THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt
Haig is one of my favorite books of the year. This imaginative novel explores
the idea of divergent parallel universes and tells the story of Nora who is
unhappy in her current life. Haven’t we all wondered about the other choices we
could have made? Caught between life and death, Nora enters a magical library where
different life stories exist and she is able to visit alternative lives exploring
glaciers, as a swimming champion, as a famous lead singer, as a wife and mother.
Along the way, she struggles with her own
Book of Regrets and eventually accepts that “the only way to learn is to live” for
“sadness is intrinsically part of the fabric of happiness. You can’t have one
without the other.” Haig’s series of adventures (in some ways reminiscent of
It’s a Wonderful Life) will certainly have
readers reflecting on the impact of their own lives. I loved when he pointed
out, “Librarians have knowledge. They guide you to the right books. The right
worlds. They find the best places. Like soul-enhanced search engines.”
Haig is a prolific writer; his works include a number of
stories for children. In addition, I have
found Haig’s writing about depression (Notes on a Nervous Planet or Reasons to Stay Alive) to be quite insightful and would also definitely recommend
his How to Stop Time, another adult novel that blends introspection and
adventure (rumored to be a movie soon). Haig says, “it’s not what you look at
that matters, it’s what you see;” enjoy THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY from your own
perspective – it received a starred review from Booklist.
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