What a truly inspiring book! The ending, I think, is no surprise. It had to end where it did. But, the journey on the way there is funny, moving, and so incredibly entertaining. It is a book about the life choices we make, and it is a book about embracing those choices. It is about bringing change when those choices don’t work. Mostly, it is a book about how nothing is set in stone. We can always do things, make choices, that will change our lives if we are unhappy.

Nora Seed is depressed. And then her cat, Voltaire (Volts, for short) is run over and killed. This is the last straw for Nora, and she decides to opt out of life and swallows a bunch of sleeping tablets.

Imagine her surprise when she wakes, not in Heaven, and not in any form of afterlife. Rather, she wakes in a vast, dark library with shelves of books that go on forever. And the librarian is Mrs Elm, the woman who was her librarian at secondary school. Nora never felt she fitted in at school, and she spent a lot of time in the library with Mrs Elm, playing chess and chatting. It was Mrs Elm who had to break the news of her mother’s death in a car crash. So, this woman was important to her when she was in her teens.

Mrs Elm tells Nora that she is in the Midnight Library, and each and every book is a life that she Nora could have led if she had made a different choice at a different time. The possibilities really are endless, and the tiniest change could have made the world of difference. Mrs Elm then gives Nora her Book of Regrets. In here are the many, many things that Nora wishes she had done differently. The list goes on for pages and pages. Mrs Elm instructs Nora to choose one of the regrets and says she can try out the life that would have happened if she’d lived that event differently. Nora is then transported into that life. If she feels it is the right life for her, she can stay there. But the moment she feels disappointment in it, she is transported back to the library.

Nora tries out many lives, knowing that the moment the library changes from midnight, it will come crashing down around her, and she will be stuck. Unsurprisingly, Nora discovers that there are things she likes and things she dislikes about every other life. Because that is life.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It may start out with an attempted suicide, but it ends as incredibly positive. The ending is fab! I became really invested in Nora’s story. I could relate to a lot of her feelings. I wanted her to return to her root life and survive.

A sign of just how good Matt Haig’s writing is lies in the fact that there’s really only two main characters, and the others (who are few) have very minor roles. And, of the two main characters, Nora probably takes up 80% of the narrative. And yet, I didn’t get bored of her voice. She is captivating. I absolutely loved her.

I loved this book! Really, really loved it.

Anyone who wants a pick-me-up. It is life-affirming and positive. It's also funny. People will be entertained.

Nora. I loved seeing her develop as the novel went along. She is totally captivating as a main character, and I wanted so badly for her to live and be happy.

Read something else by Matt Haig.

Happy. it made me feel like I have choices in life. Like I am in control of my life.

Matt Haig. I know he has suffered from depression and mental illness himself, so he really knows his subject matter.

It's such a positive read. It's a great way of looking at life.

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Created Aug 16, 2021 at 5:31am • Submit your own review...