Do you ever think,’How did I end up here?’
Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library is a beautifully written book which explores life’s possibilities, regrets, and choices that define our existence; and examines the concept of parallel lives through the protagonist, Nora Seed, who finds herself in a magical library between life and death. Each book in this library offers her a chance to live different versions of her life.
Nora confronts her deepest regrets and longings as she navigates through the infinite possibilities of lives she could have led, ranging from a rock star to a glaciologist. She evolves from a woman burdened by regrets to someone who understands the value of her own experiences.
Sometimes, regrets aren’t based on fact at all. Sometimes, regrets are just a load of bullshit.
If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. Aim to be you. Aim to look and think like you. Aim to be the truest version of you. Embrace that you-ness. Endorse it. Love it. Work hard at it. And don’t give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it.
Haig wrote Nora’s character well, making her struggles, triumphs, growth, and introspection relatable. Despite the emotional and existential weight of the story, Haig was able to add complex themes such as mental health, regret, and redemption with sensitivity and hope. The chapters were kept at a brisk pace, which made me invest in Nora’s journey. I love the concept of the library itself as a place where she ended up between life and death.
Maybe that’s what all lives were, though. Maybe even the most seemingly perfect intense or worthwhile lives ultimately felt the same. Acres of disappointment and monotony and hurts and rivalries but with flashes of wonder and beauty.
But it is not the lives we regret not living that are the real problem. It is the regret itself.
We can’t tell if any of those other versions would have been better or worse. Those lives are happening, it is true, but you are happening as well.
Overall, The Midnight Library is a heartwarming and inspiring read that encourages us to appreciate the life we have while recognizing the potential for change and growth. It is a reminder on the nature of happiness and the choices that shapes our lives. If you’ve ever wondered about the ‘what-ifs’ in life, The Midnight Library will resonate deeply with you.
We are as completely and utterly alive as we are in any other life and have access to the same emotional spectrum. We only need to feel one existence. We don’t have to do everything in order to be everything because we are already infinite.
The impossible, I suppose, happens via living. Will my life be miraculously free from pain, despair, grief, heartbreak, hardship, loneliness, depression? No. But do I want to live? Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes.
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