matt Haig midnight library

Best-selling author Matt Haig’s latest novel, ‘The Midnight Library’, now also available in paperback. Image via Instagram @matzzhaig

Book Review: ‘The Midnight Library’ magically explores life choices

Matt Haig’s latest novel, ‘The Midnight Library’, is a touching meditation on regrets, second chances and self-exploration.

matt Haig midnight library

Best-selling author Matt Haig’s latest novel, ‘The Midnight Library’, now also available in paperback. Image via Instagram @matzzhaig

Internationally renowned British author Matt Haig novel The Midnight Library became an instant New York Times bestseller when it was published in September 2020 and it’s now available in paperback.

Haig’s creative plot makes for a poignant, gentle read that looks at oh-so-relatable themes around regret in adult life. As his lead character, Nora, says:

“It is not the lives we regret not living that are the real problem. It is the regret itself.” 

‘The Midnight Library’: Plot Synopsis

One evening, just before midnight, Nora commits suicide and dies…well, sort of. She finds herself in an in-between space, which, for her, takes the form of a library, aptly named the Midnight Library.

There she meets Mrs Elm, her school librarian from childhood and archetypal wise teacher, who takes her through this magical, mystical place filled with a limitless number of books containing the narratives to so many possible lives.  

Every book in the Midnight Library represents an alternative life Nora could have led, had she made different decisions. Each of these lives offer Nora a new way of looking at the world, at her regrets, her choices. 

Every time she opens a book, she falls into that life. With Mrs Elm’s guidance, Nora chooses books that take her from the Arctic to Australia; from motherhood in the suburbs, an Olympic swimmer and being a rock star to running a pub with a husband.

Memorable Quotes

  • “We can’t tell if any of those other versions would have been better or worse. Those lives are happening, it is true, but you are happening as well, and that is the happening we have to focus on.”
  • “A person was like a city. You couldn’t let a few less desirable parts put you off the whole. There may be bits you don’t like, a few dodgy side streets and suburbs, but the good stuff makes it worthwhile.”

More About the Author Matt Haig

Matt Haig is the acclaimed author of several novels, non-fiction books, and children’s stories. He’s a “suicide survivor” who is widely praised for his mental health activism. 

You can follow him on Instagram @mattzhaig where he’s a regular poster of inspirational quotes, often from his books, and anecdotes from his daily life and mental health journey in Brighton, England.

Is ‘The Midnight Library’ for you?

The Midnight Library is a feel-good novel that will appeal to a wide demographic. It’s particularly popular with people struggling with their mental health who can relate to Nora and appreciate Haig’s sensitivity. 

If you’ve ever wondered what your life would be like if you had married that ex-boyfriend or taken that job in another country, this is the book for you. 

Although it has so many of its magical ingredients, The Midnight Library is not a fairytale. There’s a happy ending but it’s not handed to Nora on a silver plate. 

Moral of the Story? 

Instead of wallowing in regrets over what could have been, use those regrets to find out more about what you really want from your present life. More importantly, is there such a thing as a perfect life?

The Midnight Library is available from Exclusive Books and other leading bookstores.