The midnight library
Nora Seed is depressed and done with life. But she is about to encounter the midnight library where you get to try out all the lives you could have chosen by swapping the book of regrets for books containing infinite possibilities.
Should Nora go back to the swimming she enjoyed but gave up, with the promise of an Olympic career? Should she continue as the singer in her long-ago band? Or move to Australia with her friend Issy?
This sweet novel sounds downbeat but it’s actually uplifting and inspiring.
It feels a little like a fable - we’re learning lessons about how to live our lives, and cope with the sorrows, while reading Nora’s story.
But it’s too charming to feel didactic and you’re soon rooting for Nora in her quest for the perfect life.
Thoroughly recommended.

i read this lovely book in one sitting this week, and I loved it. It was like a sledgehammer to the frontal cortex, if the sledgehammer was made of fresh air, good food, and a stretch. I will be recommending this book widely when it arrives into my shop - I can't wait to see what my customers think of it.

Being a realist, I do not normally like fantasy books. The description piqued my interest and once I got into the story I really enjoyed it. Nora has depression and this book begins with a day in her life where everything that can go wrong has gone wrong . She decides that enough is enough and takes an overdose. The next part of the book explores lives that could have happened if she had made different decisions at different times in het life. Very thought provoking and it gets you thinking about crossroads and what-ifs in your own life. No spoilers here, but what does emerge is why we choose to follow a particular path, is it for ourself or for others ?
I loved the descriptions of the surroundings and Nora's feelings about being almost an outsider looking into an alternative existence . This is a fantasy book for a realist ! Although the idea is a bit far-fetched, it is written in a totally believable way
Thank you to Net Galley for an interesting read in exchange for an honest review and To the publisher and Matt Haig for an interesting read

Warning: This book will make you think! About your life, about your life choices and everything in-between. Matt Haig, an author who openly admits to struggling with mental health issues himself and advocating awareness of depression and other mental illnesses, has created a masterpiece that is deep, philosophical and utterly moving. 

It is a tough time for Nora: she has lost her job, her cat just died, nobody seems to need her, years of depression have worn her down, ... and so she decides to die. However, instead of achieving oblivion she wakes up in the Midnight Library, a place between life and death where all your possible, alternative lives are stored. Nora is given the chance to try out different versions of her life with the promise that she may eventually stay in one that she finds 100% desirable. 

You can already guess where this is going. Everyone who has ever asked themselves the famous "What if?" question - and, honestly, who hasn't? - will find themselves in this beautiful novel. Even when the grass at first seems to be greener on the other side of the fence, it hardly ever is. And this is something that Nora has to learn as she explores the books on the shelves. By and by, she moves through her own Book of Regrets, and realises that things are not as easily mended as she maybe initially assumed.

It is clear that this book was written by someone who knows what he is talking about. The Midnight Library is compassionate and emphatic. Haig's inspiring observations are wonderfully nuanced, touching the reader deep in the core of their souls. (Yes, I'm aware that this sounds cheesy but it's the truth, so deal with it. ;o)) This is a book that starts of as a sad story but ultimately turns into a narrative of the joys of life, however small they may be or how insignificant they may appear. 

I very much loved the many references to philosophy, and particularly to Thoreau's Walden, as they gave the story even more depth. For me, it put a lot of things into perspective, and I had to contemplate the book for several days before being able to put my thoughts into this review. “Sometimes the only way to learn is to live.” - I guess, that is the main message of The Midnight Library and I highly recommend it (both the life motto and the novel)!

We all have regrets. We all wish at some point in our lives we did something different, or took advantage of an opportunity we had turned down. We all wonder 'what if' at some point....

This is the story of Nora. Suffering with depression, she becomes suicidal and decides she doesn't want to live anymore after the loss of her beloved cat, being made redundant from her job and no longer feeling needed or loved by anyone. Deciding her life isn't worth living she takes an overdose, however, she ends up in 'The Midnight Library'.

Confronted by her old friend and school librarian Mrs Elm, she is given the choice to undo her regrets and live one of her parallel lives. To see what might be different if she had made alternative choices at the major crossroads in her life. Her perfect life must be in this library somewhere... right?

I absolutely loved this book. I found the concept and underlining message thought provoking and powerful.

Life is always worth living, the possibilities are endless and even the smallest, most insignificant act can make a massive difference to someone else's life without you even realising. No life is worthless and there is no point regretting the past, leave it where is is and concentrate on what's in front of you. There is always hope and a way out of the darkest of places if you look hard enough.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*

CW: suicide, depression, death etc.

I wasn't a huge Matt Haig fan before, so this review is not biased, rather this book had to work really hard to convince me. It's about Nora, whose cat just died, who has just lost her job, who is estranged from her brother and who is depressed, full of regrets for missed opportunities and suicidal. When she overdoses, she does not die though. She comes to "The Midnight Library", where the former librarian from her school days, Mrs Elm, informs her that she is currently in limbo & can try out different lives in order to decide whether she'd like to keep on living. So she tries out different lives: as a rockstar, as a glaciologist, as a mother, as a former Olympic swimmer...

As you can see, the outline of the novel is fairly simple and albeit well crafted, the construction of it shows. A lot. This annoyed me at first, because I thought I'd be be able to predict the outcome of the novel (I was right) and that I wouldn't fall for the narrative (I did). The nice thing about this book isn't really the content (and Nora is very privileged to have been able to achieve everything in these infinite parallel universes), but about the message: Life is always worth living and there are always ways to make it better for you and others. Also: constant happiness is a myth, nobody is happy all the time, nobody. And we shouldn't strive to reach other people's dreams. (And that was also one outcome I had anticipated, but the novel really made me feel it!)

Wholesome, interesting, philosophical (as a person with a Master's degree in Philosophy I loved how philosophers were used in the narrative and, random but fun fact, I always wanted to name my future potential dog Plato, what are the odds?) and fast paced, a nice thought experiment which didn't surprise me at all though. But it's nice to be taken back to square one and declutter your ideas concerning life.

4,5 Stars

Thanks to Canongate and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

What if you could change the past? Take all those nasty regrets and make a different choice? Nora, the main character of this novel is given that chance to remake some of her past decisions.

I really like Matt Haig. He seems like an all round top bloke. Up till now I hadn't read any of his books but I'd heard about this one some months ago and the premise sounded intriguing.

I felt like this book read like one of those eastern philosophical tales where characters exist to make some kind of profound point. It felt like lots of key messages from a self help book were couched within the story which considering self help books are basically kryptonite to me didn't really endear me to it.

One of the consequences of this approach was that the characters didn't really have much depth. They just existed to make some kind of point and then buggered off. It was also completely obvious what the ultimate outcome of Nora's story was going to be.

It was just a bit fat meh for me. Rather than feeling uplifted, I just felt irritated and a little bit patronised.

The Midnight Library is another compelling, addictive novel by esteemed writer, Matt Haig. I was obsessed with this book, I couldn't possibly put it down.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Matt Haig always has comforting insights on depression and the anxiety generated by our modern lives and disregard for the planet, and after enjoying his novel The Humans I was really looking forward to The Midnight Library, which comes out this August. This too is a very heartwarming novel carrying a message of kindness and self-love, but I was sadly left a bit disappointed 🌙
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Here is a one line synopsis: After attempting suicide, Nora Seed lands in the midnight library, a place between life and death where each book represents one of the alternative lives she could have had ✨
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Someone on Goodreads described this book as a "fictionalised self help" and there is no better way to put it. I'm glad some people find pure self-help books comforting, but they personally make me cringe. Thankfully Matt Haig's novels don't. There is no patronising tone, no silly list to remember. It's well written, it's entertaining and reading it feels like being hugged by a dear friend. That said, in the case of The Midnight Library the whole thing felt a bit too simple. The Humans has a similar style and plot structure, with short snappy chapters, but offered surprisingly sharp insights into the troubled human mind. I didn't find that in this one. I would still recommend it if you're in need of something uplifting but that doesn't shy away from tackling real life issues such as mental health and suicide - 3.5🌟
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Thank you to the publisher for granting me early access through @netgalley

“Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?”

The Midnight Library is a poignant reminder of how fragile human life can be. A story that makes you question what you wish you’d done differently and think about how your life might have turned out if you had. Would you be happy? Fulfilled? Would things have turned out better?

Nora’s journey was painful but beautiful. A journey that I believe a lot of people will relate to and I certainly did. Matt Haig showed us all of the dark but also, the light that can be experienced in one’s life.
Human life is beautiful and something to be cherished. This book just made me appreciate that a whole lot more.

I don’t believe my words will ever be able to do this book any justice. It’s something everyone should experience for themselves.

Thank you so much to Canongate, NetGalley and most importantly, Matt Haig for the pleasure of receiving this e-ARC.

I loved this. The concept of a library between life and death where you can explore your unfulfilled lives had already thrown this onto my must read list for 2020 hard so my expectations were high. And yet it still lived up to them.
Haig's writing, even in fiction, cuts to the chase of what it means to be human; to struggle with expectations, disappointments and regret, and yet find hope in kindness, compassion and acceptance and The Midnight Library encapsulates all of this and inspires hope and gratitude. Think A Wonderful Life with more books.

This was an interesting look at what could have been in a person's life. The writing was great as always and i enjoyed how this was told. There were a few moments that made me tear up. This was excellent and it is highly re-readable.

Nora isn’t happy with her life. She has so many regrets. She decides she wants to die after her cat is found dead, she is let go from her job and feels as though she has always let everyone down. She thinks her life isn’t worth living so decides to end it. She is then stuck between life and death, but is given the chance to make amends.

I loved the concept of this book, and was worried I would be disappointed. I read this in a day, was immediately drawn in to the story, and Noras choices. The mental health and suicidal issues were handled beautifully and the sense of loss in Noras life was so real. Having just recently lost my mother, I thought this would make it harder for me to read the Midnight Library, but it fact it gave me a great deal of comfort. I love it. I hadn’t been sure how the author would be able to end it, but it was exactly as I would have hoped. Great read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

It is no secret that Matt Haig has mental health issues, dogged by the darkness of depression that has taken its toll on his life. His acute observations and experience of his condition informs this exquisite, inspiring, compassionate and empathetic novel where he creates the concept of the midnight library, to be found in the spaces between life and death, to explore life, the issues that afflict our world, through philosophy and more, endeavouring to tease out what might make life worth living and a joy and what gives it meaning. The device used to implement his goal is the ordinary Nora Seed, who has lived her life trying to please others, who has hit rock bottom, suffering the loss of her cat, her job, overwhelmed by the burden of a lifetime of regrets, seeing no light in her life whatsoever. She is tempted by thoughts of suicide that has her ending up at the midnight library.

The midnight library is magical, for a start, the library has a limitless number of books, and these books are from ordinary, Haig sprinkles gold dust in each book, offering Nora the opportunity to see how her life would have turned out if each and every decision at every point in her life had been different. The books illustrate the endless possibilities that life holds for Nora and all of us. Nora explores each book, with inquisitiveness and curiosity, the widely disparate lives that could have been hers, no easy task as she has to slip into each new life with the complications of being unfamiliar with it and do so without alerting the other people present. It soon becomes clear that there are pros and cons to each book/life, to each decision and choice made, each life containing its own mix of despair, pain and regrets that must be accommodated and handled.

Haig offers a touching narrative that speaks of the joys to be found in living, attained through Nora's eyes as she tries to untangle what really matters in life, putting life in context and perspective with all its ongoing changes, complexities, and an understanding no life is perfect in itself. In some ways, this is a version of It's A Wonderful Life, a favourite film for so many people. What I was so struck by is just how many readers might find this helpful for our lock down times, so many have suffered unbearable losses and illness, have had to face not seeing all those we love and mean so much to us, whilst being weighed down with worries and concerns about how to cope with fears regarding jobs, childcare, money and more. A beautifully nuanced novel that I am sure many will love as much as me. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Canongate for an ARC.

This is a wonderful concept exploring the irresistible sliding doors aspect we all have in our lives. What if we'd done this, what if we had done that? What is the best life for us?

A great read as ever with Matt's writing. It's sparse and to the point giving a pacy read that really makes you think about the value of living in your own life, not worrying about what could be.

I'll do a full review of this book in The Bert's Books Podcast on 31st May 2020

I loved this book. It is such an obvious premise and yet takes the genius that is Matt Haig to realise it! The story is simple and universal. Bittersweet- it will make you laugh and I defy you not to cry. I will definitely be recommending to my teenage customers as there are such important messages here for them.

Nora is not having the best day, week or life, for that matter. Her cat dies, she loses her job and the other tentative tethers to this earth disappear one after the other. She sees no reason to live, and actually believes that the world would be better without her in it.
“The Midnight Library’, by Matt Haig, is the latest in his bibliography of life affirming and somehow unflinching novels, tackling depression and anxiety and suicide with bravery and compassion.

I loved the concept of the story – a library between life and death, which houses not only every bit of your life, but every but of your lives – the decisions not made and the ‘what ifs’ paths not followed. Nora finds herself in this hallway, a library with books on her life, and her school librarian in it.

She tries on different lives, one where she pursued her career in swimming to Olympic standard level, one where she became the lead singer of a world famous rock band and one where she pursued her boyfriend’s dream of owning a country pub.

The story ticks along well, and Matt Haig does not pull any punches around Nora’s mental health, ill or otherwise. He’s active on social media about his depression and suicide attempt, and I think that rings true in Nora’s stories too. It’s compassionate but matter of fact – never indulgent and somehow, it offers a level of solidarity, a recognition that there are others like you, which helps so much.

I did get slightly irritated that Nora was so great at a number of things that her choices were ‘be a rockstar or not’, or ‘be an Olympic athlete or not’ – my choices would be nowhere near as impressive. Maybe, continue playing the bass trombone and end up in an orchestra? Or really put some effort in to dancing and become that 5’9” ballet dancer?
I also thought it was unfair that ‘our’ Nora was dropped into her chosen life without a little bit of residual knowledge, or memory, of what she was doing. She was in a couple of different stressful situations which would be unlikely to result in thinking that this is the best life. This is explained through the ‘rules’ of the library though, so I understood it a bit more then, although that wasn’t until quite late on.

Read this if you liked the film Sliding Doors, if any kind of exploring new opportunities within the realm of your own life interests you. Read it if you know someone who is depressed, or anxious – read it if it’s you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Canongate for the copy, and thanks to Matt Haig for continuing to provide support, a voice and compassion for those in need.

The best book I've read so far this year. I read it in one sitting, I couldn't put it down.
This is the story of Nora Seed; her cat has died, she has lost her job, she no longer sees her brother and she believes that she has no reason to carry on living. Then she finds herself in the Midnight Library.
It is beautifully written and the story is so touching. It is full of hope, love, the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau and even Schrödinger's cat. Uplifting and thought-provoking, this book is highly recommended.

Even though this premise is a little overdone, the idea of living other lives, Haig does it so very well. Reminiscent of the Blake Crouch novel Recursion, The Midnight Library follows Nora Seed and her seemingly mundane life. However, she is given the opportunity to see how her other lives would play out, with interesting consequences. Haig offers a heartwarming novel, with profound words of wisdom throughout.

The Midnight Library is a novel about regret and all the different ways your life could have gone, as a woman finds herself in limbo. Dealing with mental health issues and feeling like nobody in her life needs her and she's let them all down, Nora Seed attempts suicide. And then she finds herself in the 'Midnight Library', a place between life and death where each book is a possible life, based on changes that could've been made due to her regrets. Nora finds herself each time suddenly in a life she doesn't know, piecing together who she is and what has happened to the people around her, but only as long as she wants to be in that life. Otherwise, she returns to the library, to make another choice. With all these options, Nora has the chance to work out if she wants to live any of these lives.

The novel follows Haig's distinctive, easy to read style that has made his previous books popular, with short chapters and statements about life. Also as with his previous books, The Midnight Library looks at mental health, though the focus is less upon Nora's depression and more around existential questions of regret and what life you actually want to lead. The opening, counting down to her suicide attempt, can be intense to read, but beyond that it is more of a quirky, life-affirming book as Nora realises her dreams were other people's dreams and her regrets may not have been so important after all. The narrative is very predictable, but a lot of people will probably like that about it, and it is in some ways part novel and part manifesto to focus on the small changes not the big ones.

Fans of Haig's other books will probably enjoy this one, which has a similar atmosphere and messages to his other works. It felt a bit too schmaltzy and easily resolved for me, as I would've liked something that dug a bit deeper and looked at the complexity of things a bit more, but I did enjoy the various philosophy references.