The Midnight Library: A GMA Book Club Pick (a Novel) Paperback – 9 May 2023

I bought this book because the story line intrigued me but after reading it I saw infinite number of reasons to be grateful for buying it.Story line, plot, writing style, protagonist (nora seed) - everything is just awesome and omg.I'm not a big fan of standalone books but this one just stole my heart.I don't wanna write anything about the story line because reading it totally unaware of what to expect is a once in a lifetime experience.

Not the masterpiece but okish book. Good for a one time read. Some parts were a bit too stretched out.

"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.

What a perspective so complex yet so simple .....Tugs at your heart strings.... In other words read it ... Hope and uncertainties....Thank you for this lovely book.

The media could not be loaded. I would like to thank amazon for amazingly delivering the book so kudos to them."The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig presents an intriguing premise through its protagonist, Nora Seed, who finds herself in a library between life and death. This library allows her to explore different lives she could have lived had she made different choices. While the concept is fascinating and taps into the popular idea of the multiverse, the execution feels somewhat predictable and lacks depth.Nora Seed’s journey across various lives echoes the common trope of "what if" scenarios, where she jumps from one version of her life to another. The narrative explores themes of regret, choice, and possibility, but the exploration of the multiverse is superficial. The idea that Nora can remember the lives she experiences, though it takes time, adds an interesting layer to the story, but the scope of the multiverse itself remains underdeveloped. For instance, when Nora meets another character in Svalbard who can also shift between lives, it raises intriguing possibilities that are ultimately left unexplored.It feels as though the premise of the book is almost entirely based on a quote from Sylvia Plath’s "The Bell Jar":"I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked... and as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet."This quote encapsulates the paralysis of choice and the inevitable loss that comes with indecision—central themes in "The Midnight Library." However, where Plath’s metaphor is rich and evocative, Haig’s exploration feels less nuanced.Throughout the book, Nora quotes philosophers like Kant and mostly Thoreau, but these references are often superficial. Though she may cite their ideas, the book doesn’t delve deeply into them. The philosophical musings seem to serve more as a backdrop to the central message of "carpe diem" rather than being fully explored or integrated into the narrative. This stands in contrast to the seamless blend of philosophy and storytelling found in the works of Haruki Murakami, where philosophical themes feel organic and deeply intertwined with the plot.Overall, "The Midnight Library" is an enjoyable but ultimately forgettable read. It’s a book that touches on big ideas but never fully engages with them, leaving the reader wanting more depth and exploration. For me, it’s a one-time read that I would rate 3 stars 🌟

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!

The midnight library is a real time realisation of experiences which we keep talking about in between life and death. It tells you so deeply to simply be alive in each present moment.

Very nice book