Released: 13th August 2020
Genre: Fiction, Life, Society
Number Of Pages: 288
For many years now, UK writer Matt Haig has drawn on his own personal experiences to create poignant and empathetic stories. The Midnight Library, his latest release, returns to fictional tales with an absorbing and serene tale.
On a seemingly normal day in the UK, Nora Seed is dying; a series of heart wrenching events has sent her spiralling, leading to an overdose on sleeping pills. Somewhere between life and death, Nora finds herself at the doors of the titular library, a mystical collection of lives not lived. Ran by her former teacher Mrs Elm, the many books on the shelf allow the protagonist to venture down many routes. This winding journey morphs into many settings, events and outcomes, becoming the book’s greatest strength. Just as Nora is absorbed into each life path, we’re also immersed in her psychological progression.
You’ll notice that the lives she experiences extend across more pages as the book goes on, highlighting her satisfaction and growing levels of happiness. One moment, she’s a world famous Olympic swimmer and the next she’s embracing the simpler things at an animal shelter. Yet the more she ventures down these paths, the more the overarching theme emerges; many of us have a collection of regrets and question what could have been. Through this story, Haig encourages us to let go of those lingering doubts, to simply live life rather than trying to understand it. This idea has been a consistent presence across his releases; as a result, The Midnight Library can feel predictable at times. Addressing mental health and encouraging people to talk about it is very important today, but you’ll get a similar experience in Matt’s previous books, most notably “Notes On A Nervous Planet”.
Recommended?
MAYBE: If you’ve read any of Matt Haig’s previous books, you’ll have a good idea of what The Midnight Library involves. The author is very well-versed in the topics of mental health and depression; as a result, things can feel a little on the nose here. Still, the spiritual and emotional journey Nora goes on is written with a warm pathos. As she flips through the many routes through life, a very relatable and widely accessible story takes hold. The book’s power comes from how much you connect with the character at its centre and this will resonate more with some readers than others.
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