Title: The Midnight Library
Author: Matt Haig
Published: 4th February 2021, Canongate Books Ltd
Pages: 288
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5/5
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?
Author: Matt Haig
Published: 4th February 2021, Canongate Books Ltd
Pages: 288
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5/5
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?
The Midnight Library tells the story of Nora, who as a result of feeling alone, depressed and regretting life choices, attempts to take her own life. However, she is transported to the Midnight Library where she gets to experience hundreds of her own parallel lives to show how fulfilling her life actually is.
I absolutely adore this book! I found the whole style and plot just so original. I've never read anything like it. I laughed and I cried reading this. It's such a fun, but emotional, quick read.
The Midnight Library is set in so many different places, but Nora's "root" life takes place in Bedford. The varying locations suit the plot so well and are so good at showing how simple decisions can lead to such different lives and take you wherever you want to go.
I absolutely loved Nora. I really felt for her and was hoping she would find the life she deserved. I loved that she was sceptical of the Midnight Library to begin with too as it shows realness to the story. I hate it when characters just accept surreal happenings out of the blue. I in no way suffer from depression, but I did relate to Nora so much in terms of her feelings of being stuck in a rut with no friends. She just brought so much realness to the story and I was crying by page 20! I loved seeing her progress and outlook change.
In terms of plot speed, I found it varied depending on the life Nora was living. Some were very fast-paced and kept me turning pages whereas others were more leisurely. And I actually think this was a big part of what made the book so likable to me. And there were so many twists along the way. Just as Nora would find the "perfect" life she would uncover something that would just tear it apart. But this just shows that even a perfect life on the outside is never going to be completely perfect.
The Midnight Library is told in third person following Nora. it's definitely not a predictable read as Nora never knew what was happening until it happened, in terms of what life she was entering next. And she'd have to piece everything together using clues. I found the character of Mrs Elm a great way to go about the "technical" explanations of what Nora was experiencing. And I loved her connection to Nora.
I found the ending just so lovely and I cried happy tears which doesn't happen often. It was just so well done and it just projected a message of hope and resistance to me that I kept thinking about for days.
Matt Haig is a fantastic writer and this is the first of many books I will read by him. I just simply adore this book and it's definitely one I can see myself rereading often. Honestly, I'd probably recommend this book to everyone. It's just fantastic!
What a lovely review. I recently read The Midnight Library and just loved it as you did!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's such a good book. One of my favourites!
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