The Midnight Library – Matt Haig

Title: The Midnight Library
Author: Matt Haig
Published: First published August 13, 2020, September 29, 2020, by Viking
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Audiobook, Magical Realism, Science Fiction, Adult, Mental Health, Book Club, Adult Fiction

More books by Matt Haig

My Review

“Awesome book, good thoughts by the Author Matt Haig.” “Must read.”

About the Author

Matt Haig (born 3 July 1975) is an English novelist and journalist. He has written fiction and non-fiction for children and adults, often in the speculative fiction genre. Haig is the author of both fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. His non-fiction work, Reasons to Stay Alive, was a number one Sunday Times bestseller and was in the UK top 10 for 46 weeks. His bestselling children’s novel, Father Christmas and Me, is being adapted for film, produced by Studio Canal and Blueprint Pictures.

My Thought

It isn’t a normal library as we think, it doesn’t have normal books in it. It’s the place that exists belong time and existences. Author Matt Haig style of explaining life and its value is phenomenal. Many thoughts change the way you think about life, relationships, careers and many others.

The other interesting point in the novel is about the “what if”.

What if I would have done things differently? What would my life be now? Honestly, I do think like this sometimes. What about you?.

For Eg: A man walks every day from work. Leaving work at the same time, walking the same road, and doing the same thing every day. What if he decides to leave early and, take a different road, to his surprise he sees a box; when he opens it; he finds a cute puppy and he decides to adopt him.

Life holds many surprises for us, but it isn’t necessary that whatever comes your way will be good. It would good or bad or it would be your biggest mistake. But don’t give up. There will be a ray of light at the end of the tunnel.

One interesting point discussed in the novel, it took me on a savager hunt again. Something that we heard in Avengers What if, Terminator movies, DC movies and many more. Does a multiverse exist?

Regrets

Regerts that we hold

Our life is built up by the different choices that we make. Some choices we think it would be good for us but they turn out to be wrong (or vice-versa). Instead of learning from it, we close ourselves into a shell, thinking that we can’t make good decisions. Most of us do this, but Matt Haig has beautifully framed the concept to learn from our regrets or we can say our mistakes. Don’t give up, keep trying. Likewise, if you want to go hiking, then spare some time from your busy schedule, and just go hiking. You have one life, live it to the fullest. Don’t stop under the clouds of regrets.

The Power of small things can make a big difference

Small things can make a big difference

This point touched me. We are busy in our world. Give our time to our office work and other material things around us. We usually forget to interact we people whom we cross in our day-to-day time. For change get to know your neighbor give some food or share some love for some stray animal or birds. Every small gesture does matter. People will always remember you by your nature and the deeds that you do. They won’t remember how much money you earned or what kind of cellphone that you used. They remember only you, and nothing else.

Relationship

Relationships

When we are in a relationship, we usually turn into demanding mode. We are humans, we have desires, dreams, feelings and expectations towards our partner. But every day isn’t like a walk in the clouds. There are days were are partners are so stressed out by work. This doesn’t mean that they don’t love us, they do but sometimes they too need time and space for themself. There would be things, that want to say, but they are too tired to say anything.

Don’t say anything, just quietly sit with your partner or spouse. They too need your time and presence with them. They wait for hours to spend time with you. As you need time for yourself so do they, this is a relationship. Think and care about each other.

About the Character:

Nora Seed

She is the centre of the novel. Nora is a lonely and depressed girl, with lost hopes, broken dreams and bag with lots of regrets in her life, which leads to a decision to commit suicide. She reaches Midnight Library where she starts living different versions of her life. Slowly you can see the change in Nora, her nature and her behavior. You can see her grow into strong woman and Matt Haig has beautifully presented Nora Seed. In the end, when she leaves the Midnight library she turns out to be a completely different and new person. A person full of life and hope.

Mrs. Elm

Mrs Louisa Isabel Elm. Another strong character in the novel. A person Nora has been looking up to. She helps Nora to learn to make better choices, which gradually makes Nora a better person. There are many times in our life we too need guidance, we have our parents, our siblings, friends, and teachers. Mrs Elm is all that. She has this strong patience in her, and though Nora keeps breaking up due to her choices, Mrs. Elm doesn’t loose hope. She pushed her, pushed her till she learned to make the best choice for herself.

About the Novel:

Between life and death, there is a library.

When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.

The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they’d be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger.

Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: what is the best way to live?

Happy Reading

Recommend Reading:

Tell me your Dreams – Sidney Sheldon
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller
Sandman Act -1 – Neil Gaiman