Book Review : The Midnight Library

Book Name: The Midnight Library
Author: Matt Haig

Publisher: CanonGate Books

Genre: Philosophical Fantasy

Format: Paperback

Print length: 304 pages 

Rating: 4/5

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is a philosophical Fantasy with the elements of magic realism and contemporary fiction.


Blurb on Amazon


Between life and death there is a library. When Nora seed finds herself in the midnight library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change. The books in the midnight library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they?d be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger. Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: What is the best way to live?.

Review


The story begins in a library with a librarian, the protagonist, books on shelves (of course), and a chess set. The main character's life process in this book eventually leads her to decide to live rather than wish she had earlier to die. The story reflects introspection, existence, longing, loneliness, and regret (the main element for the protagonist). 


The character development is smooth. However, due to the numerous characters and descriptions of each character distinctly in different worlds defined in this book, it may confuse readers at times, and they would take some time to recall which character is which one. Additionally, the characters are relatable. For example, Nora, a person who appeared as a dissatisfied human from life and wanted to die, found it the easiest option to get rid of the world, but it was not so.


Readers would explore varied themes in this book, like philosophical fiction delving into the protagonist's life choices and existence. The concept of traveling through lives in books would allow them to immerse in fantasy and magic realism. Additionally, contemporary fiction makes this book and its characters relatable to readers. It is a captivating exploration of life, loss, and the endless potential in humans.


The author masterfully narrates the story keeping the readers hooked to find what the next world would unfold for them to relish the beauty of life and write a life where you bring in the people and elements from all the lives the protagonist lived in this book. Some lives may appear repetitive due to consistent characters in them. The author wrote this book with a clear, crisp, and concise aspect yet making it emotionally resonant to the readers to allow them to process the story rather than getting away from repetitiveness at times.


I believe it is one of those books that will stay for long after the reader closes the last page of the book. It teaches life lessons without even calling them life lessons in the form of the protagonist's life making it a perfect blend of warmth and reflective journey.


The overall experience of reading this book is fulfilling. So, to the readers who feel stuck at some point in their lives and wish to explore life through fantasy fiction, then this book is a perfect choice.

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Comments

  1. ShaliniNovember 22, 2024 at 5:12 AM

    Woof woof! 🐾 Thank you for paw-ticipating in the #ReadingWithMuffy challenge! Your entry has been paw-sitively noted. I read this one a few years ago and absolutely loved it!

    ReplyDelete

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