The Midnight Library

‘The Midnight Library’ by Matt Haig, lives up to and, dare I say, exceeds the incredible standard we’ve come to expect from his previous work. This book gives a person stuck between life and death the opportunity to relive lives that could have been by selecting a book from ‘The Midnight Library’.

This book explores a concept similar to that of ‘If Only’ by Melanie Murphy, but is given a unique twist. Matt Haig is a mental health advocate, and so effortlessly weaves the narrative of this into his fiction; more so in this book than perhaps any of his others.

This book not only takes you on the journey of Nora, the incredibly relatable protagonist, but it also twists your own mind to think what could have been if you had made different decisions, but in the best possible way.

With twists and turns, some serious character development, and the writing style of Matt Haig, I can’t help but recommend this book to absolutely any reader.

Like ‘How to Stop Time’ this is a book filled with hope and the reasons we live. It is written with Haig’s usual gentle genius at getting the reader through the dark. Brilliant.

One of the things I love about Matt Haig’s books is the way you can just slip right into them so easily. You just feel so comfortable reading them you just don’t want to put them down and this one is just the same. The moment you pick up this book you feel like you know Nora already. This book is an easy read but it is also incredibly clever and beautifully written. It is in parts funny, in parts sad, but 100% life affirming. I think most people have a little bit of Nora in them but which one is another thing...

Between life and death there is the Midnight Library a place where you get to look at your regrets and and pick the life that suits you best. Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library and with the help of an old friend starts to address everyone of her regrets to find her perfect life but before time runs out which life will she choose.

'"Between life and death there is a library," she said. "And within that library, the shelves go on for ever. 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...Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?'"

Nora is in her mid-thirties and thoroughly unsatisfied with her life. When a neighbour finds her cat on the side of the road, so begins the last few hours in which Nora wants to live. After an attempt to take her own life, she wakes up in The Midnight Library, where she will have the chance to change her life.

I'm a huge Matt Haig fan and as soon as he announced the title for his new book, I couldn't wait to read it. The Midnight Library did not disappoint.

I devoured this in one sitting, completely engrossed in Nora's story. It was heartbreaking, real, relatable and so easy to read. The writing style is also perfect, Matt Haig is a brilliant storyteller.

The concept of being able to fix your regrets and see where those choices would have left you is so interesting. The subject of suicide is also handled incredibly delicately.

The Midnight Library is a wonderfully uplifting novel that everyone should read.

A huge thank you to Cannongate Books for the chance to read this title in exchange for an honest review. I'll definitely be pre-ordering a signed copy and singing it's praises for a while to come!

After attempting suicide, Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, a place in-between life and death. Here, every library book shows an alternative reality where she made different choices in life. She can undo her breakup, change her career, travel the world, repair her relationships with her family, become a successful musician/Olympian/parent. Nora travels through her parallel lives in search of fulfilment, in search of what it is that truly makes life worth living. It’s an interesting, yet terrifying premise. Would you want the chance to do things differently and see how your life would turn out?

The Midnight Library is another absolute treasure from Matt Haig, a brilliant, vital and poignant read- by far the best book I’ve read this year. For anyone feeling the weight of regret or feeling a bit restless and lost in life at the moment, I can’t recommend this enough.

First of all, thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley and canongate for my copy of this book. I am a huge huge fan of Matt’s and love his writing.
I had been very eagerly waiting for this one!

Gosh this was beautiful. I think Matt Haig could write about watching paint dry and I’d want it.

This book is so well thought out and so *human* and so empathetic. This book is a study in empathy, human emotion, desperation, loneliness, love, family, community, self loathing, self refection, self respect and mental health.

There is no filler in this book, nothing to skim-read or gloss over. It all matters and everything adds to the story and your experience. Nora is so likeable and relatable. We’ve all experienced poor mental health in varying degrees, even if it’s just feeling a bit ‘meh’, and so Nora is automatically someone we can read and understand and feel for.

Matt has such a personal experience with poor mental health and depression and a clear understanding of how it can make you feel (and it’s different for everyone). This is an honest book about how bad things can be, it doesn’t belittle depression of hopelessness or suicide, it respects it but handles it delicately in a way that isn’t overwhelming.

It is also a book about hope and how perception, good mental health and seeing others’ perspectives can make the world flip on its head and seen a different place.

I adore the general concept of the midnight library as a place and a plot. That we can contain multitudes in an infinite universe and all this can be within us and all be influenced by the smallest of choices and decisions, is amazing, overwhelming and somehow comforting with the way that Matt writes it.

I’m so grateful for this book and think everyone should read it. It is a book that takes you out of your own head whilst making you feel understood. It has so much heart, feeling and empathy and is written with an emotional intelligence that is unparalleled.

TW: please remember that this book does have an emphasis on suicide and poor mental health and although dealt with very respectfully and delicately, please keep your own MH in mind when reading this & take care.
Other TWs: cancer and death by cancer, adultery, pet death, loneliness, sibling death by suicide, death by car crash, alcoholism, addition, self harm.

This is such a beautiful book.

It's profound, thought-provoking and life-affirming - pretty much what Matt Haig does best.

The book is whimsical (with elements of magic realism and sci-fi) while never feeling trivial or flimsy. It deals with huge existential issues with great sensitivity and realism, combining philosophical concepts with everyday concerns.

Nora's search for peace, happiness and contentment is relatable and engaging. Her relationships are genuine and carefully explored; her connection to Mrs Elm was particularly powerful.

This is a book that will stay with me for a long time. As ever, Matt Haig has created a novel that is both entertaining and profoundly life-affirming.

‘Nora shook her head. Wishing it would fall off. Her own head. Onto the floor. So she never had to have a conversation with a stranger ever again.’ #themidnightlibrary - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This review is a little premature but hell I am spurting it all out now, and probably will again sooner to publishing date too.
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Matt’s brings together once again his unique blend of light and airy, alongside bitter sweet life poignancy with this story of Nora, a young woman pushed to the end of her emotional and mental breaking point, and is about to have a fairly eye opening outta body experience courtesy of, you guessed it, The Midnight Library.
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This isn’t just one for fans, or those that struggle with mental health themselves, it is a touching story for any contemporary fiction reader, one that is looking for a great story and perhaps a little cry too.
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And on a personal level, I just love Matts Writing style, he breaks mental health down without belittling it, you can see his own understanding laid bare with a frankness that’s doesn’t have to be uncomfortable but is just there in plain sight.
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The Midnight Library is beautiful not only does it tell the story of the protagonist in a way that she enraptures your heart and soul, really making you feel. It makes you think about your own life and the choices you've made.. A riveting and thought provoking read that lingers with you long after you've turned the last page and closed the book.

Oh my. Midnight Library is an enchanting, poignant, life affirming novel which touches your heart and changes your perspective. There is not the words to properly articulate how wonderful it was.

I loved the concept of the library and the idea of having multiple lives makes an intriguing page turner. I felt that the pacing of this story was on point, and I never felt bored of any of the lives explored as each story had purpose and a lesson to offer both the character and the reader.

Through the rich narrative, Haig carefully explores regrets and the role they play in our life and mental health. I loved how the main character had the opportunity to reflect on the things that were making her unhappy and had a chance to see how things could be different if she changed them. Nora is a lovable but flawed character who I invested in within the first 5 pages and I often wanted to jump into the book myself to help her.

It felt like a fiction self-help book, shining a light on mental health, the impact of regrets on our self-worth, the meaning of happiness and what it truly means to live. He deals with depression and suicide with clarity and realism that never felt uncomfortable. Sometimes you read a book for entertainment, and sometimes you are lucky enough to have been entertained and educated – this book does just that.

Matt Haig should be available on prescription. Not only a beautiful imaginative story, but also medicine for the soul, a novel every human should read.

Thank you netgalley and canonbooks for giving me the opportunity to read this!

Books are magical. Some books come into your life at a point in time when you need them the most. The best books are the ones that you read and they stay with you. They are the books that you will read over and over again. The Midnight Library is one of those books. It is a book so full of heart, humanity and emotion, one with a perfect storyline that will tunnel its way into your heart. One that will stay there.

The protagonist is Nora, her life is falling apart, with things breaking down in her personal, family and work life, she feels like her life is no longer worth living. That's when she has a 'visit' to the Midnight Library. A place where she is surrounded by the books of lives she could have lived if Nora had made a different decision in her life. Filled with a life of regret, but the opportunity to have a taste of a life based on those, Nora takes us on a magical, emotive journey. What I loved about Nora is that she's a character who we can all identify with on some sort of level, I definitely saw a piece of myself in her and that made the book so much more magical for me.

It made me think, and it'll make you think, if you could go back to a moment and change the trajectory of your life, would you? Would it make you happy?

Matt Haig's writing, as ever, is poetic and thoughtful, taking thoughts that we all have and producing a poetically philosophical plotline that will have you captivated, utterly absorbed.

Reading a book by Matt Haig is like reconnecting with an old friend. There's something about his writing that I find comforting; his work is accessible and full of humanity. He makes you think about your own experiences and often make sense of them.
The Midnight Library is no different. Nora Seed has had enough of life and attempts suicide. She finds herself in a position to 'try on' the lives she could have lived. Would any of them have been better? Nora's journey probably reflects a lot of peoples mental health journeys. The idea that you could see how life would turn out if you'd made a different choice is an intriguing and interesting one. I loved Nora's lives - she could have been a rock star, a glaciologist, a pub owner... the possibilities are endless. Ultimately, the message is one of acceptance and hope, that there is light as well as darkness, and that even the smallest act might change someone's life.
A lovely lovely book. Plus it has a librarian - Mrs Elm - and they rule.

I found I was able to relate to the main character, Nora, throughout her journey in this book. I think it is a story that is incredibly well thought out and will definitely make you consider your own life and your regrets from a different perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone!

After attempting suicide, Nora Seed finds herself in The Midnight Library. A place that is entirely her own, where she has the opportunity to fix her regrets and see what life would have been like if she had made other choices, taken a different path.

Another truly exceptional book from Matt Haig, The Midnight Library is filled with heart, hope, and the most uplifting message. Haig writes with boundless empathy and creates characters that are so human, I defy anyone to read and not find some aspects of their own self within them.

Of course, mental health is at the core of this story, and as usual, it is dealt with with the utmost respect and love, in a way that only someone that has faced their own struggles could do.

Devoured in a day and pre-ordered immediately. This is a book not to be missed, that's for sure!

What a jam this book was! The idea that there are various spaces we are unaware of between life and death is well depicted in this fascinating novel.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

“Between life and death there is a library,’ she said. ‘And within that library, the shelves go on for ever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?”

So begins Matt Haig’s new novel. A brilliantly beautiful, sweet, life affirming story.

After attempting suicide Nora Seed has the opportunity to explore how her life may have played out if she’d made different choices. Inside the Midnight Library with the guidance of her old school librarian, Nora unpicks her regrets and experiences countless lives. Delving into the ‘what ifs’ and questioning what makes a successful or perfect life. What is it that makes life worth living?

The book explores big topics of mental health, depression and suicide with a light and touching style. Haig draws on his own experiences of mental health and depression allowing him to write with understanding and empathy. It is the perfect example of the healing power of storytelling, the balanced art of fiction as medicine.

This book is a beautiful affirmation of self worth, contentment and hope. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I cannot recommend it enough.

Published in the UK in August 2020. Thanks to @netgalley and @canongatebooks for my eARC.

What a clever and likeable book. Matt Haig's well known awareness of the impact of depression on an individual runs through the book. He is clever, insightful and kind. I absolutely loved our heroine, Nora and I really wanted her to live and live well..
The idea behind the book is inspired and it is brilliantly executed. I read the book in two days and I didn't want to put it down. The story line is really different but at it's heart is family, friendship, a longing to be fulfilled in life, and how our experiences make us what we are. I thoroughly recommend this book for all ages and genders. There really is something for everyone.
Thank you so much to Matt Haig, to the publishers and to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this delightful and moving book. I highly recommend it.

‘Between life and death there is a library,’ she said. ‘And within that library , the shelves go on for ever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?’

Ever since Matt first tweeted about the idea of this book, I was sold. So when I saw it on Netgalley I had to try for it, and dived straight in when I was accepted.

This story was amazing, like a fiction version of Matt's Self Help books.

The story starts with Nora who takes he own life, and wakes up in a strange library full of books which look the same, and a familiar face. She has endless possibilities of living a life she never did, each book a different life. She can visit as many as she wants, and if it isnt he right life to stay in, she'll end up back in the library to try again.

Sounds great right? Living the lives she never got to, living out choices she regrets making? Well she only has a certain amount of time in the library, as long as be click stays on Midnight, so she needs to figure her plans out before time runs out.

The idea of this story is brilliant, and the book didn't fail to make me smile. I'd recommend it to everyone!

I was thrilled to be accepted for an advanced copy of Matt Haig's new fantastic novel.
I immediately was thrown in to Nora's world, her hurts and her regrets. This sounds like a depressing concept but actually it is a most uplifting and life-affirming story, without twee sentiment.
There's a special library, The Midnight Library, where the librarian oversees all of Nora's life stories, her multiple lives resulting from all her choices. Each book is an opportunity to "try" a different choice but each alternative has its own inevitable consequences and lessons for Nora, and those she loves.
The philosophy in this story is interesting and the way you are shown how our own happiness comes from within and through the different kinds of love we experience. The lessons of life are painful with many routes that deviate from our dreams and even ideals, but have led us to be the people that we are, and that is sometimes all about perspective.
A brilliantly engaging and thought provoking read that I could read again and again.

"'Between life and death there is a library,' she said. 'And within that library, the shelves go on for ever. 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...Woukd you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?'"

Nora Seed is unhappy, living her ordinary life of regrets with beloved cat Voltaire, in Bedford, England. Miserable, having fallen out with brother Joe and feeling she has let everyone down, she decides enough is enough and she no longer has any reason to live.

She finds herself I. This mysterious in The Midnight Library, where her old school librarian, Mrs Elm, is there to guide her way. Will it give her the chance to put things right and live a life free of regrets?

Ensconcing and magical science fiction, I fell in love with this book within a few pages. It reminded me a little of The Charmed Life of Alex Moore by Molly Flatt in its examination of life and its many potential meanings. Nora is relatable and engaging. Short chapters kept this nice and pacy and I read it quickly to find out the fate of Nora and The Midnight Library. Splendid escapism, shot with optimistic realism about the importance of perception. This is a truly beautiful and inspiring book.

Some books just speak to you. They seem to access a part of your soul that you weren't even aware of; that you didn't even know you needed. This is one such book. I've read other books by Matt Haig but none have affected me in the way that this did. I'm speechless. Everyone should read this. Everyone needs this magic in their lives.

This is a book about life, in all of its messy perfection. It's a fantasy novel, in a way, but it's also more real than most contemporaries. It's almost impossible to review because it's impossible to capture the feeling that it gives you. I've rarely read a book and felt so profoundly moved.

'The Midnight Library' is an in-between place, somewhere between life and death. The protagonist, Nora, wants to die. Her life has gone in a completely unexpected direction and she no longer has the will to keep herself alive. But instead of dying, she finds herself in a library of endless possibilities - a library where she can live out every other possible life, all the lives that could have happened if she made different choices, from the large to the small. As she explores all of her other lives, Nora comes to profound realisations about her own - and what it means to be alive.

There are no perfect things in life, so of course this isn't a perfect book. But it comes close to. I encourage everyone to read this book - read it, and seek joy in the small moments that make up humanity.

Nora Seed has hit an all-time low. After losing her cat, her job, and is full of regret, she takes her own life. However, she suddenly finds herself in the Midnight Library – a point between life and death – and learns that she has an opportunity to live as if she had done things differently. She had felt like she had let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.

“Because, Nora, sometimes the only way to learn is to live.”

The concept of ‘The Midnight Library’ is wonderful, and Haig executes it brilliantly. How different could life be if we made another choice? How could one decision change the lives of the people around us? And, is there any such thing as a perfect life? In one life Nora is an internationally famous rock star. In another, she works as a scientist in sub-zero temperatures in the Norwegian archipelago. She is an Olympic athlete, a vegan powerlifter, rich, poor: the possibilities are infinite. Throughout it all, Haig seamlessly interjects magic into the most prosaic of details.

Furthermore, in his bestselling memoir ‘Reasons to Stay Alive‘, Haig chronicled the personal anxiety and depression he experienced which lead him to consider taking his own life. In ‘The Midnight Library’, he is just as unflinching in his depiction of depression. He seamlessly articulates how debilitating it can be, how it can feel like you’re stuck in a black hole. And yet, his writing never feels dismal. Rather, he counterbalances sombre moments with a hopeful tone and a touch of humour. While sometimes Nora’s monologues were repetitive, the meaning was clear: even when you feel like you’re trapped, there is always a way out of the darkness.

There’s so much more to unpack in this book. From ideas around climate change and the connection between ourselves and the world to familial relationships, fame, and the nature of happiness. Matt Haig tackles so many themes with such grace: a reminder to live life to the fullest and appreciate every moment, even the hard ones. As Nora tries on the many shoes of her infinite lives, we see how making space for regrets is one step towards softening their hold over us. We can have regrets without being their prisoner.

Overall, ‘The Midnight Library’ is a truly inspiring story that, yes, is full of hurt and despair, but also love and transformation. Haig eloquently articulates the consuming nature of depression for those who find that words escape them. As with ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’, I’m so grateful for this book and vouch that everyone should read it. The only way to learn is to live.

Thank you, Matt Haig, Canongate Books, and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A life-affirming story that is beautifully written & full of wonder! I find myself highlighting excerpts on almost every page. Guaranteed to be a story that stays with many people for a lifetime!

Utterly magnificent thought provoking book. For anyone who has ever wondered if there's a better life out there.

This book made me cry, and I don't think I will ever forget it.

I love how easy it is to read one of Matt Haig's books, yet they leave such a great impact on you and have you thinking about them long after you finish. This book joins Haig's other works that leave you feeling positive about life and its possibilities. I would highly recommend! Great bookclub book as well!

Matt Haig has an amazing way of storytelling. It's immersive, descriptive, funny in the right places, and wonderfully emotional. I loved the story of 'The Midnight Library', it's a fascinating concept and it's been executed brilliantly here.

You're really taken on a journey through Nora Sneed's lives, each one subtly different. I personally found the ending to be a little predictable, but that doesn't matter because the journey to reach the end of the book is one of the best I've read in a long time.

Haig has an interesting way of weaving his positive life outlook into his fiction work; if you've read 'Reasons to Stay Alive' or 'Notes on a Nervous Planet' you'll hear the authoritative voice on mental health in other fictional works. I think that's what makes 'The Midnight Library' so special.

It managed to transport me away from my life and into Nora Sneed's (many) lives. I flew through the book as it was so immersive I just couldn't put it down.

I would urge everyone to read this book. It's just incredible.

The best book I've read so far this year. I read it in one sitting, I couldn't put it down.
This is the story of Nora Seed; her cat has died, she has lost her job, she no longer sees her brother and she believes that she has no reason to carry on living. Then she finds herself in the Midnight Library.
It is beautifully written and the story is so touching. It is full of hope, love, the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau and even Schrödinger's cat. Uplifting and thought-provoking, this book is highly recommended.

I loved this book. It is such an obvious premise and yet takes the genius that is Matt Haig to realise it! The story is simple and universal. Bittersweet- it will make you laugh and I defy you not to cry. I will definitely be recommending to my teenage customers as there are such important messages here for them.

It is no secret that Matt Haig has mental health issues, dogged by the darkness of depression that has taken its toll on his life. His acute observations and experience of his condition informs this exquisite, inspiring, compassionate and empathetic novel where he creates the concept of the midnight library, to be found in the spaces between life and death, to explore life, the issues that afflict our world, through philosophy and more, endeavouring to tease out what might make life worth living and a joy and what gives it meaning. The device used to implement his goal is the ordinary Nora Seed, who has lived her life trying to please others, who has hit rock bottom, suffering the loss of her cat, her job, overwhelmed by the burden of a lifetime of regrets, seeing no light in her life whatsoever. She is tempted by thoughts of suicide that has her ending up at the midnight library.

The midnight library is magical, for a start, the library has a limitless number of books, and these books are from ordinary, Haig sprinkles gold dust in each book, offering Nora the opportunity to see how her life would have turned out if each and every decision at every point in her life had been different. The books illustrate the endless possibilities that life holds for Nora and all of us. Nora explores each book, with inquisitiveness and curiosity, the widely disparate lives that could have been hers, no easy task as she has to slip into each new life with the complications of being unfamiliar with it and do so without alerting the other people present. It soon becomes clear that there are pros and cons to each book/life, to each decision and choice made, each life containing its own mix of despair, pain and regrets that must be accommodated and handled.

Haig offers a touching narrative that speaks of the joys to be found in living, attained through Nora's eyes as she tries to untangle what really matters in life, putting life in context and perspective with all its ongoing changes, complexities, and an understanding no life is perfect in itself. In some ways, this is a version of It's A Wonderful Life, a favourite film for so many people. What I was so struck by is just how many readers might find this helpful for our lock down times, so many have suffered unbearable losses and illness, have had to face not seeing all those we love and mean so much to us, whilst being weighed down with worries and concerns about how to cope with fears regarding jobs, childcare, money and more. A beautifully nuanced novel that I am sure many will love as much as me. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Canongate for an ARC.

Nora isn’t happy with her life. She has so many regrets. She decides she wants to die after her cat is found dead, she is let go from her job and feels as though she has always let everyone down. She thinks her life isn’t worth living so decides to end it. She is then stuck between life and death, but is given the chance to make amends.

I loved the concept of this book, and was worried I would be disappointed. I read this in a day, was immediately drawn in to the story, and Noras choices. The mental health and suicidal issues were handled beautifully and the sense of loss in Noras life was so real. Having just recently lost my mother, I thought this would make it harder for me to read the Midnight Library, but it fact it gave me a great deal of comfort. I love it. I hadn’t been sure how the author would be able to end it, but it was exactly as I would have hoped. Great read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved this. The concept of a library between life and death where you can explore your unfulfilled lives had already thrown this onto my must read list for 2020 hard so my expectations were high. And yet it still lived up to them.
Haig's writing, even in fiction, cuts to the chase of what it means to be human; to struggle with expectations, disappointments and regret, and yet find hope in kindness, compassion and acceptance and The Midnight Library encapsulates all of this and inspires hope and gratitude. Think A Wonderful Life with more books.

“Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?”

The Midnight Library is a poignant reminder of how fragile human life can be. A story that makes you question what you wish you’d done differently and think about how your life might have turned out if you had. Would you be happy? Fulfilled? Would things have turned out better?

Nora’s journey was painful but beautiful. A journey that I believe a lot of people will relate to and I certainly did. Matt Haig showed us all of the dark but also, the light that can be experienced in one’s life.
Human life is beautiful and something to be cherished. This book just made me appreciate that a whole lot more.

I don’t believe my words will ever be able to do this book any justice. It’s something everyone should experience for themselves.

Thank you so much to Canongate, NetGalley and most importantly, Matt Haig for the pleasure of receiving this e-ARC.

i read this lovely book in one sitting this week, and I loved it. It was like a sledgehammer to the frontal cortex, if the sledgehammer was made of fresh air, good food, and a stretch. I will be recommending this book widely when it arrives into my shop - I can't wait to see what my customers think of it.

Warning: This book will make you think! About your life, about your life choices and everything in-between. Matt Haig, an author who openly admits to struggling with mental health issues himself and advocating awareness of depression and other mental illnesses, has created a masterpiece that is deep, philosophical and utterly moving. 

It is a tough time for Nora: she has lost her job, her cat just died, nobody seems to need her, years of depression have worn her down, ... and so she decides to die. However, instead of achieving oblivion she wakes up in the Midnight Library, a place between life and death where all your possible, alternative lives are stored. Nora is given the chance to try out different versions of her life with the promise that she may eventually stay in one that she finds 100% desirable. 

You can already guess where this is going. Everyone who has ever asked themselves the famous "What if?" question - and, honestly, who hasn't? - will find themselves in this beautiful novel. Even when the grass at first seems to be greener on the other side of the fence, it hardly ever is. And this is something that Nora has to learn as she explores the books on the shelves. By and by, she moves through her own Book of Regrets, and realises that things are not as easily mended as she maybe initially assumed.

It is clear that this book was written by someone who knows what he is talking about. The Midnight Library is compassionate and emphatic. Haig's inspiring observations are wonderfully nuanced, touching the reader deep in the core of their souls. (Yes, I'm aware that this sounds cheesy but it's the truth, so deal with it. ;o)) This is a book that starts of as a sad story but ultimately turns into a narrative of the joys of life, however small they may be or how insignificant they may appear. 

I very much loved the many references to philosophy, and particularly to Thoreau's Walden, as they gave the story even more depth. For me, it put a lot of things into perspective, and I had to contemplate the book for several days before being able to put my thoughts into this review. “Sometimes the only way to learn is to live.” - I guess, that is the main message of The Midnight Library and I highly recommend it (both the life motto and the novel)!

This book was so well written, it stirs something inside you. Impossible to put down as the magical story pulls you in. I’ve not read such a beautiful book in a while.

Matt Haig's latest novel is a thoughtful story about wanting to kill yourself; live choices; regrets; and reasons to live. The idea is a simple one. Nora Seed is trying to kill herself but is not dead yet. Instead she find herself in a place in between life and death - The Midnight Library. In this library are books full of alternative versions of her life. By opening the book she experiences that version of her life. She can see if those other versions of her life would have made her happier, more content with life, or not. If she does she can stay in that version of her life. If not, she returns to the library to start again.

It is no surprise given that Haig has gone through the experience of trying to end his life that this book is smart, compassionate, insightful and funny. As a result it is neither trite or preachy. What it is, is a lovely book about wanting to live.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to read and review

It’s been a long time since I finished a book and immediately wanted to go back to the beginning so I could start again. This was my first Matt Haig book, and it did not disappoint. It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of hopelessness that can come from feeling sad or low all. of. the. time., and the journey that this sadness can take you on.

Haig’s done it again. Achieving the perfect balance of making you drift off into a literary dream whilst making you have a good think. And just like his previous corkers of books, I’d fully recommend the Midnight Library to all fellow readers.

‘Between life and death there is a library,’ she said. ‘And within that library, the shelves go on for ever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?’

Nora Seed gets the chance as we follow her journey into the elusive Midnight Library. Coming from a pretty miserable existence, the future looks filled with possibilities. But what is it that makes life a good one? And what makes us truly content?

If you’re partial to highlighting your books, this one will look like a GCSE textbook by the end as it’s filled with gorgeous ‘Haigisms’, like this little nugget: “...it is not the lives we regret not living that are the real problem. It is the regret itself. It’s the regret that makes us shrivel and wither and feel like our own and other people’s worst enemy.”

This is one of those rare books that leaves you feeling like you’ve just taken in a huge breath of air and you’re ready to accomplish anything! And guess what? You are!

Matt Haig’s novels always feel like a gift to me - a second chance - perspective-shifting stories where he bestows his wisdom on us all ❤️

The Midnight Library is Nora’s version of Limbo, a unique place existing somewhere between life and death. On the shelves of her library are the many lives she could have lived, lives full of surprising, scary and character-building opportunities. All she has to do is open a book to try a new life on for size. Once she closes a book, she can never return. Would she be happier in another life?

Matt Haig has a talent of ironing out even the most complex issues with his words. Every week I see more and more of my friends share his posts and for good reason, he writes in a way that makes you physically shout “Yes! That!” at your screen. Each novel I’ve read takes that a step further, you can feel the story opening your mind in ways you’d have otherwise never discovered. This one is no different. It’s like life therapy. In one chapter, in particular, Nora reflects on what she’s learned through living multiple lives. It’s just beautiful. Haig is clearly light-years ahead of me on his journey to self discovery. I’m so glad he shares this wisdom.

If you ever wonder “what if?” then this book’s definitely one to add to your wish list.

Favourite quote: “We don’t have to play every game to know what winning feels like.”

I certainly feel like my eyes and heart are more open after reading it. The Midnight Library is out in August 🎉

The Midnight Library is a treasure trove of philosophical delights.
The sorry circumstances Nora Seed finds her life to be in are not only relatable but all to familiar to many.
Matt Haig presents the theory of multiple lives and the endless possibilities of these lives with such imagination. I simply could not put it down.
Left me feeling invigorated and intrigued as to what other possible lives I could be living.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this early copy. One to treasure and quote from for a long time to come.

I absolutely loved this book!
Nora was just such a wonderful, believable character, her depression depicted so authentically that you could really feel it with her.
The concept of the library itself was brilliant, and I loved seeing how Nora's spark slowly came back as she experienced all of her different possible lives. It gave such a strong positive message but without being preachy, and was at times heartbreaking but also uplifting.
This was one of those quietly beautiful books that really stays with you.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is, as always, a brilliant read. The reader is immediately pulled into an unputdownable story. A brilliant take on a very difficult subject. I will never forget the library and what happened in it. Heartwarming and up-lifting. . A pleasure to read,

This one was a really fun read, for the most part. The main character has given up on life and decides to end it, but what lies between life and death for her is the Midnight Library, filled with millions of books containing all of her alternates lives that she gets to try out to see if she can find one worth living.

This premise was very interesting as someone with depression. The character finding that most of her alternate reality selves, no matter how different their life paths may be, was still depressed and taking medication for it. In some lives she is wealthy and successful, but still unhappy. In some lives some of her friends or family members have died.

This books asks the ultimate question, if you could have a do over, would you? What little or big decisions would you make differently? Or perhaps we all need to do a bit more of appreciating the lives we already have instead of always wondering what ifs. We don't need to die in order to start tackling our own book of regrets when we can face them now and make this life into the best one we could have had anyway. Definitely a book for thought and one I highly recommend.

A beautiful love letter to living.

Have you ever pondered how your life might have turned out if you’d taken one path instead of another? When Nora Seed, full of loneliness and regret, reaches breaking point and finds herself in The Midnight Library, she discovers every possibly life shelved and ready for her perusal. But what is ‘success’? What does a ‘happy life’ even look like?

Oh Matt Haig. I adore him. I have so much respect for anyone willing to be open and vulnerable about their mental health in the hope of reaching someone else but to do so with such an enormous platform and while subjected to endless criticism, trolling and abuse is just a testament to what an incredible mental health advocate he is.

This is my fifth of his books, my second of his adult fiction offerings and I love the way that his advocacy and personal experiences permeate every page. The balance between real darkness (that he doesn’t understate for the sake of comfort) and moments of pure, brilliant hope. In The Humans, mental health is presented as something that is just fundamentally human. In The Midnight Library, he brilliant captures the contradictory drone of depression that tells you simultaneously that you don’t matter, that nothing you do matters, you wouldn’t be missed but also that everything bad that ever happens is your fault.

This was The Truth Pixie for grown ups and I loved it. For impact, readability, message and just how it made me -feel-, it’s an immediate five stars. With a few hours to reflect, I will say that Matt Haig’s writing is a little on the simplistic side; I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, there -needs- to be accessible books dealing with mental health but if you are looking for something hard-hitting and literary, this isn’t it.

I didn't know what to expect from this book before I read and I was very pleasantly surprised. It is a very whimsical story about changing the past or better put, learning what we can and cannot control. This is a novel everyone will love, with a story that stays with you forever.

Disclosure: I'd like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

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This book is intriguing, thought-provoking, and astonishingly well written. But for me the book's real strength was in the characters - all very real and believable (even those who appear only fleetingly). The main character, Nora Seed, is especially likeable and I was willing her to find a HAE.

A keeper. I have my hardback signed copy on order.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest reveiw.

I absolutely adored this book. It is a stay up all night, can’t put it down story of complete perfection. Following Nora and her visit to the Midnight Library which shows her all the variations of her life that could have happened, it’s just amazing. Beautifully written, life affirming and makes you look at life in a wholly different way.

Wow. This book was just beautiful to read from start to finish.
I have been a fan of Matt Haigs for quite some time now, and his books have certainly helped me through some difficult times, so when I was approved to read this one I felt overjoyed.

I adored the storyline throughout this book, it was unique and enthralling from the beginning. Perfectly highlighting mental health issues within a magnificently plotted story, it beautifully portrayed how people can often get lost in the moment and dont always see all that life has to offer.

I could shout about this book all day long! A poignant, heartwarming and at times heartbreaking story of discovering the strength we posses within. A must read!

This book is all things wonderful. I believe that it takes someone who has gone through similar to really write about people struggling with MH issues. It's no secret that Matt Haig has suffered himself and this is reflected into the realism surrounding his characters and the situations he finds themselves in.
So, Nora has had enough of life. But as she tries to do something about it, she finds herself in a library. In front of her is the librarian from her school. All round her are books, and the librarian explains that they are the books of her own life, each telling the parallel story of what would have happened to her had she made a different decision. She now has the chance to taste any of these lives to see if things could have indeed been better. Assisted by her book of regrets as a guide. What would have happened if she had gone abroad with her friend, if she hadn't run out on her ex, if she'd said yes to that date... Nora gets to sample each life... But what is the ultimate lesson to be learned... well, that'd be telling.
Oh my, I really loved this book. It also came at exactly the right time for me as, well, we all know how weird the world is at the moment with many issues other than just Covid to get to grips with and I had found myself veering into quite a lot of introspection... too much maybe. So, not to put too fine a point on it, thank you Mr Haig...
The concept of the library, the librarian, the regrets, the paths never taken, just resonated with me so much. There's things I regret, obviously, things I wish I'd done differently. I think everyone can say the same and that is why this book is so powerful. And wonderful as as well as the power it holds, it's also pretty empowering to the reader. Well, it was for me. But, as well as that, it's a cracking story. Nora is a fascinating character - every facet of her - and I really did both sympathise and empathise with her as I got to know her.
All in all, a cracking read that I have no hesitation in recommending. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review. I needed this book,I didn't know I needed it until I had been reading for ten minutes,and then I devoured it in less than twenty four hours. I was attached,I could related to the main character Nora more than I would ever like to admit.

Nora is thrown into the midnight library,which exists between being alive and being dead. Here she meets her old school librarian Mrs Elm. The library contains an unlimited amount of books,each one is an alternative reality in which you could have lived based on which decision you chose at which time.

A story of hard truths and bitter sweetness. Breathtakingly honest and home hitting. I didn't know this is what I needed to hear until I read it. Matt Haig has gotten this story on point. This was the point of view I needed to hear,and I am sure that so many others out there also need to hear it.

A beautiful story of how we struggle with life and the decisions we make and how these can all come tumbling down on us, making us feel hopeless and beyond caring how life ends up.
But what if we got a chance to go back, and really check these decisions and see the thread behind all these events in our lives?
Nora is struggling and has taken that option to give up, but she has been given a chance and it is here we meet the midnight library.
And what an amazing library it is.
A story of life, believing in who we are not what others think we are or want us to be.
A wonderful uplifting, beautiful story.

This book came precisely when I needed it. I was confronted, inspired, and moved. This may be his best work yet.

Matt Haig is back with a vengeance. I'm a big fan of all of his books, and this one certainly lived up to my (unfairly high) expectations.

When Nora Seed decides that her life is not worth living any more, each of the books in the Midnight Library gives her a chance to experience a different version of her life, altered by decisions and circumstance. She is able to examine her regrets, and see how life would have panned out had events unfolded in a different way.

This is exactly the sort of premise for a book which, if executed badly, could easily become contrived and clunky, but not in Haig's masterful hands. He is so good at capturing the tiny, day-to-day truths which make us human, and putting them down on paper in a way which is both raw and dignified at the same time. I'm sure that many of us have questioned what life might have been like had we made a different decision about an ex-partner or a job opportunity, and yet again, Haig has managed to write a book which doubles up as both entertaining novel and life coach.

Trigger warnings: suicide and suicidal thoughts

In many ways this is a very straightforward novel built around a simple idea. A young woman, Nora Seed, in the grip of depression, who is weighed down by a sense that all the failures in her life, all the regrets and bad choices, have brought her to the point where she has nothing left to live for. She is certain that there is no-one remaining in her life that would miss her if she were gone and so she decides to end it all – she decides to commit suicide. A simple concept perhaps, but one that encourages us, the readers, to think more deeply about the nature of our own lives. To think about what it is in life that brings us happiness and purpose, that keeps us believing that life is worth living.

This early section of the book is an unrelentingly frank presentation of Nora’s life. Her sense that she was a disappointment to her late father, her estrangement from her brother, the loss of her job and even the death of her pet cat, the only living thing that was in any way dependent upon her. She has reached the point where she feels that every connection between her and the world around her has been severed. However, it is when she has taken what she is hoping will be a fatal overdose of pills, and she has slipped into unconsciousness, that the novel takes a fantastical turn.

Nora wakes to find herself in a strange building of infinite size filled with bookcases holding an infinite number of books. This is the Midnight Library and each of the books represents a life that Nora might have led and indeed might now lead instead of her old, unhappy, one. It soon becomes clear that she is being offered the chance to experience her life as it would have been had she made different choices that would have ensured that she never experiences the regret that she thinks has blighted her life. To help her in this exploration of her alternative lives is a librarian who takes the form of Mrs Elm, the school librarian of her childhood, and who she returns to when the alternative life she has chosen to explore disappoints her.

I rather think that many of us have played this game at some time. Many of us have thought about, fantasised about how differently our lives would have played out had we made a different decision here or taken a different path there in some parallel universe of the kind implied by quantum mechanics. For Nora, and perhaps for all of us, life is a collection of regrets, but she is given the chance to find a life that, for her, is worth living. She experiences many lives in which she fulfils her potential as an Olympic athlete, a scientist and even a rock star, and some where she avoids other less significant regrets. But time and time again she finds herself back in the Midnight Library facing the possibility that her suicide will prove to be successful if she does not find that one alternative life she is destined for. However, if she does find it then for her perhaps what Sartre wrote will prove to be true: that “Hope begins on the other side of despair.”

If this is a story about regret and its corrosive effects on how we live our lives, then it is also a warm hearted and optimistic story; a life-affirming fable that deals with difficult matters of mental health, and of what it means to be alive in these times, in a sensitive, poignant, and profoundly moving way. The author, who is new to me, has produced a beautifully and sensitively written piece of work that deals with a complex subject matter with great clarity.

I would like to express my thanks to Net Galley and Canongate for making a free download of this book available to me.

A really thought-provoking book, which I enjoyed immensely. I thought the characters were very well developed, and loved the writing style. This is my first time reading Matt Haig and I'll definitely be on the lookout for more of his work now. Really really good!

Matt Haig's latest offering is a quirky, melancholy yet life affirming tale of regret for the roads not taken, a "what if" scenario that will speak in its own way to every one of us. After all we all wonder, don't we, what our lives might look like now if we'd turned left instead of right...if this thing had happened but not that thing...

Caught between life and death, main protagonist Nora finds herself in a vast library, the books here are stories of her life not lived. Guided by the librarian, who reflects a part of her past, Nora tries on some of those lives for size, a process that changes her understanding of her life in many many ways..

The Midnight Library is kind of "It's A Wonderful Life" for the modern age, written with the deep insight into certain aspects of the human condition that Matt Haig is known for, beautifully crafted and offering the reader many thought provoking idea's. It's a novel you will drift off with into thoughts of your own life decisions, whilst constantly being brought back to Nora and hers.

What does a happy ending look like? Well that's the thing. It can look like many many things.

The Midnight Library is beautiful. I loved every minute of it. Highly recommended

I read and enjoyed How to Stop Time from Matt Haig and I definitely loved The Midnight Library as well.
Nora is unemployed and just lost her cat. She also lost contact with her brother, which causes her to be depressed and commit suicide. But, she doesn't die and instead goes to The Midnight Library. There, she has the chance to choose different paths and live different lives. This was really interesting, and the fact that Matt Haig writes about mental health so well is amazing. I think it helps a lot of people.

I highly recommend it.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this early copy.

A woman attempts suicide, and become trapped in the midnight library between life and death. She gets to experience the intimate amount of "could have been" lives, built from the regrets of her root life.

I LOVED this book, I lived it more and more each page I read. By the end, I had tears in my eyes. The message is one that I resonate so much with, as someone who has battled their mental health and experienced suicidal thoughts in the past, this book is a true masterpiece. A fiction book with all the inspiration of a non-fiction book.

Amazing, thank you for this fabulous story Matt! And thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in, in return for my honest review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I first got into the author's books with how to stop time. I enjoy books that are slightly sci fi without being full of space scenes, witches and magic, and other such things. The lovely thing about Matt's books are they're set in normal places, it's just 1 unusual thing that affects the main character but the rest of the world is normal which is the sci fi aspect. After coming to this story from how to stop time I had high expectations and boy did he manage to blow those out the water! This book is gripping and makes you really feel for the main character whilst still remaining something that's very much easy reading and enjoyable. I devoured this in 1 sitting and loved every minute of it. I don't want to give away what happens but I will say it's a very satisfying ending. I have recommended this book to my family and friends and am now anxiously awaiting the next novel from this author

The Midnight Library is another fantastic and imaginative piece of writing from Matt Haig. What if you could go back and change a decision you made, but now regret? How would that impact on your life, and more importantly, your happiness? That is exactly the opportunity The Midnight Library offers Nora when she feels utterly despondent with her life.
Nora has the chance to pursue her successful swimming career, continue as lead singer/songwriter in a rock band and travel to Australia. Will any of these lives make her more fulfilled or does happiness and contentment come from somewhere else?
Not only is this an incredibly thought provoking story, it also offers a message of positivity and hope. Even if we regret some of our decisions, there is no guarantee we would be any happier. We all have the possibility within ourselves to create a change and bring about a more satisfying existence. A novel and self help book all in one. What a triumph!

Enormously thought-provoking at every page, it felt as if I was holding up a mirror to my own life. Carefully considering and questioning decisions, thoughts and feelings I've had myself. I loved Nora's journey and adored this book. With shades of Paulo Cohelo's The Alchemist, this truly will have me thinking long after I've finished it. Thank you to Netgalley and Canongate for the opportunity to read in advance of publication.

Wow, what an incredible book, life-affirming, uplifting and powerful. It tackles head-on the serious and potentially life-destructing issues of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, self-worth (or lack thereof), dead pets, climate change and “grass is always greener” mentality. It does this with gentle humour, philosophy and sheer brilliance. The Midnight Library is a place between life and death where each book provides the chance to try another life you could have lived if you had made different choices – a really simple way to explain the many-world interpretation of quantum physics and the universal wave function. It could have gone a bit groundhog day, but it didn’t - it was much, much better.
A male author writing from a female perspective doesn’t always feel genuine, but Matt Haig nailed it. The mental health areas are well-documented to be ones he has a deep knowledge of and his love of the environment and passion for libraries shines through. It is an ode to life.
Please just read it, my review could never do it justice.

Reading a new Matt Haig book is like coming home. This was gorgeous – beautiful, haunting, uplifting, bittersweet. It offers a whole new way of looking at the idea of regrets and 'what if's. I really loved it.

An exquisitely written look at regrets. I’ve never read one of Haig’s books before but I will definitely be buying the back catalogue. Pure poetry.

The most beautiful book I've read this year. Matt Haig easily manages to find access to topics that are still stigmatized. From the first to the very last page Haig has a special way of telling stories. This fascinating novel has filled my heart with hope and a new way to face regrets.

I absolutely adored this book. 😍 I read it so quickly, but I suppose the short chapters helped 😂 It’s a beautiful, enchanting and thought-provoking story. I loved the idea of the midnight library; a place between life and death. A place that gives Nora the opportunity to travel into parallel universes based on her different life choices.
It explores the endless possibilities that life holds for Nora and really makes for a reflective and inspiring story. Actually, it’s a profoundly philosophical view on life and death. Its an incredible feeling when you deeply connect with a book.💕I found Nora engaging and her journey was painful yet inspiring. The ending was so poignant - no spoilers here.🤭

What I love about Haig is his eloquent insight into the human condition and always with a sprinkle of magic. It got me thinking about my own life choices and the classic “what ifs”. BUT the grass isn’t always greener and I wouldn’t be who I am today. It’s a reminder to appreciate every moment, even the tough ones.
“You don’t have to understand life. You just have to live it.” 🙌

(btw - my book is full of tabs. Talk about a quotable book 😉)

Highly recommend THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY folks.🙋🏼‍♀️ It’s a relatable, perceptive and life affirming book that will stay with me, like many of Haigs books.

I LOVED this book, so very, very much and couldn’t put it down!
The characters are brilliantly balanced-you feel everything for them, good and bad. Even with Nora being the central character, ever other character is equally important, interesting and engaging.
The pacing is spot on and it is a page turner.
It is incredibly life affirming and heartwarming and I’ll be recommending to all my friends.
Having had a few of Matt Haig’s books bought for me previously this is the first one I have read and I’m now going to go read the rest.

I love that Matt Haig takes quite complex ideas and makes them incredibly readable. And The Midnight Library is exactly the same.
Nora decides that life isn’t worth living and takes an overdose. She arrives in The Midnight Library where all the books are versions of her life and she has to decide which once, if any, she wants to remain in.
A lovely story!

The Midnight Library - 5⭐️
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Have you ever sat and wondered where you might be if you had chosen a different path in life? A different job? A different relationship? Would life have turned out better or is life never really greener on the other side?
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Nora Seed is desperately lonely and full of regrets, she’s lost her job and her beloved cat. After Nora reaches breaking point, she finds herself in The Midnight Library, a place where she has infinite opportunities to live any of her potential lives. In doing so, Nora has to tackle her past regrets and choose the most fulfilled life, before time runs out.
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The Midnight Library is an incredibly raw book, touching on how fragile human life is. Nora’s character is definitely one that will stay with you for a long time, highlighting her bravery and courage throughout. Whilst The Midnight Library does not hesitate to cover the dark gloomy moments in Nora’s life, it also highlights that light and hope can be found within.

Matt Haig writes interesting and engaging characters who you end up caring about!

This book starts with the main character in a dark place, but takes her on a fantasy journey that is just the right side of unhinged / unbelievability - within the world the author has taken you into.

Recommended!