Amazon Cover
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
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Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?
In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting blockbuster novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.
MY REVIEW
(Book trigger warning: Suicide Idealization)
Been there, didn’t choose that, regret.
But what if you could review all the regrets of your life and see the other choices? The Midnight Library provides the opportunity.
The concept of “Redo” of regrets is one authors and readers keep circling back to. “I can do it better this time!” And yet, and yet, not really. The “It’s a Wonderful Life” movie and Charles Dickens “Christmas Carol” are two examples of this recycling concept in action.
The Midnight Library’s particular version of the regret-redo uses the library of life trope where every book contains a life, in this case – the life of the main character (MC). This manuscript brings nothing new to the plate of regret-redos storylines, except updating the regret-redo concept for 2020 readers.
Which isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes basic concepts that people explore as their life moves forward just need a dust off for the next generation to consider. Regret being one. Mr. Haig does create a wide range of choices and has a strong MC to work from, plus the story keeps a good balance between reflection and exploration.