If you had the chance to relive your life, would you? Topics of depression, death, suicide, the life between life and death - so many interesting topics covered in a fairly chatty, lighthearted way. I am into all things spiritual and holistic, and there were many aspects of this book that lightly discussed the various teachings I have come to understand over the years. I think a must read for many right now. I think on a slight negative, there could have been slightly less time travel stories, as it did go on a tad, hence the 4 stars, but overall, it was a fantastic book

The device of the midnight library was introduced in an intriguing way, although I’m not sure the concept stood up until the end of the novel. The main character Nora is not always sympathetic but her story is always engaging, as we explore the various routes she might have taken in life.

Definitely an enjoyable read! I thought it was a great idea for a book and a great way to explore mental health in a gentle way. I also really appreciated that there was a little thought for the physics of how multiple universes could work. The writing style was quite simple and lighthearted, which I think worked very well as the subject matter is quite serious and heavy, and this helped to make it easier to read. However, I did think that sometimes the writing style was a little too simple, and not quite grammatically correct. Probably wouldn't bother most people, but it did just take me out of the story sometimes when I noticed something that didn't sound quite right in my head. Overall though I'm really glad I read it and would recommend to customers. I haven't read any other Matt Haig books, but I would certainly be interested in doing so after reading this.

Quite a thought provoking read on how life can change based on small decisions. I warmed to the main character of Nora but felt I needed to suspend reality to fully enjoy the book. I did enjoy overall though

I was thrilled to be approved for this book, I love Matt Haig books and think his writing is absolutely amazing. The Midnight Library is a touching story , it's so thought provoking and emotive and I found the writing really engaging. The premise of this book was what really appealed to me, but certain parts just fell a little bit flat for me or felt a bit rushed to tie up the story. That being said I did love this book and would recommend it to others, its one that will stay with me for a long time.

I loved the idea of this book, that you could see how your life would have been if you had made different choices than some of those you may have regrets about. I enjoyed the book overall, but felt that it didn’t quite pack the punch that I had hoped for. However, it’s still a good read and I would still definitely recommend it.

Saccharine sad story with a classic happy ending. Not for me but I know it will be a popular contemporary best-seller to a certain market.

It would be fair to say that I have a complicated relationship with Matt Haig's writing. I have read a few of his books and whilst I have loved his non-fiction - seriously his perspective on mental health is fascinating and so very helpful - I haven't really managed to get along too well with his fiction. However, at the insistence of a close friend I gave The Midnight Library a go and I have to admit I really, really liked it.

It is the story of Nora Seed - a young girl whose life doesn't seem to have lived up to the promises of what life should be and due to that she wants her life to be over. She ends up in a place called The Midnight Library which gives her to opportunity to see how her life would be if she had taken different paths.

Now you could say that this is a trope that has been examined before - most notably in It's A Wonderful Life - however, Haig has a brilliant way of juxtaposing the weird and wonderful with the ordinary and humdrum and he shows Nora Seed seeing how everyone is impacted by her existence in different forms. What is also great is that The Midnight Library is not twee. It is thoughtful and introspective but inviting and engaging.

Reading The Midnight Library has certainly made me more interested in reading more fiction from Matt Haig.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is available now.

For more information regarding Matt Haig (@matthaig1) please visit his Twitter page.

For more information regarding Canongate (@canongatebooks) please visit www.canongate.co.uk.

I loved the concept of this book; the idea that you could explore what your life would have been like had you made different choices, that you could erase regrets by experiencing those possible lives...this is what our protagonist gets to experience when she attempts suicide and finds herself in The Midnight Library.

I have to be honest and say I was expecting a little more magical realism and a little more depth. I found Nora a difficult character to connect with, and therefore a difficult character to sympathise or empathise with.

This had It’s A Wonderful Life vibes and was overall a quick and enjoyable read with some food for thought points. But I wish it had been a little...more.

Thanks for working with us on the Caboodle competition for The Midnight Library x Tony's Chocolonely!

One of my favourite books of 2020. Sure to become a modern classic. A heart warming tale that touches on modern themes of mental illness, loneliness and millenial naval gazing.Ultimately a life affirming read.

I love Matt Haig. He has a simplistic way of writing the human condition that makes it both beautiful and relatable. We're never alone. The Midnight Library is a fantastic tale of a woman who has lost all hope and wishes to end it all, but she gets the chance to view her life differently one last time. It's a magical story and brings about the view that sometimes no matter what we chose, it was meant to happen that way.

"Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?"

Such a brilliant concept for a book, totally original, hugely absorbing, mind-blowing and by the end of it almost believable. Wouldn't it be wonderful if this was true? I am sure we have all wondered at some point in our lives what would things have turned out like if we had said yes/no at a certain junction in our past and followed a different path. Would we be happier, more successful, have experienced a different kind of love, feel fulfilled?

Nora Seed has the opportunity to read her Book of Regrets held in the immense stock of books/lives in the library, run by her old Librarian from school, and therefore try a number of different lives on for size and see if they would have been a better fit, and ultimately whether she wants to live or die.

Nora Seed’s life is a series of regrets and missed opportunities. Nora feels hopeless, that she will never be happy and decides to take her own life. But before she reaches death, Nora is given a second chance at life. She finds herself in The Midnight Library, a place where she can try on different versions of her life existing in a parallel universes. She can choose a book from the shelf and find herself inside the life where she is an Olympic swimmer to the one where she marries a man she left at the alter.

As soon as Nora finds herself disappointed with the life she chooses, she returns to the library and the process goes on. But even in the most perfect life, Nora feels herself slipping away…

I will caveat this review by saying that I just don’t think Matt Haig’s narrative voice is for me, it is not the lyrical writing that I love. Personally (this is CONTROVERSIAL, I know) I think The Midnight Library is a tad overhyped . That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it, I just didn’t think it was one of the best books published last year. What I most liked about this book was the premise and the message behind it; you can’t fault Haig’s imagination and determination to make people suffering with their mental health feel less alone.

I thought the ending was satisfying; if Haig had ended it any other way, the hopeful, redemptive message of the book would have been diluted.

The Midnight Library was a quick, easy read and might be just what you’re after if you’re looking for a bit of comfort and escapism.

Amidst all the chaos and hardships that happened, and still are happening in the world, this book came at a right time for me, and I believe for a lot of people. It truly warmed my heart.

It's written in Haig's usual simple, yet confident and moving prose. Haig has a way of describing people that makes the characters exactly as how they should be, never beyond his control. And that's a fatal attraction for a lot of people, for given the opportunity to lose oneself and be adsorbed onto the pages. But it can be also a flaw that limits the readers' own expansion in their imagination and understanding.

However, the plot overcomes the shortcoming of the characters. We were transported to various scenarios of "what-if", something that humans are very familiar with - grass is always greener on the other side. Haig brought us from the dark green to the brighter green, and smacked us with much needed self realisation and reflection, that the light that shines on the colour comes from our hearts and minds. It is a book that caricatures life and death, that ponders grief and regrets.

If we are all stuck at home at the moment, I do recommend you to take a stroll onto The Midnight Library.

Jesika rated a book it was ok
The Midnight Library by Matt HaigThe Midnight Library
by Matt Haig (Goodreads Author)
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I wanted to love this book. Genuinely, I thought I would find it life affirming and I assumed that it would speak to me as someone who has a diagnosis of clinical Depression and who has ultimately started to figure out that, really, that's OK, it's just how I'm built. That is, after all pretty much the plot line.

But good god did I hate this book.

Yes there are good parts and the idea overall is creative and clearly very meaningful.

The writing is simple and very direct. This probably works for a lot of people but for me I felt like I was being told what to feel what to think and what to get from the book. I think this would have been more powerful if I had felt that because I was shown and allowed to naturally reflect, not had it pushed down my throat.

Books written with an agenda can be extremely moving, powerful and ultimately a force for change. This felt....like a padded out agenda. I honestly felt like the author had sat there and listed out a load of trite sayings about life, looked up a few philosophy quotes about the meaning of life, made sure to bullet point how much he wants to encourage no one committing suicide and thought of as many possible jobs a person could have and then....written some joining paragraphs for the list.

Literally one chapter is just a portion of "lives" that can be lived, that are a possibility that read as a list of discarded plot points.

Oh and don't forget to casually mention looking for antidepressants a load of times hoping they aren't there.

The thing is, this felt like the author's experience of his mental health turned into an agenda that his understanding and recovery needs to be forced on other people. Hence publication. This book didn't leave room for the individuality and meaning that is behind lived experience of mental health. Which is baffling to me in a book which is quite literally written to prevent suicide. Genuinely, baffling that this book could make you feel judged for taking medication and not once suggest the protagonist tries therapy.

And as for the ending where she reckons happiness is a husband and a child and then the only reason that isn't the ending is because she realises her life is hers and she wants it? Give me a break, sometimes the latter isn't that simple, and the former is why the feminist movement is still a movement in 2021.

TW for mental health, suicide, cancer, self harm and death of loved ones/pets.

I absolutely loved this book, one of the best read this year.
Matt Haig created an evocative and thought provoking story, centred on the character of Nora. Touching important themes, the book captured me from the very beginning by taking me on a journey.

Brilliant read that will make you think!

There’s no words I can use to describe this, because anything I do say I feel wouldn’t be good enough. This book was just phenomenal, Matt tackles a difficult subject and does so, so beautifully and eloquently. Touching on his own experiences has definitely shaped this book, and the story. Amazing. Cannot wait to see the film!!

I loved the concept of ‘The Midnight Library’ by Matt Haig as soon as I read the blurb. A young woman finds herself in the mysterious midnight library where she can choose a book, live a version of her life as it might have been and so mend the regrets and disappointments she has with her life already lived.
Nora Seed has had a horrible day and wishes she was dead. She has let everyone, including herself, down. Her brother isn’t talking to her. She’s lost her job. And her cat is dead. ‘Every move had been a mistake, every decision a disaster, every day a retreat from who she’d imagined she’d be. Swimmer. Musician. Philosopher. Spouse. Traveller. Glaciologist. Happy. Loved.’ She has a long list of things she can’t do and no list of what she has achieved.
Instead of dying Nora meets the enigmatic Mrs Elm, librarian at Nora’s school nineteen years ago. Between life and death, explains Mrs Elm, there is a library. ‘Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be different if you had made other choices.’ In a kind of literary ‘Sliding Doors’ combined with ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, Nora walks into lives she may have lived. Each life contains people and places Nora knows but who she feels out-of-touch with or is assumed to have a knowledge or skill she doesn’t possess. Consequently, she spends a fair amount of time fibbing and winging her way through situations, trying to keep her rather strange secret and lying to people she is supposed to care about. The deal with the midnight library is that if she feels disappointment in the life she is sampling, she will be returned to the library.
In a predictable character curve, in each life Nora visits she learns something about herself. Some lives we see in detail, others in half a page. This left me unsatisfied. I wanted more, for her to stay longer in situations, to see what she learned. I was left feeling this is a novel combined with a mental health guide to living with depression and regrets. Matt Haig is a successful non-fiction author about the subject but sadly I finished this novel feeling I had bought a novel and been given a self-help guide. In some places, the exposition got in the way of Nora's story. That said, Haig has a light hand at writing comedy and there are some wonderful moments that made me chuckle. One being Nora’s telephone conversation with her film star boyfriend. The other is when she finds out what being a ‘spotter’ in the Arctic really means.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

A beautifully written, touching, and ultimately uplifting and hopeful novel., with a touch of fantasy and time-travelling thrown in for good measure. The novel manages to be both light yet serious, sad yet hopeful.

And any book with a library has to be a good thing!