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A review by i_love_big_books
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Such a fantastic read and so meaningful for the present times of uncertainty, fear and loneliness!
I know that Matt Haig wrote his first book telling his own journey of finding reasons to continue living after he experienced mental health issues. I haven't read that book but this one is a beautifully imagined foray into what makes life liveable and every human being's quest for that mostly elusive 'perfect' life.
We have all thought back to those moments in our lives when we could have made different choices and wondered how our lives would have turned out if we had. Nora Seed, struggling to survive, alone, jobless, having lost her cat and estranged from her best friend and brother, gets to explore this possibility for real.
At her lowest point, she ends up in the midnight library which has every life she could have ever lived with every choice she could have ever made. What's more, it has a list of all the regrets she has ever had - of not continuing with her brother's band, not studying philosophy, giving up swimming, never fulfilling her dream of being a glaciologist, messing up personal relationships and many many more.
Now she has the chance to choose any of those lives and see which one she would be happiest living. And she does, going through a plethora of choices, being transported into the middle of various existences that are both similar and different from each other, depending on decisions she made.
The question is what constitutes perfection. Would any choice we make guarantee no regrets and permanent happiness? Any path of life has good and bad in it and only we can make the most of it, no matter which one we choose. While it's always tempting to believe that in a parallel universe, having done different things, we would have been successful, achieved all our dreams and led wonderful lives, there is a reason why we are in the present. Our current journey has relevance for us and everyone who accompanies us on it.
Nora's thoughts during this unexpected opportunity she is afforded resonated very much. I couldn't help relating to her confusion and fear of committing to any of the alternatives she glimpses! What if there was a better option? And besides, can there be an existence that most closely resembles the utopia we hope for?
For me, the most important message of this story is that there are tradeoffs for every choice made and many times, it is the small things that matter much more than we give them credit for. Also, the desire to change things not dependent on our own decisions is at the root of many regrets. Once we embrace this idea,our best life may be closer than we think!
I know that Matt Haig wrote his first book telling his own journey of finding reasons to continue living after he experienced mental health issues. I haven't read that book but this one is a beautifully imagined foray into what makes life liveable and every human being's quest for that mostly elusive 'perfect' life.
We have all thought back to those moments in our lives when we could have made different choices and wondered how our lives would have turned out if we had. Nora Seed, struggling to survive, alone, jobless, having lost her cat and estranged from her best friend and brother, gets to explore this possibility for real.
At her lowest point, she ends up in the midnight library which has every life she could have ever lived with every choice she could have ever made. What's more, it has a list of all the regrets she has ever had - of not continuing with her brother's band, not studying philosophy, giving up swimming, never fulfilling her dream of being a glaciologist, messing up personal relationships and many many more.
Now she has the chance to choose any of those lives and see which one she would be happiest living. And she does, going through a plethora of choices, being transported into the middle of various existences that are both similar and different from each other, depending on decisions she made.
The question is what constitutes perfection. Would any choice we make guarantee no regrets and permanent happiness? Any path of life has good and bad in it and only we can make the most of it, no matter which one we choose. While it's always tempting to believe that in a parallel universe, having done different things, we would have been successful, achieved all our dreams and led wonderful lives, there is a reason why we are in the present. Our current journey has relevance for us and everyone who accompanies us on it.
Nora's thoughts during this unexpected opportunity she is afforded resonated very much. I couldn't help relating to her confusion and fear of committing to any of the alternatives she glimpses! What if there was a better option? And besides, can there be an existence that most closely resembles the utopia we hope for?
For me, the most important message of this story is that there are tradeoffs for every choice made and many times, it is the small things that matter much more than we give them credit for. Also, the desire to change things not dependent on our own decisions is at the root of many regrets. Once we embrace this idea,our best life may be closer than we think!