Rated by The Rauch Review
4.5 out of 5
four and a half out of five stars
Rated by The Rauch Review
4.5 out of 5
four and a half out of five stars
Matt Haig
February 5, 2025
February 5, 2025
Matt Haig
February 5, 2025
15 Mins Read
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The Midnight Library,” written by New York Times bestselling author Matt Haig, explores time travel and the infinite number of possibilities for a person’s life journey. Published in 2003, the book revolves around main character Nora Seed’s suicide attempt, which lands her in a limbo state where she can sample infinite different versions of her life.

Because most of us hit rock bottom at one time or another, many readers will connect to Nora’s desperate situation and feel compelled to reflect on their own life choices. The vastly diverse “books” Nora chooses to live, provide an exciting reader experience. The writer’s use of language is grade school level, allowing for an easy read. The plot is straightforward and easy to follow.

Some readers might not connect with Nora’s introspective nature and find that her internal dialogue feels like the author inserting self-help text. Others might not find the ending satisfying.

This “The Midnight Library” review will illuminate many aspects of the story, including themes, literary devices, comparable titles, where to buy the book and more.

‘The Midnight Library’ Summary: All Hope Lost

35-year-old Nora Seed plummets into a state of utter despair after her cat is found dead at the side of the road, her boss fires her, and a chain of other “day from hell” events occur. Feeling like her life is insignificant and that dying is her only escape from suffering, she attempts to die by suicide and wakes up at the Midnight Library — a limbo space between life and death. Mrs. Elm, a friendly librarian Nora knew in high school, says she can choose from an infinite number of books in the library, each allowing Nora to live a different version of her life.

A Less Publicized Theme: Focusing More on Human Connection

Promotional copy and book groups mention that the book is about a character living different versions of her life, depression and recognizing that even a seemingly imperfect life has value. So far I haven’t seen these groups mention themes related to first-world life: how people in the United States and other industrialized nations tend to value money and fame over human connections. Because I live in Mexico several months a year and have also lived in southern Peru, I have noticed how Mexican and Peruvian lives revolve around family connections. I often see large family groups of multiple generations together at beach gatherings, concerts, in restaurants and in grocery stores.

Nora’s “book of regrets,” which Mrs. Elm suggests she peruse early on, includes things that Nora felt bad about. These negative feelings happen largely because of the expectation of others and a lack of understanding of the big picture.

I once interviewed an elderly competitive Masters swimmer in Hawaii, and he spoke about his athletic accomplishments first but then said he was working to keep his life more balanced. Toward the end of our interview, he said he didn’t think he or most other people would lie on their death bed wishing they’d won more races or earned more money, that they would likely wish they’d spent more quality time with loved ones. This statement stuck with me. I think that the pressure to “keep up with the Jones” incites people to make choices that aren’t true to them. Maybe many unhappy people are living lives that aren’t authentic for their values or that have no meaning.

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Audience and Genre: Is It Actually a Time Travel Novel?

Young adults, introspective readers, and anyone drawn to fiction with paranormal elements and/or time travel will likely enjoy “The Midnight Library.” Haig’s book may or may not speak to readers who suffer from depression.

“The Midnight Library” is most often classified as time travel fiction and literary fiction. Technically “The Midnight Library” explores the concept of parallel universes and the afterlife, not time travel. Some book clubs have also categorized the book as high concept (often applies to the afterlife), upmarket and commercial.

With the exception of time travel, there’s no debatable answer when it comes to believing the book embodies one or more of the aforementioned genres. People who take extra notice of the prose and Haig’s record may perceive the book as more literary. Readers who focus on worldbuilding will likely view the book primarily as high concept. If the pacing feels quick — to the point of lacking character depth typical of literary and upmarket titles — you might think the novel is commercial.

The definition of “upmarket” is to blend literary fiction and commercial fiction elements. So you’ll agree the story is upmarket if you see it as having a literary style and one or more genre fiction elements such as afterlife fiction.

Books Like ‘The Midnight Library’

Nora’s voice differs from the time travel books I’ve read recently: “The Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger and “Oona Out of Order” by Margarita Montimore. In Montimore’s book, Oona is cursed to live her life out of sequence. She ends up in a different era of her life every New Year. “The Time Traveler’s Wife” follows a romance between Clare and her husband, Henry, who has a rare genetic disorder that sends him randomly catapulting through time.

The former is written in first person from both the husband and the wife’s point-of-view. The latter has a teenage voice (no matter what age she is in the book), with the main character, Oona reacting more than connecting to everything that happens to her. There is graphic sex and drug use in this book that make it inappropriate for younger audiences and that may offend wider reader audiences. “The Midnight Library” is more reflective and analytical than Montimore or Niffenegger’s books and is appropriate for readers of all ages.

“The Midnight Library” is also listed under science fiction, philosophical fiction and fantasy fiction genres. The Harry Potter books are the only books I’ve read recently in the science fiction and fantasy genres. They’re much more fantastical and action-oriented than Haig’s book.

Readers who gravitate toward books with paranormal elements and who often reflect on life’s purpose will enjoy it the most. Young adults and teens may especially enjoy it because they can still make significant changes in their lives. Readers who prefer nonfiction or very realistic fiction might not fancy it as much.

Perspective: Third-Person Limited Point-of-View With a Narrator Whose Sensibilities Are Similar to Nora

“The Midnight Library” is written in a third person limited point-of-view, with the narrator describing Nora’s experiences within the realm of what Nora knows. The perspective worked because the narrator has an analytical and reflective personality like Nora.

“The Midnight Library” is compelling to read, largely because most people are fascinated by the idea of parallel existences and the idea that one choice can have a domino effect on what happens next. Nora’s crisis draws the reader into the story and her plight.

The sentence structure and word use in this book are easy to understand so that adults, as well as young adults and teens, can enjoy the book. “The Midnight Library” doesn’t include flowery language or unnecessary narrative. The pacing of the novel is consistent.

Three Cs: Compelling, Clear, Concise

Editorial Note: We believe these three factors are important for evaluating general writing quality across every aspect of the book. Before you get into further analysis, here’s a quick breakdown to clarify how we’re using these words:

  • Compelling: Does the author consistently write in a way that would make most readers emotionally invested in the book’s content?
  • Clear: Are most sentences and parts of the book easy enough to read and understand?
  • Concise: Are there sections or many sentences that could be cut? Does the book have pacing problems?

Compelling: Sampling Different Lives

When Nora falls into a deep depression after a chain of unfortunate events, her plight effectively draws readers in. The premise of sampling different versions of life is unique and compelling. Nora often reflects on her experiences in different lives in a very introspective way that begs the reader to consider what really matters in life. Because the book revolves around Nora, readers get to know her like a roommate or friend and feel invested in her future.

The technique of immersing the reader in different versions of Nora’s life is fascinating. Readers are likely to reflect on their own past decisions and how different choices might have drastically changed their lives.

Readers are likely to connect to Nora because many of us feel at times like our lives don’t have value and plummet into despair. The introspective nature of Nora’s character invites the reader to ponder their own lives. If readers connect to a version of Nora’s life, they may be disappointed when she leaves it.

Clear: Great Beach Read, But Unclear Library Rules and Decision Logic?

I found “The Midnight Library” to be an easy read. It’s a book you could read at the beach or poolside. Sentences are structured simply with writing arguably at the fifth or sixth-grade level. I didn’t encounter any unfamiliar words that threw me out of the story.

“The Midnight Library” has no typos and is professionally edited.

Some readers found the library rules unclear. Basically, the library contains an endless number of books with each representing a different parallel life. By choosing a book, Nora can step into that version of her life. If the life becomes dissatisfying, she ends up back in the library. She apparently must fully embrace a life to stay there. Mrs. Elm is her guide.

Mrs. Elm helped her choose the book most of the time. In some cases, Nora asked for a specific one.

Sometimes the choices seemed rather random. In one instance Nora became very invested in her life as a wife and mother but couldn’t stay because she felt she hadn’t “earned” that life. But she wanted to stay, and it wasn’t clear why she had to leave. On the other hand, perhaps it made sense in a way because Nora was feeling some conflict over missing what led up to this “ideal life” and her leaving allied with the story the author wanted to tell.

Concise: Great Pacing Overall, Maybe a Bit Too Fast at the End

The pacing of the entire novel worked for me. Nothing felt extraneous or dragged out. The chapters are only a few pages long and easy to read.

The sentence structure and word use make this book a great “beach” read. I didn’t encounter a single unfamiliar word.

(spoiler alert) I would have liked the ending expanded enough to know if she was going to meet Ash. Given how invested I became in the book version of the life Nora and Ash have as a couple (and parents), I wanted reassurance that they would have a future together.

‘The Midnight Library’ Character Development: Characters Developed in the Context of Nora’s Different Lives

Nora and Mrs. Elm are the central characters in the novel. Nora’s character is explored in the most depth. Mrs. Elm — the librarian who comforted Nora when she was in high school and learned of her father’s death — remains enigmatic. After Nora’s attempt to die by suicide, Mrs. Elm is there, but she feels like a person Nora created in her mind. Other characters, including Nora’s brother, Joe, her friend, Izzy, and potential marriage partners, are illuminated during the different versions of Nora’s life.

Each character added to the story, shifting in personality depending on the life where readers meet them. Nora gradually gained more desire to live and more insight, but she was often quite different than the version of herself she encountered in the different lives she sampled. It was intriguing to see the Nora I was getting to know as a reader suddenly thrown into a life version that didn’t fit with who she was in her original life and how she struggled to make things work.

Haig develops the characters through Nora’s journey of self-discovery using narrative, character interactions, flashbacks, analysis/internal dialogue and dialogue.

Nora experienced an evolution throughout the story, initially wanting to die and eventually realizing that she doesn’t want to die and feeling gratitude for the life she had before she tried to kill herself.

Haig publicly revealed that he struggles with mental health issues in an interview with The Guardian and on Instagram. Depression led him to attempt to die by suicide at age 24. His interview suggests that he felt very similar to Nora during his breakdown.

The author’s understanding of depression enabled him to write authentically about his main character’s struggles and her introspective thoughts throughout the story. I believe Haig’s life experiences expanded the depth of the story and made it more relatable for readers. I believe some of Nora’s internal dialogue was there because Haig cares about at-risk readers and wants them to ponder their situations before acting rashly and to find hope and a reason to go on.

Story: Readers May See Themselves in Nora, But They May Not Like the Ending

After Nora tries to end her life and lands in the midnight library, it is fascinating watching her choose different lives and then decide for one reason or another, they aren’t right for her. Sometimes I became invested in Nora’s new life and felt a letdown when one detail made it a deal breaker. I imagine many readers will see themselves in Nora. The story explores regrets, what ifs, moving on as Nora follows the path to self-discovery. These are universal feelings all of us can relate to.

Paranormal books often include time travel, but “The Midnight Library” instead explored parallel universes where changing outcome is possible. I loved that Nora was fascinated with philosophy and constantly analyzes what happens.

The ending felt a little rushed and readers might be disappointed not to know for sure if she will meet Ash after becoming so invested in a version of her life where she was married to Ash, and they were parents.

Prose Style: Telling vs. Showing and Passive vs. Active Voice Contrasted Intentionally to Demonstrate Nora’s State of Mind

Readinghours.com estimated that “The Midnight Library” was written at the fifth or sixth grade level. The short chapters and the simplistic style made it easy to read. It did not feel reminiscent of any other book I’ve read recently.

Readers are immersed in Nora’s experiences in her initial life and the trial lives she experiences at the library. There is plenty of action and dialogue to keep readers engaged.

Telling in “The Midnight Library” seems to indicate Nora’s lack of investment in a version of her life. As she starts to detach from what’s happening, every event is spelled out as logbook-like narrative or even as lists, which show she’s confused or in limbo. I found this to be a very effective technique for bringing readers into the protagonist’s state of mind.

The level of analysis that Nora brings to her experiences is fascinating. Below are some examples of how Haig skillfully engages readers through this introspection:

After one experience, Mrs. Elm asks her how she’s feeling and Nora says, “Like I still want to die. I have wanted to die for quite a while. I have carefully calculated that the pain of me living as the bloody disaster that is myself is greater than the pain anyone else will feel if I were to die. In fact, I’m sure it would be a relief. I’m not useful to anyone. I was bad at work. I have disappointed everyone. I am a waste of a carbon footprint, to be honest. I hurt people. I have no one left. Not even poor old Volts, who died because I couldn’t look after a cat properly. I want to die. My life is a disaster.”

As Nora moves toward healing, her thoughts evolve. “Every second of every day we are entering a new universe. And we spend so much time wishing our lives were different, comparing ourselves to other people and to other versions of ourselves, when really most lives contain degrees of good and degrees of bad.”

Nora reflects on her past participation in competitive swimming. “The thing she had once loved about swimming was the disappearing. In the water, her focus had been so pure that she thought of nothing else. Any school or home worries vanished. The art of swimming — she supposed like any art — was about purity. The more focused you were on the activity, the less focused you were on everything else.”

When Nora finds herself on the speaking podium as an Olympic swimmer and motivational presenter, she instead spews out thoughts from her current frame of mind. “And…and the thing is…the thing is…what we consider to be the most successful route for us to take, actually isn’t. Because too often our view of success is about some external bullshit idea of achievement — an Olympic medal, the ideal husband, a good salary. And we have all these metrics that we try to reach. When really success isn’t something you measure, and life isn’t a race you can win. It’s all…bollocks, actually.”

She isn’t quite there yet, but Nora begins to realize that self-acceptance is possible. “She imagined, now, what it would be like to accept herself completely. Every mistake she had ever made. Every mark on her body. Every dream she hadn’t reached or pain she had felt. Every lust or longing she had suppressed.

She imagined accepting it all. The way she accepted nature. The way she accepted a glacier or a puffin or the breach of a whale.

She imagined seeing herself as just another brilliant freak of nature. Just another sentient animal, trying their best.

And in doing so, she imagined what it was like to be free.”

Nora realizes how much she loves her daughter, Molly, after she falls off her tricycle. At this stage, she has reached an understanding of what an authentic life looks like to her.

“You could eat in the finest restaurants, you could partake in every sensual pleasure, you could sing on stage in São Paulo to twenty thousand people, you could soak up whole thunderstorms of applause, you could travel to the ends of the Earth, you could be followed by millions on the internet, you could win Olympic medals, but this was all meaningless without love.”

Sentences in “The Midnight Library” often are written in a passive voice, especially early in the book, but I think this was intentional, to show Nora’s disengagement with life.

Metaphor, symbolism, allegory, dreamscapes and allusion are all literary devices used in “The Midnight Library.” The main allegory is the library, which is a metaphorical space between life and death.

The prose style is simple and analytical, but the style did not lead me to draw any conclusions about the author.

Dialogue: Characters Ask Nora Why She’s Acting Strange

The dialogue felt realistic. There was never any confusion as to which character was speaking. It was especially entertaining when people ask Nora questions when she makes mistakes after she is thrown into a new life, not having a grasp of the people and situations happening around her. Ravi once asked her, “Have you been lobotomized?”

The mixture of dialogue and reflection felt balanced. I never had difficulty knowing who was speaking. The dialogue helps readers get to know characters and understand how they are reacting to Nora’s confusion as she grapples to deal with a new life.

‘The Midnight Library’ Setting: From Bedford, England to Australia and Norway

The book opens in Bedford, England, where Nora lives. After her attempt to end her life, Nora ends up in the Midnight Library. This infinite library of books is a setting that appears intermittently throughout the book. When she chooses the life as an Olympic swimmer, she’s in London, about to give a speech. When she lives the life of a glaciologist, she’s in Norway. When she and her ex-fiancé own the pub, they live in the English countryside. In another life, she moves to Australia with her friend, Izzy.

Each setting is developed in a unique and compelling way, which gives readers context for the life Nora is living. Haig did a great job conjuring up images of the dreadful cold in northern Norway. I found myself starting to shiver! In instances when Nora didn’t connect with a life, setting wasn’t described much or at all. I found this an effective technique for showing her degree of disconnection with the place and the situation.

Rhetoric: Internal Dialogue Begs Readers to Look Inward

The author has suffered from depression and once attempted to die by suicide. It seems clear from the narrative that Haig aims for readers to reflect on their lives and see their value, to recognize that they have the power to make choices will change the outcome of their lives. There’s also a strong statement about what really matters in life – not fame or wealth or an exciting job, but a connection to loved ones.

Cultural and Political Significance: A Critique of Materialism

No dates are specified in “The Midnight Library,” but it reads like contemporary times.

“The Midnight Library” will likely resonate with readers who value human relationships and ponder their life purpose or the meaning of life. Perhaps someone uber rich and successful, who feels no regrets about the sacrifices they’ve made to achieve their status, wouldn’t find the book palatable.

Haig makes a statement about what American culture considers the “ideal” life and how this can lead people to forget what really matters: human relationships. There is so much pressure from social media and pop culture to have the perfect job, a fancy house and car and to earn a lot of money that people can easily find themselves leading empty lives. Coming to realize that all these are meaningless without human connection can lead to depression and despair.

Critiquing the Critics: Polarizing for Some People With Depression

Amazon and Goodreads reviews indicate that readers who identified themselves as depressed tended to have a black and white response to “The Midnight Library.” They found it either extremely helpful or annoying and upsetting. One person (spoiler alert) said that even someone who wanted to die would have not wanted to be mauled to death by the polar bear because it would have been such a painful death. Another was offended when Nora evaluated the quality of each life by seeing whether she had cutting scars or was taking antidepressants. Some were annoyed that she didn’t want to stay with any life where she was a major success.

Another said the experiences Nora had in the book were like a comforting hug that helped her lift out of her depression. Other readers found the book very comforting.

Another criticism was of lives that could have been ideal for her had a loved one not been dead, because this detail had nothing to do with Nora’s choices. Some felt that “The Midnight Library” read like a self-help book.

One critic and book club member said the book showed signs of being rushed and needing more editing. She argued that it didn’t make sense for Nora to be hyper successful as a reaction to simply undoing certain regrets.

As a reader who has experienced depression, I can understand how a reader might either find comfort or distress reading this book. Whenever I feel down, I react very strongly either positively or negatively to different experiences and works of art. This book might feel too easy for some — to be the author’s attempt to say your normal, messed-up life is just fine. That is far from how it feels sometimes.

I don’t agree that this book read like a self-help book. I think some readers don’t like the kind of introspection that is characteristic of Nora’s way of thinking. To me, Nora’s wisdom and insight gave the book meaning and the ability to uplift readers.

Book Aesthetic: Literal Representation of Time

“The Midnight Library” cover design is unusual. The time after Nora’s attempt to end her life is midnight or a row of zeros on a stopwatch so to speak. Four rows of light blue zeros in hours, minutes and seconds appear on the front cover, with images of different action scenes inside these zeros. These zeros also remind me of airplane windows.

The concept of the book cover is creative and eye-catching. There is plenty of promotional text thrown into the mix as well. New York Times Bestseller is spelled out before the title, International Bestselling author of “How to Stop Time” appears under the author’s name and Good Morning America Book Club: A GMA Book Club Pick sits inside an orange circle beside the author’s name.

The hours, minutes and seconds design suits the starting-over-in-time theme. A lot of money and time seems to have been invested in developing this cover.

‘The Midnight Library’ Book vs Movie

“The Midnight Library” is being made into a movie, with Matt Haig as executive producer. UK companies StudioCanal and Blueprint Pictures are developing the film.

Reviewer’s Personal Opinion: ‘The Midnight Library’ Resonated with Me

“The Midnight Library” resonated with me, primarily because of my yoga background. I loved how Nora reflected deeply on each experience as she tried out different lives and evaluated whether they felt authentic for her or not. She asked questions so many people may never think about because they are so busy going through the motions of life. Questions such as… What really matters? How would my life change if I accepted myself instead of comparing myself to others and thinking I can never measure up?

I think these questions are imperative to ask because they can make a huge difference in whether a person is satisfied in life or always feeling dissatisfied and like they’re missing something. In some instances where a different version of Nora’s life seemed perfect, she found out that a loved one had died and that was a deal breaker for her. Experiencing those heartbreaks illuminated what really mattered to her.

I found it compelling how Nora described how she felt in her body in different lives and how her appearance changed. Sometimes she felt athletic and fit. On other occasions, she felt stressed and sickly. In some lives, she found scars from self-mutilation on her body and was taking antidepressants.

I connected with Nora’s voice. Some books have such a teenager, scattered thinking, self-centered voice that I can’t stand them. Nora felt like a person I could befriend.

I found it frustrating that Nora couldn’t stay in the life she wanted, even if she hadn’t “earned” it. This idea seemed to violate what we knew to be true about the midnight library.

Nora and Molly, Nora’s daughter in one life, were my favorite characters. Hugo, the other “slider” character in limbo, living different lives, was my least favorite character. He was a narcissist and didn’t seem to care about anything or anyone.

I recommend that “The Midnight Library” readers who enjoy paranormal and/or time-travel books check out “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” It is a compelling romance, which enables readers to experience the oddities of time travel and the frustrations of not being able to change tragic circumstances.

I do not know Matt Haig. My daughter recommended the book, and I borrowed her copy.

I saw “the Midnight Library” on the project list. Because I had read the book and enjoyed it, I signed up to write the review.

‘The Midnight Library’ Review: Alternate Life, Almost Perfect With Missing Elements

“The Midnight Library” checked all my boxes for a good read. Nora’s plight drew me in right away, and I found her easy to connect to as a character. Her experiences made me reflect on my own life. Readers experience the uncertainty of Nora’s future, which keeps tension high, as Nora jumps from one version of her life to another. On some occasions, the between-life-and-death library becomes unstable and toward the end collapses.

(spoiler alert) Instability in the library happened when Nora wanted to die but also when she had a strong will to live and/or was thrown out of a life she wanted. In her final book experience where Nora wanted to stay, she tried to cling to that life but was unable to. This outcome seemed odd because the rule seemed to be that if she wanted a life, she could stay.

Nonetheless, Nora experiences internal conflict in this life where she’s finally happy. On more than one occasion, Nora wishes she could experience the stage-setting parts of this life. She never experienced the developing romance with Ash or Molly’s birth and early years. There were also characters such as her next-door neighbor and her piano student, who Nora had helped in her original life, but who ended in sad shape in this “perfect” version. The ending to the book would have been more satisfying if it had included Ash. He’s mentioned once in her final reflections, and hope lingers that she will meet him soon.

Buying and Rental Options

E-Commerce Text and Audio Purchases

E-Commerce Audio Only

Physical Location Purchase and Rental Options

“The Midnight Library” is available at most Barnes & Noble locations and independent bookstores. It is also available in most public libraries.

Digital Rental Options

E-book and audio book copies of “The Midnight Library” are available for check-out on the Libby app. In the Tucson library, the current wait time for both editions is several weeks. Occasionally, the app offers a “skip the line” copy to readers.

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