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mimid323's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Suicide
kyrenni's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
alexisaflop's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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
4.75
First of all this book does something that every other book I love doesn't do: has a proper ending that shows where the characters go.
I really enjoyed the flow of the book and the metaphors that were consistent throughout but not overbearing and obvious.
The only way I would change it would be how I found it odd she never tried a life twice. At the end she wanted one that was like the one with Molly but only slightly different. I thought she would try that with maybe the band one where she was happy but Joe was dead. Maybe she could have said, I choose to stay in the band and choose to get Joe into rehab or smth.
It's only February but a strong contender for favourite book of the year.
I really enjoyed the flow of the book and the metaphors that were consistent throughout but not overbearing and obvious.
The only way I would change it would be how I found it odd she never tried a life twice. At the end she wanted one that was like the one with Molly but only slightly different. I thought she would try that with maybe the band one where she was happy but Joe was dead. Maybe she could have said, I choose to stay in the band and choose to get Joe into rehab or smth.
It's only February but a strong contender for favourite book of the year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The plot of The Midnight Library is best described as It’s a Wonderful Life meets Quantum Leap with a dash of Back to the Future, and Matt Haig expertly melds and melts the various tropes found within these three pieces of media into his own unique narrative. I have great familiarity with all three pieces of media, and I was pleased to find that Haig does not rely on prior knowledge in order to enjoy his work. In fact, I found the Easter eggs quite delightful!
I also found it refreshing to read a narrative from the perspective of a female main character written by a man that felt like a real human woman could do or say the things he was describing. I really resonated with Nora’s struggle to find her place and purpose in this crazy, mixed up world we find ourselves in, a world which seemingly gets more crazy and more mixed up as time goes on.
I felt both seen and supported as Nora—sometimes harshly, sometimes gently—learns what she values, what she needs, what she wants, what she has to offer, and, most importantly, what she is worth, simply by being a human who exists and not what she can do or be for others.
In terms of technical writing aspects though, I feel that 95% of the book has clear, concise writing, which thankfully doesn’t sacrifice either sentimentality or periods of reflection that required for a narrative centered around depression and mental health recovery. The last few chapters seem a little bit shaky in terms of wrapping things up, but I also think this can be chalked up to Nora being on unsure footing as she enters a new phase of her life.
All in all, an excellent book that really hits close to home in the best possible ways. I definitely almost cried a few times. I can see why this book received so much good press when it first came out!
I also found it refreshing to read a narrative from the perspective of a female main character written by a man that felt like a real human woman could do or say the things he was describing. I really resonated with Nora’s struggle to find her place and purpose in this crazy, mixed up world we find ourselves in, a world which seemingly gets more crazy and more mixed up as time goes on.
I felt both seen and supported as Nora—sometimes harshly, sometimes gently—learns what she values, what she needs, what she wants, what she has to offer, and, most importantly, what she is worth, simply by being a human who exists and not what she can do or be for others.
In terms of technical writing aspects though, I feel that 95% of the book has clear, concise writing, which thankfully doesn’t sacrifice either sentimentality or periods of reflection that required for a narrative centered around depression and mental health recovery. The last few chapters seem a little bit shaky in terms of wrapping things up, but I also think this can be chalked up to Nora being on unsure footing as she enters a new phase of her life.
All in all, an excellent book that really hits close to home in the best possible ways. I definitely almost cried a few times. I can see why this book received so much good press when it first came out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Vomit
dan_beddoe95's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Self harm, and Grief
girlpuck's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Vomit, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Homophobia, and Racism
emremendo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
I often wonder what my life would have been like if I had made different choices or had a chance to go back. I don’t know when I added this to my Spotify library but I just finished listening to it this evening. It is one I definitely want to get a hard copy of so I can annotate and reread it again. I appreciate how the author handled such a delicate topic of suicide, regret, and mental health in a way that was heavy but manageable and kept the reader the engaged. Honestly, I want to share this book with my therapist. It really helped me see life in a different perspective that I normally struggle with.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
olivros_e's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Había visto en varias ocasiones este libro en tiendas, y una de esas tantas, pensé «debería leerlo», solo porque sí, porque la portada me parecía llamativa al igual que el nombre.
Una vez mas, sin contexto y sin sinopsis me lance a la lectura.
Nos encontramos a la protagonista Nora Seed, cuya vida es: plana, básicamente, pero no es plana en el sentido de rutinaria o monótona. No, la vida de nuestra protagonista es plana porque así lo decidió el autor, supongo que para justificar las decisiones que toma a lo largo de la historia y que la llevan a la famosa “biblioteca de medianoche”, donde tiene la oportunidad de probar distintas versiones de su vida.
¿Te arrepientes de no haber aceptado ese café a esa persona en tal ocasión? Pues aquí tienes, vive esa vida y enterare de todo lo que te perdiste.
Interesante, ¿cierto? Sí, mucho. Es un concepto que pudo haberlo logrado de haber tenido una historia que valiera la pena leer.
Aquí quizás hayan spoilers o quizás no, en dado caso, leer con precaución.
La biblioteca de medianoche es un libro, plano, como lo es la vida de Nora. Así, sin más. Por momentos parece que lo intenta demasiado; intenta meterse en tu cabeza, intenta que sientas lo que Nora siente, te obliga a empatizar en lugar de permitirte conocerla y sacar tus propias conclusiones sobre ella. También —y esto es algo que me choco en muchas oportunidades—, trata al lector como si de un idiota se tratara, a ver, nuestra protagonista estudia filosofía y el escritor agota este hecho hasta más no poder. Citas de filósofos, explicaciones innecesarias, ser o no ser, vivir o no vivir, como Sócrates solía decir, Frost eligiendo el camino menos transitado y créeme, muchos, muchos más.
¿Es este un libro de autoayuda disfrazado de historia? Muy probablemente.
Es una lectura fácil, se lee en pocos días y desde un inicio te imaginas como acabará. Sirve para pasar el rato, aunque no es tan entretenido, pero hay que leer de todo en esta vida. De que otra manera sabrás que te gusta y que no te gusta, parafraseando un poco lo que escribió Camus en algún momento.
¿Lo recomendaría? No.
Una vez mas, sin contexto y sin sinopsis me lance a la lectura.
Nos encontramos a la protagonista Nora Seed, cuya vida es: plana, básicamente, pero no es plana en el sentido de rutinaria o monótona. No, la vida de nuestra protagonista es plana porque así lo decidió el autor, supongo que para justificar las decisiones que toma a lo largo de la historia y que la llevan a la famosa “biblioteca de medianoche”, donde tiene la oportunidad de probar distintas versiones de su vida.
¿Te arrepientes de no haber aceptado ese café a esa persona en tal ocasión? Pues aquí tienes, vive esa vida y enterare de todo lo que te perdiste.
Interesante, ¿cierto? Sí, mucho. Es un concepto que pudo haberlo logrado de haber tenido una historia que valiera la pena leer.
Aquí quizás hayan spoilers o quizás no, en dado caso, leer con precaución.
La biblioteca de medianoche es un libro, plano, como lo es la vida de Nora. Así, sin más. Por momentos parece que lo intenta demasiado; intenta meterse en tu cabeza, intenta que sientas lo que Nora siente, te obliga a empatizar en lugar de permitirte conocerla y sacar tus propias conclusiones sobre ella. También —y esto es algo que me choco en muchas oportunidades—, trata al lector como si de un idiota se tratara, a ver, nuestra protagonista estudia filosofía y el escritor agota este hecho hasta más no poder. Citas de filósofos, explicaciones innecesarias, ser o no ser, vivir o no vivir, como Sócrates solía decir, Frost eligiendo el camino menos transitado y créeme, muchos, muchos más.
¿Es este un libro de autoayuda disfrazado de historia? Muy probablemente.
Es una lectura fácil, se lee en pocos días y desde un inicio te imaginas como acabará. Sirve para pasar el rato, aunque no es tan entretenido, pero hay que leer de todo en esta vida. De que otra manera sabrás que te gusta y que no te gusta, parafraseando un poco lo que escribió Camus en algún momento.
¿Lo recomendaría? No.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
shanshantastic's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was an exquisite read - as someone who also loves with depression, I could feel Nora’s despair as everything in her life seemed to go wrong all at once. And I love the notion of the library, of the chance to try the roads not taken.
By the final chapters, I had a sense of what would happen. Still, Haig got there with beautiful prose that kept me listening until the last moments. And now I feel like writing new poetry of my own. Stunning, gorgeous book.
By the final chapters, I had a sense of what would happen. Still, Haig got there with beautiful prose that kept me listening until the last moments. And now I feel like writing new poetry of my own. Stunning, gorgeous book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Animal death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
mapbutch's review against another edition
2.5
I quite enjoyed the first half of this book. Cool concept and I liked the ways it got me thinking about my own life and choices. The protagonist was well developed as flawed but trying her best, which I appreciated.
The last third of the book, however, lost me.I hated that the "perfect life" was depicted as being a wife and mother, without any other aspect of that life being given attention or meaning. I imagine the author's intent in having her leave that life was to say that life wasn't perfect, but we didn'tactually see any way she was dissatisfied with it so it didn't work for me. The resulting ending felt trite and moralistic, and it had me rolling my eyes. YMMV, of course.
The last third of the book, however, lost me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt