Book synopsis:
Would you do anything different, if someone gave you the opportunity to choose a different life? Nora Seed no longer wants to live, but her decision will not bring her exactly where she expects. A library between life and death. A chance to make things right. Say goodbye to a life full of misery, undo every regret. No longer feeling like you've let everyone down. Change the things you want.
The books in the Midnight Library hold different versions of Nora's life, and, with the help of an old friend from the past, she will get to try on as many as possible. Work on each regret in search of the perfect life. Will things turn out as she imagined? Her choices will decide that, with each and every "sample" life bringing her closer to an illuminating resolution.
Review:
The Guardian called "The Midnight Library" a "celebration of life's possibilities", and that is quite the perfect way to describe this book. We have a book that shows us that, within each alternative life, we do not necessarily arrive to perfection but just to a different scenario.
Nora Seed has trouble seeing the value of her life, especially when perceived through other people's eyes. Every day, she loses herself more and more, opting for a grim perspective. The universe seems to conspire in bringing her to the conclusion life is not worth living. Her relationship with her brother is on the rocks and gets fired from her job. When her cat dies, she cannot longer bear life. So, she decides to kill herself.
How is death for Nora Seed? She has yet to find out. Between life and death, Nora arrives at the Midnight Library, where the shelves are filled with different versions of her life. Different choices, different outcomes. Countless possibilities. And she gets to try as many as she wants. See how her life would have turned out.
Nora becomes a rock star in a band that concerts all over the world. In another life, she pursues swimming, taking part in the Olympics. She becomes a glaciologist, living on a research vessel. In some lives, she gets married and has children. And, yet, she rarely spends more than a few minutes in each of these lives. Why? That life did not turn out as she expected either. Even when it was perfect, she felt like something was missing.
She opens one book after the other, stepping into yet another life. She does not stay, either because she wants to see how other lives would look, or because she cannot decide whether that life would be enough. When the library is close to crumbling, Nora understands that it is only her who can struggle to embrace the willingness to live. Seeing all these versions has an effect on Nora, bringing her closer to an illuminating resolution.
Verdict:
Matt Haig is a skillful writer, who has wrapped the story of Nora into a magical yarn. As we pull it apart, we find a book about hope. Nora undoes one regret after the other, only to discover you don't need to live a different life to get a second chance. A brilliant book on overcoming the disastrous, crumbling effect of depression and anxiety.
What's the best that could happen? Don't wait until the end to decide. Find your answers to the big questions and do not let yourself be brought down by the difficult moments. Welcome hope and use it to guide yourself out of the darkness.
This book might have a lot of magical elements but it reminds me of the real world, and how ordinary people struggle with finding their purpose. An infinity of worlds sounds great. But we have an infinity of possibilities in the life we are already living, all we need is to open our eyes and see them!
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