Book Review | The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
“The grass is always greener on the other side”
No doubt we have all allowed ourselves to marinade on that thought before. With Matt Haig's latest novel, The Midnight Library, he flips the metaphor right on its head and instead poses the question, is the grass in fact greener where we water it?
This empathetic novel tells the story of life through the lens of Nora Seed. After multiple bouts of loss, be it her job, her cat, or her will to go on, Nora is begging for a break. After she makes a life-altering decision to put an end to her pain, she finds herself inside The Midnight Library for one last pit stop.
In the Midnight Library, time stands still, and alternate universes are infinite. With the guidance from an old friend, Nora has the opportunity to "try on" all the different lives she could have lived had she made other decisions in her past. While hopping in and out of these parallel lives, Nora discovers something unexpectedly beautiful.
Did I stay up well past my bedtime to finish this book? Hell yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely! The Midnight Library was my first read for the new year and boy; the bar has been set high.
Within this eclectic mix of fantasy, philosophy and sci-fi, lives one incredibly touching character study. Haig compassionately captures the essence of what makes us human. Through the good times, the bad times, and of course, the ugly times. However, with The Midnight Library, one can look at the latter in a different light, as an opportunity for growth. Simultaneously understanding that there will be both good and bad in life, and that is perfectly ok.
'...I mean, it would have made things a lot easier if we understood there was no way of living that can immunise you against sadness. And that sadness is intrinsically part of the fabric of happiness. You can't have one without the other. Of course, they come in different degrees and quantities. But there is no life where you can be in a state of sheer happiness forever. And imagining there is just breeds more unhappiness in the life you are in'.
The quirky concept of 'trying on' parallel lives offers a refreshing perspective for the reader to view life. Perhaps our biggest regrets in life wouldn't have turned out so peachy had we made that choice we regret not taking, and that either way we shouldn't spend too much energy focusing on the 'what if' when we have a blank canvas ahead of us in which we can paint however we like.
This book has the power to take its reader on a unique journey, a journey that will be different for everyone but of course; life is different for us all. The gentle reminders scattered throughout couldn’t be more timely as we have welcomed a brand new year, albeit with this darn global pandemic looming above our heads. Most of all, we remember that through the thick of it, we are alive. A bit cheesy, but I do love some cheese.
It's simply stunning work from Matt Haig, a life raft to many and a book I know to return to whenever I need a boost.