can choose alternative lives to address her many regrets. But what life (or death) will Nora ultimately choose?
What did it make me think about?
This story certainly made the point that all our choices (small and large) create our path in life.
Should I read it?
This book was much like the most comfortable pair of shoes you own- just so easy to slip into. My assumption is that this book will be a favorite too many- and offensive too few. I liked the book and enjoyed taking a break from so many books lately that are trying to convince me of a viewpoint. I would recommend this one- especially if you are ready for a break from heavy reads.
Quote
“ ‘Between life and death there is a library’ she said. ‘And within that library, the shelves go on for ever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be different if you had made other choices… Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?’ “
If you liked this try-
Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland
The Storied Life of A.J. Fiery by Gabrielle Zevon
The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart
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