The Midnight Library – Matt Haig

Story of the Midnight Library

The Midnight Library follows Nora, a woman struggling with depression. She’s wondering if there will ever be more to life than the cards she is given. On the brink of ending it, she finds herself in the midnight library. It’s a place where every book she sees brings her to a different version of her life. Nora explores these alternative lives, living through different dreams, careers, relationships and ambitions. Some of them bring her joy, while others clarify that some things are truly not meant for her. Through time, she stars to appreciate her life more, finding out that some aspects of it might not be as bad as they seem.

Review of the Midnight Library

While the concept of the Midnight Library is really exciting, the execution of the story has some flaws. That’s why to me, this book is kind of disappointing. I love the concept and the idea of alternative realities, offering the chance to live through multiple versions of your life. Haig was able to create such an interesting idea that paved the way for character growth. After all, who wouldn’t want the chance to revisit past choices and see where they lead? This interesting concept, however, is poorly told.

The ending was predictable from the start and some of the alternative ‘realities’ feel kind of inconvenient to me. While a few alternative realities are surprising and emotional, others feel underdeveloped and add little to Nora’s journey. Due to these different short stories, the book does read really easy. I kept the pages turning, but this probably made the ending even more disappointing for me.

I also can’t relate to or care for the main character. Haig tried to craft an inspirational character, but he uses cheesy and empty messages to do so. It doesn’t feel real and he certainly has missed the mark here. Nora never becomes a character I can relate to; her self-pity and overdramatic reactions keep her from evolving into someone readers can connect with. Haig had the opportunity to show real character development, but instead, Nora remains as blunt as she was at the start.

Final Thoughts

With the Midnight Library, Haig had all the ingredients for a thought-provoking story. Sadly, the execution fell flat. It’s a fun and easy read, but the story should have been told with depth, character and an element of surprise. The Midnight Library wasted a chance to do just that.