Book Review: The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig

Nora’s life has been going from bad to worse. Then, at the stroke of midnight on her last day on earth she finds herself transported to a library. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived.

Which raises the ultimate question: with infinite choices, what is the best way to live?

I am so glad that I read this book.

I have been eyeing this book up for quite a while now after one of my patients raved to me about it (and then two others over the following months). The concept was intruiging, and I knew I was always going to read it at some point. When I made the mistake of going to the supermarket while grumpy this week I picked it up as a treat (along with Where the Crawdads Sing), and then put a post on Twitter asking Book Twitter to pick which one I should read first. Twitter voted for Crawdads, but somehow I needed to read this one first.

Sorry Twitter, I’ll read Crawdads next!

It was exactly what I needed right now, without my knowing this beforehand. I had recently read ‘Reasons To Stay Alive’ by the same author, and found that there were echos of that book throughout the story. I felt like he was sharing his own life lessons with the world in a way that was both meaningful and resonating. At points in the story I went and found highlighters and glittery pens so that I could draw around or enhance certain pages/ points to help me find those words of wisdom again in the future. I have never been inspired to do this before, and I can only hope that it happens again.

This book moved me deeply on levels that I hadn’t realised were available to be moved. The wisdom that Mrs Elm shares is rivalled only by Nora’s own reflections as she lives out each of her different possible lives. I especially loved the cat lesson – it had immediate relevance to moments I had lived and dwelt on previously.

I am keeping The Midnight Library. And I have decided that I am going to go and buy a copy of Reasons To Stay Alive (It was a library book). I am going to find a special place on my bookshelves and have a little section filled with books that changed the way I think of life, and my own life within that wide, hectic sphere.

I am also officially changing my answer to ‘which author would you like to have a drink with?’. The answer is Matt Haig.

As always, please enjoy this book. Have a good week book friends.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Reasons To Stay Alive, by Matt Haig

Book Review: The Pull Of The Stars by Emma Donoghue

Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman