Cultural Dessert

'The Midnight Library' by Matt Haig

5 November 2021

Matt Haig’s novel ‘How to Stop Time’ (reviewed here in February 2018) had a great premise and was very enjoyable but felt like a short story expanded into a novel. Reading his 2020 novel ‘The Midnight Library’ I was reminded what an engaging writer he is but I also thought this was another missed opportunity for what could have been a more substantial story. In ‘The Midnight Library’ Norah Seed is frustrated by her life, weighed down by regrets and what-ifs, and considering ending it all. Suddenly she is transported to a magical library filled with books outlining all the lives she could have led if she had made different choices. Opening each book plunges her into an alternate version of herself - and leaves her having to quickly work out what and who she is supposed to know. This reminded me of the sudden-death role-play experienced by the narrator of Stuart Turton’s ‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ (reviewed here in April 2019) and of 'The Time Traveller's Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger (reviewed here in August 2006). ‘The Midnight Library’ is another take on Frank Capra’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’: the alternatives naturally make Norah begin to appreciate what she had in her original life and help her to find a way through her despair. You can imagine ‘The Midnight Library’ as a Richard Curtis film. The alternate realities are very entertaining and initially it’s a gripping read but I felt the narrative needed a few more twists to really take advantage of this inventive structure.

Labels: Books

posted by Robin Simpson @ 4:43 pm