Anyone that knows anything about Matt Haig will be well aware of his struggle with mental illness – his raw, open dialogue on his social media accounts makes him one of the most active male voices speaking about the subject in the public arena. And, although normally such a fact would be inappropriate to bring up in a review of his work, The Midnight Library is undeniably shaped by the depression that has dogged him for most of his life.
Haig’s experiences unquestionably form and instruct the overwhelming ennui of protagonist Nora: a thirty-something-year-old woman who is at the end of her tether, broken down by darkness and despair, and more than eager for a way out. However, what she was not expecting when she decides to end her life, is the magical, infinite Midnight Library – a portal to all of the lives she could have lived, and all of the regrets she could have followed. It is a conflicted place: one that should evoke the fantasy of Disneyland or Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, but which is still confined by the darkness of Nora’s depression.
Haig’s forays into science-fiction are always a sight to behold, especially in the way that they are so often removed from mainstream tropes. Similar to his previous novels The Humans and How to Stop Time, The Midnight Library manages to be both expertly crafted and evocative, but still wrapped up in a kind of sadness that underpins the narrative arc. Thoughtful, raw but ultimately hopeful, its readers will likely not forget the message of the Midnight Library for a long time.

"It would have made things a lot easier if we understood there was no way of living that can immunise you against sadness. And that sadness is intrinsically part of the fabric of happiness. You can't have one without the other. Of course, they come in different degrees and quantities. But there is no life where you can be in a state of sheer happiness for ever. And imagining there is just breeds more unhappiness in the life you're in."

Nora is living what she perceives to be a pretty mundane, useless and dull existence. She tries to commit suicide and, hovering between life and death, finds herself in a library, The Midnight Library. In the course of her time in the Midnight Library time stands still. Nora is confronted with the regrets of her life. She gets to undo a regret and go back and live the life she might have had, had she not made the "bad decision" she made, and she keeps getting to try all her lives until all her regrets are gone, but ultimately she keeps ending up back in the Midnight Library because each alternative life disappoints her equally as much as the life she is trying to leave.

Wow. This book. THIS BOOK. It actually spoke to me (not literally but you know what I mean :) ). It was phenomenal.

We all have what if's, decisions we have made in our lives that we question whether we did the right thing or not. What if I did this or didn't do that, or I went this way or that way instead, Some decisions pay off, some don't. Dwelling on them can take you down a dark road. You alone have the power to change your perception of things, you alone have the power to change, to become and do anything you put your mind to. BUT don't underestimate your impact over others, the power and consequence that may be conveyed through your kind word, your helpful gesture, your empathy, your compassion, your tolerance and literally your affinity towards a fellow human being,

The message this book conveys is so moving and uplifiting, and so, so important, that I can't stop thinking about it. A superb fictional book about life and our regrets, our hopes, our dreams and our what if's. This is such a relatable, emotional and powerful read for absolutely everyone, from teens upwards. Definitely a must add to your TBR list. ALL THAT STARS. A wonderful read.

Phenomenal. I love Matt Haig as an author anyway but this book is incredible. As a person who has suffered from mental health issues and depression I implore people to read this. It is a beautifully written book and the underlying issues are in most people's lives. 10 out of 10, honestly the most important book I've ever read. Will recommend it to everyone.
Thank you Matt for helping and continuing to help people. Mental health really does matter.

The Midnight Library is the brand new novel from British author and positive mental health campaigner Matt Haig. His memoir Reasons to Stay Alive was a number one bestseller, staying in the British top ten for an incredible forty-six weeks. His children’s book A Boy Called Christmas is currently being adapted to screen by Studio Canal for Netflix and is scheduled to hit screens this December.


Synopsis

We meet Nora at the lowest point in her life, hours before she decides to kill herself. After letting down her brother and his best friend, walking away from her fiancee, giving up on a professional swimming career, being stuck in a dead end job and now, finding the body of her beloved cat, what’s she got to live for? If no one will miss her and living is one pain after the next, why not let her situational depression win and bow out?



However, after the world fades to black, another world comes to light. She’s in a stunning library, with books in every shade of green you could imagine. The library is deserted apart from one woman, Mrs Elm, her former school librarian.



Mrs Elm explains that Nora is frozen in time in the Midnight Library. Balanced on a thin line between life and death, she has the opportunity to choose another life. Every book in the library holds another version of her life; an infinite world of possibilities where she could fix all the mistakes she’s made. She takes the opportunity to find the right path and starts with testing out the marriage she walked away from.



“Between life and death there is a library… Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived.”


Review

I’ve been a massive fan of Matt Haig’s work since 2013 and a proof copy of The Humans was sent to me at the bookshop where I worked. The Midnight Library manages to capture some similar themes to The Humans in a new refreshing way, and this is just one of the many reasons I adored it.



The Midnight Library is an uplifting novel made up of brief chapters that keep you hooked. I’ve struggled with concentration and reading for long periods during lockdown and these bite-sized chapters really helped. As with all his books, Matt’s beautifully fluid writing makes for effortless reading and gives the impression that the whole book possibly just flowed out onto the page in a few days (while I’m sure isn’t the case!).



I think every reader will find something to relate to in the lead character, Nora. We’ve all hit hard times when we’ve been unable to see the positives in our lives because they feel so outweighed by the negatives. She’s so convinced that her ‘mistakes’ have ruined her life, that she’s of no importance to anyone and she just can’t pull herself out of that mindset. However, the Midnight Library allows her to correct those ‘mistakes’; highlighting how the grass is not often greener (even if the books are). It’s only after she’s tasted so many different lives does she begin to understand just how beautiful her original life was. She was loved and loved in return, but that important fact had gotten lost in regrets.



The Midnight Library is an incredible story about seeing the beauty all around us and the kindness we should give ourselves and others. If lockdown has left you a bit jaded or you simply want to read something uplifting, then this is perfect; heart-warming without being twee and with a wonderful message that never feels preachy.



With The Midnight Library, Matt Haig has written a mental hug of a novel that we could all do with right now.



If you liked The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, you’d love The Humans by Matt Haig.

What is your Limbo? Do you even believe such a place exists between life and death? I have always imagined that if it did exist it would be like a waiting area in which you have to make up for all those sins you did in life. For me, this will consist mainly of apologising to ants and spiders that I have stood on by mistake and sent there before me. What if Limbo gave you the chance to experience the life not lived? You could try out some of the scenarios that you missed; kiss that person, go on that holiday, join that cult. Perhaps this Limbo will teach you as much about the life that you did live as those you did not?

Nora Seed is not having a good day. In fact, we are told that she will be dead by the end of it. She is depressed, has lost her job and is consumed with regrets. However, death is just out of reach, before she can walk through that door she must first visit the Midnight Library, a place that holds records of the infinite other lives Nora may have lived. The Librarian gives her an ultimatum; choose to live, die, or pick another life from the collection. With so many opportunities, which will Nora choose?

The reason that I love science fiction is that it is such a broad church. It ranges from space battles to more emotional and grounded fantasy like The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. This is more of a gentle style than my normal reading and comes across like Mike Gayle or Danny Wallace tale, but with fantastical elements. This made it a refreshing change as it queried different areas of my psyche. The books makes you question where you are in life and whether you would change any one element to see the ripples it would cause. Personally, I would not jeopardise a single thing that may stop me having the family that I do, but this is not the case for Nora.

By using the prism of Nora, Haig can really explore the alternatives that life can offer. She believes that she has little to live for, so when things change, she should not miss what she had. The book becomes a series of short vignettes of alternative lives as Nora follows her swimming, band and ex-lover. Each life teaches her more about herself and this is the true lesson that the Library is trying to instil. Some of these life lesson felt a little obvious at times and I felt that I aware that in which direction the story was heading early on, but that does not mean the ride was not enjoyable. I particularly liked the lives in which Nora dismisses things quickly.

The book may be centred around the phycological question of who we are but there are strong supernatural/science fiction elements. The idea of the Midnight Library itself is an interesting one and Haig links it to Nora’s mindset. When she crumbles, so do the foundations of the Library. Haig also boosts the fantasy elements by playing with the idea that there are multiple travellers who are in their own version of the Library, in one case an old video store. If you are a pure science fiction fan there are enough intriguing elements in the book to keep you interested.

As fantastical as The Midnight Library may be, it is a very human story. It is really about Nora’s internal struggles. This is a book about feelings and considering your place in the world, the type of things that publishers put into general fiction when anyone can see that it is actually urban fantasy/science fiction. If you are looking for a gentler and more considered book, then this could be for you. It deals with big questions like why I am here and death, but all with a deftness of touch that makes it a pleasant read and you hope throughout that Nora gets what she desires most – allowing herself to be happy.

I firstly have to admit I am quite often drawn to any book that incorporates that magical word Library into the title. I can truthfully say in this case I have not been disappointed.
The main character Nora Seed is drawn into the library as her life is about to end and is faced with options to create a better outcome to her miserable life. The librarian who she knew several years ago appears to be her only guide but is not particularly forthcoming and can only direct Nora to make her own choices. Could the name be intentional Nora Seed conjures up the image of someone with the potential to grow. However I digress a little back to the plot so to speak.
Changing the path of your life is full of pitfalls and can be precarious with various repercussions. There are certainly a few variations based on the choices Nora is offered . Time is a transient thing as she finds out to her consternation as both her and the library between life and death could be undone. Shelves and shelves of books each one a future that could or could not be. Her biggest challenge is possibly the book of regrets. Enough said I loved this book not overly long but well written with care and feeling for the characters. Would certainly recommend,

Between life and death there is a library.

Nora Seed has many regrets. She’s lost her parents, fallen out with her brother, split up with her fiancée and lost touch with her best friend. She feels lonely and isolated, and then one awful day pushes her over the edge, and she no longer feels needed. She decides that she wants to die, but as she fades away she instead finds herself in The Midnight Library, where the shelves go on forever and every book provides a chance to try another life she could’ve lived.

The Midnight Library is basically a hug in a book! Matt Haig expertly balances triggering themes such as depression, death and grief with warmth and compassion. He always writes with such tenderness, making even the hardest of topics not only palatable, but uplifting.

This is perhaps one of the most introspective books I’ve read in a long time. While reading about Nora’s journey through her infinite lives I thought a lot about my own life: the choices I’ve made, the regrets I have, whether I would do things differently given the opportunity. I think it’s rare for a novel to encourage this level of self-reflection while simultaneously being completely immersive and engaging.

Poignant, rich and life affirming, The Midnight Library is about discovering our potential, changing our perspective, and not giving up. How to Stop Time is a favourite of mine so it’s no surprise that I adored Matt Haig’s latest novel!

Huge thanks to Canongate for sending me a e-ARC of this novel!

I love love Matt Haig’s writing a lot, and when I saw he had a new book released, I knew I needed to get to it as soon as possible, and I’m so glad I did. Haig has such a skill for writing emotions and writing, and his descriptions of mental health are always so relatable and accurate that I am always fully absorbed by his writing.

This book tells the story of Nora who finds herself in The Midnight Library, a library that offers you the chance to live all the lives you could’ve had if you had made different decisions in life. Nora finds herself in this library, and is given the chance to live all these lives she missed out on by making the decisions she did. This was a very interesting premise for a novel, all these regrets and choices that we carry through life that we think would’ve led to a better life, Nora gets to discover if this belief we all hold is true, and whether those regrets were even worth having and holding onto for so long.

This novel is a melancholy yet overall a very life affirming and poignant tale about life and being grateful for what we have, and that sometimes the grass just isn’t greener on the other side.

Haig’s description of the depression and anhedonia that Nora is feeling felt very accurate to me, and it took my breath away at times just how accurately Haig puts the feelings into words. I really appreciated that Nora wasn’t ‘cured’ in any way, she was simply shown a slightly different way of thinking about life, and shown the hope and light that can be found in little things in everyone’s life.

Overall I absolutely adored this novel, and it lived up to all the expectations I had for the novel. It is a breathtaking and moving and a book I highly recommend to everyone!

I've always been a fan of Matt Haig's writing and this absolutely delivered as promised. The story was moving and touching without being overly sentimental, and overall just a really enjoyable read. I actually can't think of anybody who wouldn't get something out of this book.

I adored this book - thoughtful, intellectual, engaging, moving, unafraid of delving into darkness, but ultimately hopeful.

I think Matt Haig is probably one of my favourite authors because of the way he perfectly sums up thoughts and feelings. Every time I read one of his books, it’s like a lightbulb goes off in my head and suddenly understand my feelings.

The Midnight Library follows the life of a young woman named Nora who finds herself in between life and death, with the opportunity to live any life she ever wanted. I really enjoyed this concept as I’m always daydreaming about what my life would have been like if I had continued playing rugby, or had chosen a different degree, or have taken that job in Spain…

As a believer of everything happens for a reason, I loved this concept of the library of lives and I found myself really rooting for our protagonist, Nora. I thought she deserved SO much more and my heart broke for her so many times.

The beginning of the book is a little heavy because there is a lot of discussion about depression and suicide but I think it was an extremely poignant depiction of how mental health is so important and gives the reader an insight into how depression affects every day thinking.

This book is one I’m adding to my list of 5-star readings because I loved every second of reading it. I also enjoyed how it made me question if I have any regrets about my life and the missed opportunities, but it definitely emphasised the fact that things certainly happen for a reason.

A thought-provoking, evocative story about life and its endless possibilities, THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig is beautiful in every way.

Imagine all the ways your life could have panned out. The millions of decisions that shift your life unto a certain path, closing and opening different doors at different times. Now imagine there is a library where all the lives you could have lived reside - and you get the opportunity to try them on for a little bit to see if you would have been happier. Well, that is the situation Nora Seed finds herself. Her life did not end up the way she thought it would but if she had made different decisions would she have found fulfillment? By opening a book she can see these lives - the life where she married Dan instead of breaking his heart, or the life where she became a glaciologist like she wanted when she was a teenager, and that's just for starters. But life is never simple, even in the Midnight Library, and Nora must figure out how to live her life before it is too late.

I loved every word in this story which has so much heart and humanity on each page. Who hasn't regrets or wondered what could have happened if they had made a different choice? And this story opens up all of these parallel lives where we imagine a perfect type of happiness exists, which is not what life is. Every life you could have chosen will have highs and lows, love and heartache, happiness, and sadness, and as Nora learns more about herself in each of her lives, you will find yourself learning something about yourself too. Matt Haig's writing is powerful - powerful in its honesty, its openness, its wonder at the simple things - and it's like he weaves an emotional spell over his readers as you turn each page.

THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig is my favourite book of 2020 so far and I highly recommend it. It's definitely one I will re-read time and time again.

The Humans by Matt Haig was the first book I ever reviewed on this blog and is the reason I became a book blogger. I've made no secret of how much that book means to me - I read it a few months after my brother took his life and it became my beacon of light at a dark time. It's a bittersweet coincidence then that The Midnight Library was published on the eighth anniversary of my brother's suicide and that the lead character, Nora Seed should be suicidal herself.
I can't pretend that the early chapters were easy to read - over the course of a few days Nora reaches the point where she decides that she wants to die - but I was reading it during what is always an emotional week for me. As the story progresses, Nora is given the opportunity to explore what her life could have been like had she made other choices or decisions as Matt Haig returns to the life-affirming themes I have come to associate with his books. Written with deep understanding and warm-hearted honesty; The Midnight Library is a thought-provoking, perceptive paean to hope and the power of books.
Nora learns that she can undo her regrets and in her Midnight Library, guided by her old school librarian, Mrs Elms, the books on the shelves are filled with her alternative lives. As she hovers between life and death in her original or 'root' life, she is able to experience what it would have been like to have followed her dreams or even just agreed to a coffee. If she ever finds a life she likes, she'll be able to stay in it and will eventually forget the Midnight Library. She might run a country pub with her husband (the man she jilted just before her wedding in her root life), be a glaciologist working alongside other scientists in the Arctic or perform to packed out stadiums as a world-famous rock star. However, it turns out that no matter how exciting or interesting her life may be, she keeps returning to the library. Although there are an infinite number of lives contained in the books, if Nora dies the library and everything in it will be destroyed.
My favourite film of all time is It's a Wonderful Life and there are elements of The Midnight Library that are reminiscent of that story. Just as George Bailey was forced to put his dreams on hold time and again, so Nora is filled with regrets for what she has lost or missed out on. Both George and Nora feel trapped and stifled in their home towns but George has Clarence to show him what he means to the people of Bedford Falls and it can't be a coincidence that Mrs Elms is there to guide Nora towards finding out that her actions affected more than just her own life in Bedford. This is an uplifting novel but like It's a Wonderful Life, it has a darker side and doesn't forget that life can be difficult and painful. There is no Mr Potter here but Nora's own personal villain is her depression and that she has allowed her regrets to define who she believes she is; as always Matt Haig writes about mental health issues with compassionate insight and sensitivity.
The Midnight Library may be a fantastical premise but it is never false and through an accessible and engaging mix of quantum physics. philosophy and love, Matt Haig tells a beautiful, poignant and empathetic story of redemption and hope. The Midnight Library is the perfect reminder that even when times are tough, it can still be a wonderful life.

Have you ever wished you could go back in time and change the things you regret? Have you ever wished you'd made different choices in life? If you had the chance to go back and choose a different life, would you?

Nora Seed hates life. She's lost both her parents, she's fallen out of touch with her brother and her best friend, and she's split with her fiance. Everything is getting on top of her and over the course of a day her cat dies, she loses her job and no-one seems to need her anymore. Feeling that the universe is against her, she decides she can't do it anymore and wants to die. But, as her soul begins to pass to the other side, she finds herself in 'The Midnight Library', full of infinite books containing all the lives she could've lived..

I don't want to give away any more of the plot as it's such a wonderful story that I'm sad I'll never get to read it again for the first time, the less you know going in to it the better. But what a magical and life affirming book! I read this in a day and as a mother of three that tells you all you need to now about how amazing it is. As someone who has suffered from depression myself I absolutely recommend this to anyone going through a tough time, or anyone who needs reminding of the fact that life is worth living. I found it hugely uplifting and it really made me stop and think about my own life. I really liked the sentiment that things that may seem small to you can make a big impact others and vice versa. Let go of your regrets and start living for today - you (usually) only get one life so make the most of it.

Perhaps this is was a case of the right book at the right time. Perhaps it was just the magic of the book itself. But reading "The Midnight Library" was like reading a book that was written for me to be read at this particular moment of my life.
This is the story of Nora Seed in the Midnight Library, a place between life and death, which contains infinite numbers of book, each of them a version of her life. Nora, faced with the possibility of changing her life for another, better one, tries to repair her mistakes, makes different decisions which in turn lead to different life choices. She flits through her lives: a swimmer, a famous musician, a wife, a mother, looking for her true life, trying to decide what is worth living for.
In “The Midnight Library” Matt Haig writes in a compassionate and beautiful way about regrets, being your own worst enemy, fearing the present, longing for the past, for the future, for the different reality. The book is full of short vignettes, glimpses into Nora’s lives, the workings of the amazing machine that is the human mind, as it learns to deal with its own troubles and shortcomings.
And the best thing about the book is, that no matter how sad and painful parts of the book might be, it also is such a very positive, beautiful book that simply radiates hope. And sometimeshope is just the small, first step in the direction of a good life.

Could be read alongside Haig's non-fiction titles as a companion piece.

Reasons to Stay Alive. Notes on a Nervous Planet. As most did, I found them insightful, moving and uplifting. Here Haig almost takes his own advice, life experience and stories from those books and puts them into a fictional work, with a character brought to the edge by circumstances.

Nora Seed has no boyfriend anymore. Is let go from her job. Her brother is still angry at her for quitting on their band years ago just as success beckoned. Her only connection and affection seem to be based around her cat. One dark night in Nora's life, she opens her eyes to find not her lonely flat around her, but a library. Staffed by someone she once knew. And the books? All the lives she could have lived if she'd taken different decisions along the way. Now Nora can see just what might have been, possibly where she could have changed the course of her life. After all, who wouldn't jump at the chance to banish a regret, to change the past for the better?

This is a concept that would strike a nerve with almost anybody, at one time or other everyone has experienced a crossroads where a decision will take you down varying paths. And while Nora's lives in the Midnight Library do offer the reader familiar storylines, I was totally caught up in Nora's story, enjoying her lives and what she was learning about herself and her feelings about living.

Haig has a lovely line about librarians in here, and as a member of this group, I did enjoy the use of the library and his love for the staff who man them with their "knowledge. They guide you to the right books. The right worlds. They find the best places. Like soul-enhanced search engines." Thank you for that, Matt.

It's the sort of book that makes you evaluate your own life and decisions, wondering how things might be different under other circumstances. Haig is never less than a compelling author, with fascinating subject matter, sympathetic characters and so much heart you'll find it welling out of your eyes.

Uplifting and heartening, it's the sort of book you might find you need to read at particular moments in life.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy.

Have you ever read a book that feels like it's talking right to you, that nothing else exists but you and the story? That's how I felt last night whilst finishing The Midnight Library.

Matt Haig has become somewhat of an authority on mental well-being recently and talks often about his own past, but the way he takes these experiences and weaves them into his works of fiction is quite simply breathtaking. This novel, obviously written for an adult audience, is magical. It places you in the mindset of 'anything is possible' whilst highlighting the very important topic of suicide and depression.

As a childless woman, I have struggled with my own mental health for many years, and it is rare for a book that isn't aimed at self-help to tackle such topics with integrity and grace, not shame or toxicity. The final few chapters were difficult for me to read, as Nora enters "The Perfect Life" with a loving husband and young child, but unlike so many other books, this is not where the story ends. Although this is the life Nora wants (as did I), this is not the life she ends up with (neither did I) and far from being disappointed with this, I was blown away by the overwhelming feeling of finally being heard. The fact that this book was written by a man has not gone unnoticed, and a man who has children at that.

When prompted towards the end of the book not to regret "the children we didn't have", the flood gates opened and I sobbed for a long time.

This book is so important for the childless community that I will be using it as a pick for our book club (once released in the USA), and I feel the discussions that will come as a result will be cathartic for us all. Thank you, Matt. Thank you so much.

After attempting to take her own life through a profound sense of failure, Nora finds herself in The Midnight Library where each book is an opportunity to live another life based on making a different decision.

This is an incredibly life-affirming novel about seeing things from a different perspective and having hope. It’s cleverly written, highly relatable and easy to lose yourself in.

I recommend his other novel, How to Stop Time, to everyone, (it’s the most borrowed book off my bookshelf!) and I’ll be doing exactly the same with this one.

The Midnight Library is the life-affirming, feel-good book you didn't know you needed! Usually books of this type are not on my reading list, but the title, fantastic premise and beautiful cover were enough to persuade me to give this book a chance. Pleasantly surprised I was indeed to realise that I rather enjoyed it, being the type of story with simple yet reassuring prose which feels like a warm hug. It became a treat to read over a few evenings with a warm drink before bed, leaning in to the exploits of protagonist Nora while making mental parallels if her life-choice regrets with my own. If Matt Haig had hoped to help readers feel that "yes, life's actually okay, we make our mark on the world and can make our choices moving forward" then he truly hit the mark.

As a story, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is pretty far removed from the type of novels I’m usually drawn to, but as a librarian the idea of a magical library sold it to me. And I’m so glad I decided to step out of my comfort zone as I really really enjoyed it!

Imagine a library that exists somewhere between life and death in which you can try out different versions of your life based on decisions made differently. Say for example you’d gone to one university rather than another, said yes to that coffee rather than no or simply got up 30 minutes later one day. After reaching rock bottom, Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library and, guided by her old school librarian, Mrs Elm, she explores her life’s regrets trying to work out which paths she should have taken.

This book took me on a real emotional rollercoaster. Parts of it are so very sad, but there are also parts that are full of hope, with some very funny moments thrown in for good measure. The storyline itself is extraordinarily compelling, and the short snappy chapters coupled with the engaging writing ensured that I zipped through in just 2 sittings. Around halfway through it struck me that it is a book that is almost cinematic in scope, and with a decent budget I could imagine it being perfect for the big screen.

It is no exaggeration to say that The Midnight Library is a book that has the potential to be completely life-changing for its readers. For somebody suffering from depression, regret, loneliness or suicidal thoughts it’s a book that just might offer a glimmer of hope in the darkness. And it’s a perfect companion to Haig’s previous writings on mental health, particularly the wonderful Reasons to Stay Alive. It comes highly recommended from me!