The Midnight Library

SYNOPSIS:

After 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?

REVIEW

(4 STARS)

TW: depression, suicide and panic attacks.

Once again Matt Haig met my expectations with this extraordinary book. Writing about subjects as sensitive and personal as depression and suicide must not be easy. Each experience is unique making it impossible for everyone to relate. Furthermore, to be able to write about subjects like these, one must draw on one's personal experience. Revisiting those feelings can't be pleasant. When you write a book such as this, you're automatically putting your experience up for discussion and scrutiny. Some people will criticize you for saying too much and others because you didn't say enough. But we all must remind ourselves that each of us lives things differently. Books that check all your boxes are rare, as our main character Nora Speed might tell you.

I found the idea of a post-mortem library that contained all your possible lives fascinating. I was always a fanatic for parallel universes (if you have any recommendations for TV shows or books concerning this topic, let me know!), so you can imagine how pleased I was. Even though a few explanations were missing, I would say that overall Haig did a very decent job. He didn't make the story too heavy with the mechanics of it all. Yet, simultaneously, he explained all we needed to know. What truly helped (in my opinion), was how spaced out the information was (info-dumps are never cool).

I must admit, however, that the plot was a bit predictable. Haig tried too hard to surprise us, but one could tell how the ending was going to be all along. And also, for the first time ever, I witnessed an author's slip. On 'A Pearl in the Shell', we accidentally get to know a character's name before we're supposed to (right? Or did I imagined it?). It's not a fatal error, but it made me a bit sad. It didn't make the book less enjoyable though. Haig's writing is very gripping. He has this ability to phrase things just how they're supposed to be phrased. He knows what to say and how to say it in a way that will hit you hard (most of the quotes I save are from his books).

He studies a lot too – I mean, he's a reader. In 'The Midnight Library' he tries to make you fall in love with Philosophy, presenting us with several ideas about life and the in-between that just make sense. It never gets boring for me. It's never too much. It's like there are not enough words to drown your thirst. You end the book always wanting more (and that's why I've already ordered 'The Last Family in England).

To wrap up this review, I would just like to add that, although I appreciate Haig's effort to include an LGBTQIA+ character, I would've loved to see coloured characters. The author's descriptions are too generic and there are things that can't be left to chance.