The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

3.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Multiple timelines

➮ String theory

➮ Book about books

Synopsis

The Midnight Library is a place between life and death. In this place, you have the chance to try out different lives that you could've had if you had made different choices in life. Nora finds herself in this library. Nora then gets to experiment with who she could've been. 

Best Quote From the Book

“ If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. Aim to be you. Aim to look and act and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it. And don't give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. Most gossip is envy in disguise."

LGBTQ+ Representation

2/5 🌈

I was very surprised to find that there was any LGBTQ+ representation in this book at all. Nora's brother is gay. In the story, Nora ends up encouraging him to be out and proud. She also helps set him up with a guy he would be happy with. Overall I appreciate the acceptance but she still has some initial surprise about finding out about her brother. I can say as an LGBTQ+ person if someone comes out to me, I may still be a bit initially surprised but of course, end up accepting them fully. It felt very real yet not overly focused on. 

My Thoughts

This book gives so much to think about yet I don't actually have all that much to say. I can admit it feels like I am back in my philosophy classes again just trying to wrap my head around all this book has done. In the end, it teaches a very valuable life lesson about appreciating the life you currently have and making the most of it. With the power to be anyone you could've been, it would be highly tempting to go for fortune, success, infamy, or a simple life. It then becomes a difficult decision about what you actually want and living a life with minimal regrets. No matter where you end up, you will probably have regrets. The challenge then becomes to decide how much regret and what ifs can you tolerate and what can you do to minimize them. 

Other than not being the biggest fan of fantasy in general, I did find the book to be confusing at times. First of all, there were so many different lives Nora endured it all started to blend together. That said, I have a feeling this was a purposeful choice by Matt Haig. The reader gets confused and muddied along with Nora's desire to keep exploring the library. That said, I still had a lot of trouble identifying the roles of people in the various lives compared to who Nora knew them as in her original life. So by about the halfway point of the book, I was just sort of letting the words wash over me with minimal comprehension. 

Overall I enjoyed the questions and contemplation this book elicits more than the actual experience of reading the book. I feel much more appreciative of the life I have and what I can do to make the most of it. I highly recommend this book if you have someone you can discuss it with. I think it would be highly beneficial to jot down your thoughts about this book as you read it to see how your thinking and perspective shift. 

Also, this book is written by an autistic author, so it is an amazing story to support!