Nonetheless, some argue that Haig glamorises depression and suicide. Haig suggests that even the smallest details of our existence paint a much bigger picture we end up impacting other people’s lives in ways we don’t even realise In an interview with Cambridge Independent, he states that due to “the internet and social media and comparison culture, we are surrounded by other people’s lives, if not our own versions of our lives, so there is always a reason to feel bad about yourself”. Haig shares the importance of being kind to ourselves by following our dreams instead of focusing on others’.

In this sense, we can’t let our regrets stop us from appreciating the present. Interestingly, Haig suggests that even the smallest details of our existence paint a much bigger picture we end up impacting other people’s lives in ways we don’t even realise.

Some of us want to be lawyers, politicians, or scientists we want to be successful in careers that have a big impact on society. The Midnight Library illustrates, however, that no such “correct” path exists. These regrets are particularly pertinent to our world today, as there is so much pressure on people to choose the “right” path, as we compare ourselves to those around us. Nora’s regrets are incredibly relatable, boiling down to something as simple as saying no to a coffee date with the right guy. Haig is an expert at letting the reader straight into the protagonist’s mind. There is so much pressure on people to choose the “right” path, as we compare ourselves to those around us She’d have to stay there and tend to that wasteland.” (page 286). And like a volcano she couldn’t run away from herself. I particularly liked the recurrent image of a black hole in Nora’s lives, which eventually changes to an image of a volcano as Nora realises that “she wasn’t a black hole, she was a volcano. My favourite of these motifs was the appearance of the National Geographic magazine. I do think, however, that this improved as the plot evolved Haig introduces expertly placed motifs that give his metaphors depth and meaning. The writing seemed philosophical just for the sake of it, and almost mimicked the tone of a self-help book.

I found the first fifty pages of the novel mildly disappointing, as Haig’s metaphors felt forced. Millie Betts explores Matt Haig’s bestselling novel, The Midnight Library.Įvery reader can name a selection of books that they would love to dive into head first, so I was instantly intrigued by the concept of The Midnight Library. Matt Haig’s novel puts a dark twist on this bookish dream: readers follow Nora’s time between life and death in a library, where opening a book transports her to an alternative life she might have lived, had she made different decisions.

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