Book of the Month: The Midnight Library

THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY

BY MATT HAIG

The first line of The Midnight Library starts seemingly at the end. Stalled by her life’s many regrets, Nora Seed wants to die. And so, she finds herself in a library with her elementary school librarian Mrs. Elm where it is always midnight. “The only way to learn is to live,” said Mrs. Elm. And so that is what Nora attempts, choosing from an endless number of books, each titled “My Life” on the neverending shelves of the library. This book reminds me of the holiday classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life, where a person doesn’t realize their worth until they see how their void affected those they love. There’s quite a bit of philosophy and string theory in the book as Nora slides in and out of parallel lives trying to find one that fits, or die trying. But mostly, it is a beautifully written story full of imagination and empathy that left me feeling tender for this precious life even when things go sideways. My only criticism is that Matt Haig is too good of a writer. I couldn’t put the book down and finished it entirely too soon after only two days. “Never underestimate the big importance of small things,” said Mrs. Elm to Nora, which is fitting advice for us all as we enter this holiday season.

Do You Love To Read?

Email heather@vipmagsc.com if you would like to share a book review with our readers.

about Matt Haig:

Matt Haig is an author for children and adults. His memoir Reasons to Stay Alive was a number one bestseller, staying in the British top ten for 46 weeks. His children’s book A Boy Called Christmas was a runaway hit and is translated in over 40 languages. It is being made into a film starring Maggie Smith, Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent and The Guardian called it an ‘instant classic’. His novels for adults include the award-winning How To Stop Time, The Radleys, The Humans and the number one bestseller The Midnight Library.

He has sold over three million books worldwide.