The Midnight Library - Review

“Well, that’s the beauty, isn’t it? You just never know how it ends.” A knowing smile spreads across the reader’s face, as the underlying meaning of the lines peak out within my memory. A quiet awareness, a joy, and most importantly a serene feeling of peace is what you will be left with, as you read the final lines of Matt Haig’s “The Midnight Library”.

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The book, published during the fateful pandemic year of 2020, couldn’t be a more perfect reflection of modern life’s mental turmoil. It is indeed, the need of the hour, and simply put a Suicide 101. But it is so much more! Nora Seed, a music enthusiastic philosopher is on the brink of life and death. And within that very minute fissure is where this wonderful mystery unravels. 

Nora, decides to take her life, and in doing so discovers the existence of the ‘Midnight Library’. While exploring the realms of the multi-verse, understanding philosophy, and her life choices she lives an adventure every other day. Matt Haig has blended Science & Humanities in just the right amount, to elicit the true meaning of human existence! 

“You don’t need to understand life. You just have to live it!”

With a simple narrative style, and free flowing words, the author doesn’t simply state his message. He uses every chapter as a character and slowly builds up the play with every one of these characters staging their best performance. There is a constant resonance between motivation and despair, however, the optimism stands out with quote worthy lines such as - 

“the game is never over until it is over. It isn’t over if there is a single pawn still on the board. If the one side is down to a pawn and a king, and the other side has every player, there is still a game.”

You might think that you know where he is going, but this, in no way, undermines the emphasis of the last few chapters with which he arrives at the climax. A climax that would put multiple self-help books to shame, and conveys an undeniable reminder that will root deeply into your mind. 

Over the course of the book, I found myself slowly growing affectionate to Nora, after initially detesting her for her pessimism. Nora’s progress from the beginning to the end is so very realistic and yet miraculous that you are left baffled at her transformation, although witnessing every second of it. 

In conclusion, The Midnight Library is a unique experience, unlike any book I’ve ever read, and has left me with a strong optimism of peace that cannot be touched by both joy and despair. You are only doing yourself one of the biggest favors, when you pick up this book.