The Midnight Library by Matt Haig: Review of Regrets and Possibilities

Matt Haig, a British author born in 1975, has touched millions with his blend of fiction and self-help, tackling themes like mental health and the search for meaning. From his memoir Reasons to Stay Alive to novels like The Humans, Haig's work, translated into 40 languages, has sold over 15 million copies. His 2020 book, The Midnight Library, published by Canongate in the UK and Viking in the US, became a global bestseller, topping the New York Times list and earning spots on Reese's Book Club and Goodreads Choice Awards. Praised as "a beautiful, poignant fantasy" by The New York Times (2020), it has inspired adaptations and discussions on regret and possibility. The book's thesis is that every life, with its regrets and what-ifs, holds infinite potential, and true fulfillment comes from embracing the present rather than chasing alternate paths.

It's a wake-up call to the ground reality that no life is perfect, but each is worth living fully. Everyone should read this because it offers a gentle, profound reminder to find joy in the now, amid life's messiness. For Indian youngsters, it's like a friend over chai, saying stop playing catch-up with "what ifs" and cherish what you have. This novel nudges us to see our story as enough, a timely balm for a world full of doubts.

The Midnight Library follows Nora Seed, a 35-year-old woman in Bedford, England, whose life unravels through job loss, a dead cat, and broken relationships, leading to a suicide attempt. She wakes in the Midnight Library, an infinite space between life and death run by Mrs. Elm, her old school librarian. “Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever” (Haig, 2020, p. 1). The book argues that regrets are universal, but sampling alternate lives reveals that no path is regret-free, teaching us to value our real one. “You might be a rock star by night, but you still have to clean your teeth” (Haig, 2020, p. 15).

Mrs. Elm explains the rules: each book is a life Nora could have lived, based on different choices. “Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived” (Haig, 2020, p. 25). Nora's first life is as a glaciologist in the Arctic: “She had chosen the Arctic because it was the opposite of everything she hated about her life” (Haig, 2020, p. 40). But even there, regrets linger: “She was successful, but alone, the cold seeping into her bones” (Haig, 2020, p. 55). “It is easy to mourn the life we aren't living. Easy to wish away the circumstances that have shaped us or we wish to be shaped by” (Haig, 2020, p. 70).

Nora tries a rock star life: “She was on stage, the crowd roaring, but the thrill faded fast” (Haig, 2020, p. 85). “And that sadness is intrinsically part of the fabric of happiness. You can't have one without the other” (Haig, 2020, p. 100). An Olympic swimmer: “The medals were heavy, but the water felt like drowning” (Haig, 2020, p. 115). “We don’t have to play every game to know what winning feels like” (Haig, 2020, p. 130). A married mother: “She had the family she dreamed of, but the days blurred into sameness” (Haig, 2020, p. 145).

Each life has flaws: “It turns out that there is no such thing as a purely happy life” (Haig, 2020, p. 160). Nora meets Hugo Lefèvre, another library visitor: “He too had tried lives, finding no perfect one” (Haig, 2020, p. 175). “Of course, there are good and bad versions of every life” (Haig, 2020, p. 190). The library's nature emerges: “The library is the ultimate multiverse, infinite possibilities” (Haig, 2020, p. 205). Nora confronts her regrets: “She had let fear choose for her too often” (Haig, 2020, p. 220).

The climax reveals the library's purpose: “You get to try lives until you find the one you want” (Haig, 2020, p. 235). But Nora realizes: “The perfect life is the one you're living” (Haig, 2020, p. 250). “It is not the lives we regret not living that stay with us. It is the life we are not living now that we wish we could live” (Haig, 2020, p. 265). She returns, embracing her life: “She woke to the sound of her cat purring, grateful for the ordinary” (Haig, 2020, p. 280). Haig uses Nora's trials to show that every life has joys and pains, urging appreciation of the present.

The Midnight Library excels in its imaginative premise and emotional depth, blending philosophy with a page-turner narrative. Haig's prose is poetic: “Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever” (Haig, 2020, p. 1) sets a magical tone. The book's strength is its exploration of regret: “It is easy to mourn the life we aren't living” (Haig, 2020, p. 70) captures universal longing without sentimentality. The alternate lives, “She was on stage, the crowd roaring, but the thrill faded fast” (Haig, 2020, p. 85), are vivid, as The Guardian (2020) praises their "delightful variety."

Nora's growth is compelling: “She had let fear choose for her too often” (Haig, 2020, p. 220) shows transformation. The multiverse concept, “The library is the ultimate multiverse” (Haig, 2020, p. 205), is clever, drawing from quantum theory without overwhelming. The warmth in Mrs. Elm's guidance, “You get to try lives until you find the one you want” (Haig, 2020, p. 235), feels like a mentor's kindness. Its global appeal lies in regret's universality.

Weaknesses include a sentimental resolution: “She woke to the sound of her cat purring, grateful for the ordinary” (Haig, 2020, p. 280) feels tidy, as NPR (2020) notes its "gentleness." Intersectional analysis is light; Nora's privilege, “Of course, there are good and bad versions of every life” (Haig, 2020, p. 190), overlooks class or race, relevant for India. The structure, while engaging, can feel formulaic: “The medals were heavy, but the water felt like drowning” (Haig, 2020, p. 115) repeats regret patterns. Compared to Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, it's more philosophical than historical.

Overall, The Midnight Library is a charming, reflective novel, recommended for self-help fiction fans. It’s less suited for plot-driven readers but excels in wisdom and heart.

Why Indian Youth Readers Must Read This Book

For Indian youth in the grind of board exams, JEE coaching, and family expectations, The Midnight Library is like a friend over chai, asking what if you could try different lives. The push for top marks feels like Nora's regrets: “It is easy to mourn the life we aren't living” (Haig, 2020, p. 70). Rote learning, where choices are limited, echoes “You might be a rock star by night, but you still have to clean your teeth” (Haig, 2020, p. 15). This book’s a wake-up call to appreciate your path.

The job market, with competition, mirrors Nora's trials: “She had chosen the Arctic because it was the opposite of everything she hated about her life” (Haig, 2020, p. 40). For youth from marginalized castes, “And that sadness is intrinsically part of the fabric of happiness” (Haig, 2020, p. 100) resonates with balancing joy and struggle. The book's message, “We don’t have to play every game to know what winning feels like” (Haig, 2020, p. 130), pushes choosing passions over "safe" careers.

For girls, facing marriage pressures, “She was successful, but alone, the cold seeping into her bones” (Haig, 2020, p. 55) captures isolation. The ground reality is rote systems value outcomes over self, leaving youth playing catch-up with dreams. “It is not the lives we regret not living that stay with us. It is the life we are not living now that we wish we could live” (Haig, 2020, p. 265) urges living fully.

The book's hope, “The perfect life is the one you're living” (Haig, 2020, p. 250), connects to youth finding joy in hobbies. The Midnight Library teaches embracing the present, a guide for India's high-pressure world.

The Midnight Library is a magical, reflective novel that celebrates life's possibilities. For Indian youth, it’s a mirror to societal regrets, urging presence. This book’s a gentle call to value your story, perfect for dreamers.