The Midnight Library - Matt Haig (REVIEW)

★★★★

(check TWs)

The Midnight Library is truly one of those books that are 'right place, right time' and you never know when that will be, but you will.

This book follows main character, Nora Seed, as she is struggling in her life. She is a 35 year old woman living by herself without a partner, friends, and no communication with her remaining family members. All that she's loved and looked forward to is now lost. Nora feels like her life is meaningless, she is worthless, and that she has wasted so much of her life not actually living but barely existing. She has many, many regrets.

(TW) On the same night the story begins, Nora decides to take her own life. It got the point where she was desperate for happiness and wanting something rewarding out of her life, but she felt like enough was enough and took matters into her own hands. However, when Nora did was she did, she awoke in a type of liminal space - called The Midnight Library. This library is something her subconscious created - a 'safe space.' Inside this library was her favorite childhood librarian, Mrs. Elm. Eventually, Mrs. Elm reveals to Nora that she is in this in-between of life where she's not yet left her body in the physical realm and she hasn't yet entered the 'afterlife' so-to-speak. The library is FULL of green books filled with other lives Nora could have, should have, would have lived. Therefore, in order for Nora to come to terms with the meaning of her life and her beliefs of it, she must read her 'Book of Regrets.'

Eventually, the foundation of the story begins with Nora realizing all these books in the library represent lives she would have lived if she didn't or did X, Y, or Z. Nora requests Mrs. Elm to pick up a book and then Nora reads the first line of the book and is transported to that life - completely unaware of who she is in that life, what she likes, how to communicate, etc. it's like she's having an out-of-body experience.

Now that I've basically wrote a paper of that short synopsis. It's time for my honest review:

I rated this book a 4/5 stars. When picking up this book, I really didn't know what to expect. I know that it had to do with a woman who regretted her life and somehow ended up in this area called The Midnight Library. I felt like I read this book at the right place, at the right time. When going through a healing journey, processing my current life and the choices that have brought me here, as well as fearing the future and regretting so many things - this book felt like it opened my mind in certain ways.

It's very philosophical, considering Nora studied philosophy in college (in some lives). The different, philosophical quotes mentioned by Nora, Mrs. Elm, and certain other characters had me putting in my bookmark, closing the book, and reflecting on them. It's one of those books, for me, that I couldn't read in just one go-around because I wanted to reflect on the theme/message of the varying chapters.

I tabbed multiple pages in the book and will be posting those meaningful quotes sometime later in my blog with my interpretations of them. I enjoyed the theme of living your life and not simply existing in it, to be grateful (even for the small things), to be mindful, to learn acceptance, and, most importantly, to not live your life with regrets believing you won't or can't do something you wish you had done - because there is time (whether you believe that or let somebody else force you to believe that dumb concept (that there isn't time for you to dream a new dream)). The ending of the book - I do believe could have been cut short just a bit, because some parts of it felt redundant to me. However, a little thing I noticed and liked about the end of the book was there were 3 empty pages. There wasn't an Acknowledgement or Author's Notes page, just 3 empty pages. Meaning - life goes on for Nora AND the reader. That whatever happens after that last chapter is not written yet, is not planned, and that there is time and there is more life to create your own story.

Overall, a good book and something I think twenty/thirtysomethings should read.