The Midnight Library Paperback – 9 May 2023

"The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig is a truly enlightening read, brimming with wisdom and hope. To some, it may feel over the top, and to others, it might just be another story. But for a select few, it arrives exactly when they're ready to grasp the profound truths it holds. I got this book in March 2024, but picked up in January 2025, to me it arrived exactly when I was ready for it.The book is beautifully written, blending philosophy and fiction with delicacy and simplicity. It doesn't preach or deliver long-winded lectures; instead, it weaves its message seamlessly into a poignant, relatable story. At its core lies a universal truth: every choice we make, every path we take, leads us to where we're meant to be. There’s no room for regret because this life, with all its ups and downs, is uniquely ours to live and cherish.Matt Haig's storytelling resonates deeply, encouraging us to embrace life as it is, rather than dwelling on "what-ifs." It's a book that lingers in your mind long after you’ve turned the final page, offering comfort, perspective, and a gentle reminder to find meaning in the present. For anyone seeking solace, understanding, or simply a fresh perspective on life, The Midnight Library is a must-read.

Between life and death there is a library...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...'. Well, that's what any good story or good book does to the readers. I connect with the premise instantly. A girl on the brink of ending her life full of misery and regret finds a solution in Midnight Library. It enables her like magic realism to undo every regret by going back to life and getting back to root life again like Time travel. By the time I finished the one third of the book, it made me feel that under the garb of fantasy fiction, I was carried away by run on the mill self help book, a genre I simply shied away! But as I keep on reading, there are many interesting lines to underline or note down as take away here. But then there are moments where the entire narrative feels like done and dusted to my reading journey!Matt Haig picked something from everyday life and painted the gallery of the human condition with sympathy in its light and dark shades. There are moments where I feel connected to its protagonist Nora Seed and her Book of Regrets. Music, literature, philosophy (loads of Henry David Thoreau 'Walden'), Geography and Cat, everything intertwined in a casual languid manner of narration that drifts and floats the readers like those Murakami books. However narration slightly lagging halfway and lapses into the trite and obvious where death of one or other character is almost recurring trait! I read some rave reviews about the book but ended up having mixed feelings for the book, though don't feel it's a wasted attempt!

You need to read this book for once in your life. It doesn't matter how happy you are today or if you're all sad but this book will be learning for a lifetime.The protagonist, Nora Seed is going through a phase in her life where she feels that she has been a disappointment for everyone in her life, and failure for her own potentials. She feels that her life is not worth it and decides to end it.And then, when death should have been on the other side, she reaches a midnight library where is given an opportunity to try every life she wants just the way you can try on clothes. In the process of trying various lives she understands that her present life was a pleasant one with some difficulties, some disappointments, and a lot of ignorance. Ignorance of not looking at the little things that always make a huge difference. At last she understands that only perspective matters. You can find happiness even in the gloomiest day if your mindset is right. It's not what you see but how you see it makes all the difference.Through the story of our protagonist, Nora Seed, you will see the joys of little things. And how one of the most special things about life is to care and to be cared for.I won't say that the story is just fascinating, or the book was an exceptional one, but I liked the book because of the simplicity with which the author has penned this story. He was careful that he was writing about human emotions and hence didn't go too deep to make it complicated to understand. Just kept it simple, and easy to relate with.I finished this book in 3 days, a 284 pages book usually takes more time than 3 days but this book was different as the chapters were small and continuity was maintained throughout. The story was sailing smoothly in my mind. I didn't have any trouble in recollecting the information in the previous pages. Hence, reading it was easier and a fun process for me.I would surely recommend this book!

Great book, completed reading it full, absolutely loved it. Easy to understand and feel the narratives.