The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Published by: Viking on September 29th, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★☆
Description: 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.
First, I want to discuss what this book wasn’t, because I was admittedly taken aback by the first few chapters.
When I first read the description, I was enchanted by the premise. I had high expectations: Magical realism, a whimsical style of writing, a beautifully written journey through a new world at the edge of our universe. I opened this book looking for immersive escapism. So when I actually began reading The Midnight Library, and found sheer misery in the opening pages, I was rather unpleasantly surprised.
Here is what it was: The true plot of the book follows Nora, an unhappy woman in England, who is overcome with regrets about her life, and attempts suicide. Through her suicide attempt she ends up in the Midnight Library, filled with books that each represent a different path her life might have taken, allowing her to traverse the multiverse and revisit her various regrets. Far from being a fantasy world, the Midnight Library is a metaphor for the roads not taken.
Once I had reconciled myself to the rather depressing premise, however, I truly enjoyed this book. As a character perhaps, Nora is not very relatable (at least not to this young American college student), but I think her central dilemma is absolutely universal. For anyone who has ever wondered if their life is enough, if it has meaning, if they are living up to their potential and making the most of their cards, this book provides a beautiful perspective.
Throughout the bulk of this novel, Nora opens different books and lives out the lives she might have had. She becomes a glaciologist, an Olympic swimmer, a rock star, an Australian beach bum, a loving mother, and more. Her goal is to find the “perfect”, fulfilling life that she can settle into. She ruminates over different decisions in her life, big and small, and discovers the myriad people she might have been. The author dealt with topics of suicide and depression in a compassionate way, clearly informed by his own experiences with the issue. The author also fleshes out her character well. Nora could have fallen into a caricature — as a perfect person done dirty by life, or conversely a deeply misguided person who made all the wrong decisions in her life — but ultimately she is something much closer to us. A flawed person who is more loved than she thinks, who needs a fundamental shift in perspective and will to continue on.
The Midnight Library is a quick read, but one that will stay with you far longer after reading it. The prose is dynamic, flowing quickly, and making the book feel like an odyssey into the multiverse. But my favorite part by far was the central theme — of coming to terms with the choices that you make in your life, of accepting that there are so many different ways for a life to hold meaning, and of realizing that we’re all just specks in the universe anyways; life is too short to hold onto regrets. Despite the depressing beginning, the ultimate message of the book is both enlightening and inspiring.
Verdict: This book is an insightful, uplifting read that inspires reflection into the possibilities that life holds for all of us; I do wish the description and premise were more honest about what to expect.
River of Reads 