Sixth book this year: THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig.
Really lovely read. Which is odd to say given that it starts with the protagonist, Nora, having such a miserable day in her incredibly disappointing life that she commits suicide.
But she wakes in an infinite library. Each book is an alternate universe version of her life where she had made different choices. She can jump into those other lives and experience what might have been.
And if she finds one that fits, she can stay and make that her REAL life and live it out to its end.
But if the life proves to have its own unacceptable flaws, she's transported back to the infinite library to choose again.
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Somehow, despite involving suicide, the novel isn't hopelessly depressing nor unpleasant. Nora's shitty day and state of mind is darkly comedic in a way, with Haig deftly walking the reader across an unusual emotional tightrope.
Each of Nora's alternate lives (Olympic champ! Rock star! Arctic researcher!) fill some hole her real life missed. But they also give her perspective to help her more fully understand her small/shitty/insignificant/failure life in pretty touching and profound and insightful ways.
---
Haig doesn't try too hard, doesn't really go for overly melodramatic schmaltz. Just strikes a lovely, reflective, and generally fun tone throughout. Despite the cosmic / quantum mechanics conceit, he has modest ambitions here (in a good way) and easily succeeds.
It's a book that demands reflection on one's own life. But isn't heavy-handed about it. And almost seems designed to NOT throw you into your own life re-evaluation crisis.
Haig could have punched way harder. But he chose instead to aim for palatable and enjoyable.
I think it was the right call, but totally fair if someone feels it was a missed opportunity to really examine the fuck out of life.
It's interesting. It's well done. It's an easy 6-7hr read. Definitely recommended.
Really lovely read. Which is odd to say given that it starts with the protagonist, Nora, having such a miserable day in her incredibly disappointing life that she commits suicide.
But she wakes in an infinite library. Each book is an alternate universe version of her life where she had made different choices. She can jump into those other lives and experience what might have been.
And if she finds one that fits, she can stay and make that her REAL life and live it out to its end.
But if the life proves to have its own unacceptable flaws, she's transported back to the infinite library to choose again.
---
Somehow, despite involving suicide, the novel isn't hopelessly depressing nor unpleasant. Nora's shitty day and state of mind is darkly comedic in a way, with Haig deftly walking the reader across an unusual emotional tightrope.
Each of Nora's alternate lives (Olympic champ! Rock star! Arctic researcher!) fill some hole her real life missed. But they also give her perspective to help her more fully understand her small/shitty/insignificant/failure life in pretty touching and profound and insightful ways.
---
Haig doesn't try too hard, doesn't really go for overly melodramatic schmaltz. Just strikes a lovely, reflective, and generally fun tone throughout. Despite the cosmic / quantum mechanics conceit, he has modest ambitions here (in a good way) and easily succeeds.
It's a book that demands reflection on one's own life. But isn't heavy-handed about it. And almost seems designed to NOT throw you into your own life re-evaluation crisis.
Haig could have punched way harder. But he chose instead to aim for palatable and enjoyable.
I think it was the right call, but totally fair if someone feels it was a missed opportunity to really examine the fuck out of life.
It's interesting. It's well done. It's an easy 6-7hr read. Definitely recommended.
3❤️1
