“The only way to learn is to live.”
Have you ever made a decision, gone on to regret it, and then wondered how things could have turned out differently? The Butterfly Effect is the idea that every small decision carries with it the possibility of triggering much larger, life-altering effects. The belief that everything in life is interconnected, The Butterfly Effect is one of the most thought-provoking subjects many of us wrestle with at one time or another, and it is that very idea Matt Haig explores in his 2020 novel The Midnight Library. Check out our full The Midnight Library book review here at What We Reading!
Date Published: 2020
Author: Matt Haig
Genre: Fantasy, Magical Realism
Pages: 304
GoodReads Rating: 4.02/5
Premise
Between life and death, there exists a library. In this library, people are presented with every choice they’ve made and are free to live out the lives they led in these alternative universes.
Nora Seed is someone who has lived through a lot of regrets. After arriving at rock bottom, she finds herself in The Midnight Library with the choice of swapping out her life in favour of a new career, or a different relationship. However, as her time in the library continues and she finds herself drifting from regret to regret, she finds herself left pondering what truly makes life fulfilling and worth living at all.
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What Worked
Off the bat, the premise of The Midnight Library is obviously one that grabs all of our imaginations. We all have regrets in our lives, and the idea of having a place where you can go and see where all your choices would have led you is something that will keep readers thinking even after they put the book down.
And Matt Haig really does succeed in pulling together a read that is touching and ultimately uplifting that does this premise justice.
It’s a powerful book that doesn’t ever flinch away from the tone and message it wants to convey, and that is completely admirable from author Matt Haig. And it’s a message that so many readers are going to be genuinely inspired by, which is one of the best compliments an author can receive, especially in a book like this.
What Didn’t
Ultimately, this sort of book is always going to have its fans and its detractors. The idea of people being able to lift themselves out of the pits by changing their outlook is not a notion that everyone is going to be able to get behind. And whilst, I didn’t get the vibe Haig was trying to write a preachy self-help book, certain readers might find it veers too close to just that.
There’s also not a whole lot going on that you wouldn’t be able to guess from even before you purchase the book. The narrative remains consistent throughout and this really doubles up as a self-help book, offering very little in terms of an experience that feels fresh and original.
What’s more, the main character of Nora was really not one of my favourites to follow. Whilst the journey she goes on does feel natural, it is littered with so much bad luck and hardship that it’s just unfathomable someone in the real world would ever find themselves in. Personally, I would have loved a bit more nuance to the character, a bit more genuine regret that would have made the decisions in her life so much more gut-wrenching to go back and live through.
Verdict
The Midnight Library is a unique book with a premise, unlike many others in the fiction fantasy genre. The idea of a dimension between life and death where we’re presented with every different version of our lives where we made different decisions makes for an enthralling page-turner and will stick with readers long after they put the book down.
As a protagonist, Nora is too close to the archetypal ‘perfect main character’ for me. One of the classic good-at-everything, morals-for-days, and not-appreciated-in-their-time sort of figures that doesn’t make them all that interesting to read through.
And ultimately, this is what kept me from really falling in love over the course of this The Midnight Library book review. There was always a slight eye-roll that followed me around every chapter, and not being fully immersed in a book like this means you have no chance of getting the full experience.
Our Rating: 3/5
Views From Around The Reading World
“With its recurring nods to ‘It’s a wonderful life’ and positive message of hope, it’s hard not to get swept along by ’The Midnight Library’…..sure, the idea that ‘life is for living and we only get one go at it’ is hardly groundbreaking, but maybe we need reminding of this occasionally and Matt Haig is just the man to do it.”
Quote supplied by Adrian from BookShelf Discovery
“The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is a brilliant novel that showcases the impact that one person can have on many lives as well as how impactful our small choices can be. Protagonist Nora is depressed and believes her life doesn’t amount to much and learns that the grass is always greener on the other side. Haid has written a masterpiece that should be read by everyone because there is a lot to take away from this novel. It reminds me of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and I would recommend this to everyone who wants to learn the secret to being content with what you have.”
Quote supplied by Ahaqir from Books of Brilliance
“Haig’s writing is beautiful and his distillation of poignant philosophical ideas is a soothing balm after a year of existential dread. I think some people will be dissatisfied with the ending because they somehow want more from this book, and I wouldn’t blame them, because Haig sets himself a nigh-impossible task with this kind of story. All I can really say in apology is that this is very much a book that is about the journey, not the destination.”
Quote supplied by Kara from Kara Reviews
“The premise is cool. Kind of like, “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “A Christmas Carol” turned on its head.
There are SOLID lessons here. I love the message…I just didn’t FEEL anything from the writing even as it addressed devastating, deep concepts. I should have been rocked, but I wasn’t moved. It all felt too sterile and formulaic, predictable, and, in the end, preachy. Like the whole thing could have been a schlocky inspirational poster.”
Quote supplied by Sarah from Sarah Z Writer
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
