Let me start by saying, if I was ever given a chance to go back and change my decisions, it would be hard to pick one. I mean I've made a lot of stupid mistakes. Who wouldn't want an opportunity to change all their past mistakes? Nora Seed in The Midnight Library gets the answer to the question we've all wondered 'what life would be only if....'
Matt Haig starts the novel with Nora Seed ending her life. But she doesn't die and finds herself in a library, a place between life and death. She's given a chance to find a new life to live in, to see how her other lives would've turned out. What if she didn't leave her fiancé or if she continued to swim? What if she took better care of her cat? Now there is a long list to Nora's what if's as she regrets almost all of her decisions. No. Not almost. All. But let's not get into the story, that's for you to read. I'm here to tell you what I love about the book and why you should maybe give it a try.
“Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices… Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?” ― Matt Haig, The Midnight Library
Now this novel is not a moral guide to accepting your past and making the right life choices, it takes a deep dive into the theories of philosophy and parallel universes. This is one of the reasons I like this so much. A different world exists for every decision you make. Your parents didn't let you get a dog in this universe but don't you worry there definitely exists a universe where you are all cuddled up with your fluffy partner (Yes I do believe in parallel universes but that is a conversation for another time). We find constant mention of various philosophers which to me made the novel more interesting .
“As Thoreau wrote, ‘It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
I'm completely in love with how the story is written, the way Nora expresses herself. It feels natural. Real. Not fiction you know. It was really easy to immerse myself in all the lives of Nora Seed. As I mentioned earlier I've made a lot of mistakes and seeing Nora making those same mistakes, realising where she was wrong, I connected to her. Not once I felt like oh okay this is a world that does not exist or this can be made up.
As the novel progresses we see great difference in the character of the protagonist. Nora goes from taking her own life to trying to live for herself and others. The character development in the story is really obvious. But that's the thing it's obvious.
“If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. Aim to be you. Aim to look and act and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it. And don't give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. Most gossip is envy in disguise.” ― Matt Haig, The Midnight Library
Though Haig perfectly portrayed his character, the plot in itself started to get a little dull. Everything started to move along a straight line. It became predictable. But that was bound to happen at one point I guess. But overall the writer provides us a beautiful story with all the ups and downs a reader needs. It's one of my favourites till now and I wanted to start this blog by mentioning this book. I hope someday I'll be able to convince some of you to read this book.
That's it for now. See you soon.
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