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arodreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Although this has very mixed reviews, I really enjoyed this. It reads like a self-help book compiled into storytelling, which was an interesting ride. So, if someone’s not entirely up for that, it makes sense why it wouldn’t be enjoyable. Plus, the concept of the book is so fascinating.
I think my favorite quote is “It was interesting how life sometimes simply gave you a whole new perspective by waiting around long enough for you to see it.”
I think my favorite quote is “It was interesting how life sometimes simply gave you a whole new perspective by waiting around long enough for you to see it.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts
ky001113's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcoholism, Addiction, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
manilea's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
caitsousa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Self harm
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
kenziehath's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
lizzie24601's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A nice, quick fable. Not particularly deep but a strong conceit that makes a pleasurable read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Self harm
Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Car accident
elliphant's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
milliee_rose's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Death, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
cathepsut's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Nora‘s life is miserably. She has a lot of regrets about missed opportunities. Then her cat dies and she looses her job. It‘s the last straw. She attempts suicide and instead of dyeing she finds herself in the Midnight Library. And there she gets the opportunity to remedy her regrets and try a multitude of alternative lives she might have had if she had made different choices. And the chance to find her perfect life.
I‘m not much of a mainstream reader, but this is a good one. Some reviewers complained that the book is too much like a self-help book at times. There is a hefty does of pop psychology. Sometimes it‘s a little heavy handed, but allover not too distracting. I enjoyed Nora‘s different lives, it was lively and fast moving. Yes, the beginning was pretty depressing and it was all a little too sugar coated at the end. But as an uplifting read it works well.
What I didn’t like: I was very uncomfortable with some of the scenes in Nora‘s alternative lives forcing her to deal with situations where she lacked knowledge and skills. It didn’t make sense for me to try on a different life missing so much crucial information.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts
avacronin's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
If you have any interest in Philosophy, you may be familiar with the question; "What happens after we die?". As someone who has often pondered that exact question, I thoroughly enjoyed the perspective The Midnight Library shined on the matter.
This book imagines that between life and death there is a library, as it appears for Nora, that allows you the opportunity to try a life that you could have lived, if you had made a different decision in the past. It allows you to undo your regrets of a missed choice, however good or bad it could have turned out. As somebody who has been interested in The String Theory and the theory of parallel universes, I thought this book provided a interesting view on how this could appear.
The Pros
- I found this book both interesting and easy to read. The chapters are fairly short, and none of the story line was dragged out unnecessarily. Because the story was changing often with the changing of lives, it never felt boring and the book had my full attention throughout its entirety.
- Matt Haig expertly deals with the topic of regret in a way that doesn't feel forced or fake. Through Nora, he shows that life can be full of regrets, which ultimately can lead to life becoming a task, rather than something to enjoy (possible trigger warning). However, through the library, he conveys the message that not all regrets should be lingered on, as you can never accurately predict how your life will turn out.
"But it is not lives we regret not living that are the real problem. It is the regret itself."
The Cons
- The only con that springs to mind is that I wish some of the lives lasted longer. I understand that some had to be longer than others in order to avoid losing interest or becoming too repetitive, however, I would have liked for some of Nora's lives to have been able to develop more and have more of an impact.
This book is truly a pleasant read. It does feature some possibly sensitive topics, however I felt these are all dealt with in a proper way. Overall, The Midnight Library was insightful and had great impact, and has inspired many philosophical thoughts about the afterlife in my mind.
This book imagines that between life and death there is a library, as it appears for Nora, that allows you the opportunity to try a life that you could have lived, if you had made a different decision in the past. It allows you to undo your regrets of a missed choice, however good or bad it could have turned out. As somebody who has been interested in The String Theory and the theory of parallel universes, I thought this book provided a interesting view on how this could appear.
The Pros
- I found this book both interesting and easy to read. The chapters are fairly short, and none of the story line was dragged out unnecessarily. Because the story was changing often with the changing of lives, it never felt boring and the book had my full attention throughout its entirety.
- Matt Haig expertly deals with the topic of regret in a way that doesn't feel forced or fake. Through Nora, he shows that life can be full of regrets, which ultimately can lead to life becoming a task, rather than something to enjoy (possible trigger warning). However, through the library, he conveys the message that not all regrets should be lingered on, as you can never accurately predict how your life will turn out.
"But it is not lives we regret not living that are the real problem. It is the regret itself."
The Cons
- The only con that springs to mind is that I wish some of the lives lasted longer. I understand that some had to be longer than others in order to avoid losing interest or becoming too repetitive, however, I would have liked for some of Nora's lives to have been able to develop more and have more of an impact.
This book is truly a pleasant read. It does feature some possibly sensitive topics, however I felt these are all dealt with in a proper way. Overall, The Midnight Library was insightful and had great impact, and has inspired many philosophical thoughts about the afterlife in my mind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Death of parent, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicide