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The novel focuses on Nora Seed, a thirty-five year old woman from Bedford, England. Not in heaven (dull) or hell (overdone) or purgatory (insert Lost joke), but in a library. Matt Haig's The Midnight Library tells the story of 35 year old Nora Seed, following the night she takes an overdose. As she comes to understand her loved ones better, she comes to forgive them more easily for their transgressions and the complications of their relationships. The Midnight Club will tug at your heartstrings and have you piecing together its mysteries all at the same time. The Midnight Library. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - Reading Guide: 9780525559474 - PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books The #1 New York Times bestselling WORLDWIDE phenomenon Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction | A Good Morning America Book Club Pick | Independent. Somewhere between life and death, Nora Seed finds herself wandering the marble hallways of a never-ending library; "The Midnight Library.". Chapters 32 35 (One Night in Longyearbyen, Expectation, Life and Death and the Quantum Wave Function, If Something Is Happening to Me, I Want to Be There). She explains to Mrs. Elm that she no longer feels anything when experiencing different versions of her life. Voltaire wasnt hit by a car. 5. Humans are fundamentally limited, generalizing creatures, living on auto-pilot, who straighten out curved streets in their minds, which explains why they get lost all the time. Advice for the relationships in your life and how to boost your own well-being. On a few occasions, the library experiences system issues that complicate Noras transfers in and out of lives. When Nora gives her talk, instead of speaking about the pursuit of success, she talks about what shes learned from the Midnight Library she says that success is a delusion, and she talks philosophically about the different paths life can take. She also tries a life where Volts was kept indoors to prevent it from being hit by a car, but learns the cat actually died of a health condition. Bestselling author Matt Haig's new book The Midnight Library explores themes of sadness and regret; Therapist Catherine Sweeney reviews; Perhaps it takes a clever author with their own mental health issues to write such a heartfelt yet entertaining novel about depression.In Matt Haig's wonderful new book The Midnight Library we follow the predicament of Nora Seed who, coming to the end of her . When Nora tests out becoming an Artic researcher, she meets a man Hugo Lefvre, who is also jumping between his alternate realities and has been doing so for a long time. Nora is now 35 and has been working at a local music store, String Theory, for nearly 13 years now. Meanwhile, String Theory has closed down, as was the case in the Dylan reality as well. Midnight Library is one of my favourite books I've ever read. While the outcome is predictable, the forays into philosophy are relatable and offer good jumping off points whether to general philosophical ideas or to personal introspection. Love Island's David on who is playing a game. As she passes by her elderly neighbor, Mr. Banerjee, he informs her of the good news that he no longer needs her to pick up his medicine, but it makes Nora feel superfluous as a person. He had been staunchly against her staying in the band. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance While the concept does fly high, it also flies straight. Certain that she now wants to live, Nora begs Mrs. Elm to help her get out. As Nora muses: It is quite a revelation to discover that the place you wanted to escape to is the exact same place you escaped from. The audience looks uncomfortable, but she sees that Ravi is smiling at her. He has no idea who Nora is and has never taken music lessons. Death is ever-present at Brightcliffe Manor, and it is received as an enemy, a so-called "living shadow" that hunts its prey. Nora heads there and sees that she has a flatmate named Jojo, a quirky conspiracy theorist, that she doesnt recognize. "She didn't want to die. 8. Also, in this reality, Nora is still close with Izzy, which makes her happy. He also says hes met others like them, each with their own venues (somewhere with emotional significance) and guides (someone who has helped them at an important time) to help them navigate their infinite lives. Nora finds a blank book, and begins to write. Mrs. Elm encourages Nora to try a less obvious life, saying that a more ordinary life can still lead to victory. If youre interested in alternate lives, or reincarnation, look into the work of the early 20th Century seer, Edgar Cayce. She thinks about the plants she helped water for him when he was in surgery. If Noras band had signed with a recording label, we learn, she would have made it big really big. For a short while it seems appealing, but it soon becomes clear that the relationship has problems which Nora does not feel compelled to take on. Word Count: 1083. The library is immense. date the date you are citing the material. As the night goes on, she notices how much Dan drinks and when they get into an argument, she learns that Dan has been unfaithful. "well plotted and richly populated" For the young Parisian Odile Souchet in the winter of 1939, working in the American Library in Paris sounds like her ideal job. I usually read three books at once and treat Goodreads . A simplicity to the narrative that has to be taken as a choice on Haig's part, not an accident. Tales From the Radiation Age is his latest book. Izzy has also responded back to her text and shes actually planning on moving back to the UK soon. When Nora is back in her original, she stumbles outside for help (post-overdoing) and soon wakes in a hospital. The world goes black. A woman named Nadia calls, and Nora is shocked to learn that her dad is alive. When presented with a chance to review The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, narrated by Carey Mulligan, I grabbed my earbuds and dove in. Afterwards, Nora is brought to a lavish suite to do an interview with two podcasters from O Som, the most popular music podcast in Brazil. Nora gets out of the pool and has no clue where she lives or what she does for a living. These books are portals to all the lives you could be living. What if she had never given up swimming, the sport her father was desperate for her to continue? The various things wrong with Nora's life emerge quite quickly. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. Should a savvy reader have seen it coming? The Midnight Library is the place where Nora gets to find out. The Library is falling apart, but Nora needs to find the book that represents her original life and write that story. Soon, the Library sparks and books start to catch on fire. Haigs response: Of course we would. If she is dissatisfied, she will automatically return to the library, at which point she can choose again. Overdose. 8. But what sucks a measure of the color and life from The Midnight Library is that Nora, as a character, doesn't really want anything. Nora ends up letting go of that life and returning to the Midnight Library as it is falling apart. Nora passes by String Theory and notes that it has closed not too long ago. Chapters 19 23 (Fish Tank, The Last Update That Nora Had Posted Before She Found Herself Between Life and Death, The Successful Life, Peppermint Tea, The Tree That Is Our Life). He also gently mentions that shes off-putting to customers and finally fires her. But in this new version of life, hes married to a woman he met at a swim meet, whom he left Noras mother for, likely accelerating the jilted womans death. In the days that follow, after shes released from the hospital, Nora mends her relationship with her brother and her best friend, and makes plans shes excited about. After meeting another "slider" (as those who can bounce around between multiverse possibilities are called), and discussing the pop-science implications of a multi-dimensional existence, Nora muses on her situation: [She] had read about multiverses and knew a bit about Gestalt psychology. Haig's novel is divided into 68 chapters. If you really want to live a life hard enough, you dont have to worry, Mrs. Elm tells her. In her mind, Nora marvels that Dan would be bored of her and cheating in one life, but practically obsessed with her in another. Nora then thinks about the grief she felt, of disappointing Izzy about their plan to move to Australia, about pulling out of the wedding. In the dining hall, there are about 17 other people. And her music student, Leo, ended up falling in with a bad crowd instead of discovering his aptitude for piano. Do you think by considering the ways in which our lives might have turned out differently our regrets truly go away, or do we simply learn to live with them? But here's the problem. The game is interrupted by a phone call with bad news for Nora. Mrs. Elm explains that her desire to live out her original life is causing the destruction. The story, then, forms solely around the lives she passes briefly through, the choices and their consequences. When she is released from the hospital, Nora visits the real Mrs. Elm in a care facility. What transpired was a magical story about Nora Seed. If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ($2, $3, or $5) or joining the Patreon! If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original That the prison wasnt the place, but the perspective.. The book is not one to be missed. Afterwards, Nadia is very happy to see her brother Joe and that they get along well. 2023 . She tries one where her cat was never allowed outside on the night of his death, one where she followed her swimming potential all the way to the Olympics, one where she moves to Australia with Izzy, one where she becomes a glaciologist, and one where she signs a record deal and becomes an international rock star. She is overwhelmed by her happiness but also plagued by the notion that this life is not hersit belongs to some other version of Nora, and she has taken it from her. On her way home, she spots Leo the boy she gave piano lessons to in her root life, calming his penchant for trouble in police custody. Nora then gets a call from Doreen, who is irritated. And finally she wakes, gasping, at home, summoning all her energy to ask her neighbor (Mr. The synopsis Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. Thats what Haig so beautifully demonstrates. Kirkus. Her relationships are in shambles and her cat is dead. Before long, things in Noras life start to turn around. The Midnight Library study guide contains a biography of Matt Haig, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. From there, Nora tests out a multitude of lives as a concert pianist, having a teenage son, as a travel vlogger, as a cat-sitter, as an aid worker and even coming across Hugo again. While Nora is in the library, the librarian reveals that she has the freedom to explore these alternate options in search of a more favorable reality. We tend to romanticize other variations of our lives we would have no cares in the world, if only we had done this and that differently. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. And who would be there? Mrs. Elm implies that these are a symptom of Noras health in her root life. The Midnight Library. Matt Haigs magical novel The Midnight Library is a tonic to anyone who tumbles down this rabbit hole of what-if thinking. Sign up for news about books, authors, and more from Penguin Random House, Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network. Nora learns that Ingrid took this research position after Per (presumably her husband) had died to get away from the memory of him. She drags herself to her neighbors door, and he calls an ambulance as she collapses before him. While talking with Raj, Lydia reminisces about her relationship with Gas 'n Donuts: "but her nostalgia for the place had never been strong enough to outweigh her dread of dredging up the past" (138). She is in a middle of a show in So Paulo, Brazil and Ravi is on-stage with her. When she finds herself excited again about living, things calm down. 'The Midnight Library' is unusual in that it follows a plot with no twists, no turns that don't feel like a gentle glide. In the depths of her wallowing, she comes across the Midnight Library. Instead, Nora feels like a fraud because she hasnt earned this life. Its 19 years before Nora Seed will someday decide to commit suicide. A woman is there, and she either is or resembles Mrs. Elm. Transported back to the library, Nora tries on a few different lives. Depression is a terrible illness, heaven knows; but I doubt whether any sufferer has ever experienced such an elaborate and fantastical treatment for it as the . It's about Nora, a young woman who decides she isn't cut out for. She was an aspiring glaciologist and a highly-rated competitive swimmer in her youth, as well as an accomplished musician in her twenties, but she allowed fear and anxiety to prevent any of these pursuits from coming to fruition. It turns out she would have made it to the Olympics, and her dad would still be alive (in her root life, he died young). Shed be very cold and almost eaten for lunch by a giant, menacing polar bear. date the date you are citing the material. In the library, Nora learns that the life she gave her cat was one of the best he could have experienced. Everything changes because of Anya's . And the magnitude of that is staggering, given that a life can be determined or redirected by a single event. Nora thinks about Dan, a man who worked in PR but had a dream of running a pub in the countryside. The Silent Patient ends with a major twist. Instead, Voltaire likely went outside to die because it didnt want Nora to see it die. As in the book that inspired it the Midnight Club is a gathering of terminally ill teens telling each other scary stories in front of the fire. As the library begins to disintegrate, signaling Noras waning existence, she must choose which life to commit to. This story is part of a series for people who have already read the book and want to think more deeply about the plot and ending. Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore (Sullivan) - Discussion Questions. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Mrs. Elm talks about her own regrets in life, how shes let people down and she thinks theyve given up on her. Remembering what Dylan had told her in another life, Nora goes to the Oak Leaf Residential Care Home to find Mrs. Elm, but instead she runs into Mr. Banerjee there. So she decides to die. After attempting to end her life, Nora wakes up in the Midnight Library: an immense space filled with shelves of books that stretch endlessly. With the help of Hugo Lefvre, a man she meets who is also jumping from life to life, Nora comes to understand the Midnight Library as a convenient trick of the brain. After some convincing, Nora agrees to try on an alternate life. And again, yes, they're presented that plainly. The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig. certain categories of personal information, discloses, sells, or shares certain personal information. Nora's life hasn't quite turned out the way she expected, and a series of events lead to suicide. Next, she asks to be taken into a reality where her version of Voltaire is an indoor cat, where she is a good cat owner and where he doesnt get hit by a car. A blending of traditional reincarnation and the Many Worlds theory. Ed. But its easier to buy when you recognize that all those other outcomes would have come with their own problems. With that, Nora finds herself in a life with Ash sleeping next to her. In this novel, Haig addresses weighty topics through a main character, Nora Seed, who attempts suicide and must explore what it means to live while in the gray area between life and death. What would've happened if she'd married her fiance rather than walking out two days before the wedding? Nora thinks about being 14 and a swimming star, winning two races at the National Junior Swimming Championships, until she gave it up. Later, we learn that Hugo experienced it as a video store, with a cherished uncle instead of a librarian. Ultimately, Haig gives Nora (and those of us following along with her) a straightforward path from suicide to closure, from regret to acceptance. When Doreen calls, Nora apologizes profusely about missing Leos lesson, but Doreen is just letting her know that Leo wants to continue his lessons. Back at the Library, Nora wonders why she stayed in Australia after Izzys death, and Mrs. Elm says she was depressed and grieving and got stuck there. His latest novel is The Midnight Library and the audiobook edition is read by Carey Mulligan. Elsewhere in the neighborhood, she sees the police arrest a boy for theft that turns out to be Leo. A human sees the world in three dimensions. I'd give it 0.5 stars for having a great cover, and really that's all thanks to Rafaela Romaya. Harper Avenue, 2020. The library offers her the chance to reflect on her life and her regrets and to try different lives, lives where she'd made different choices. Over a game of chess, the two muse about what it means to live a good life. The synopsis Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. Nora experienced it as a library because of the meaningful relationship she had with Mrs. Elm, her childhood school librarian. Shes greeted by her school librarian, Mrs. Elm, who was always kind to her. After the talk, Nora is transported back to the Midnight Library, having realized that the successful life is not one she wants either. Haig presents all of this as a straight line. 2. Contemplating her purposelessness in life, Nora texts her former best friend, Izzy (Isabel Hirsh), who lives in Australia now. Nora thinks about the many expensive instruments she did manage to sell in her original life. If she had become a glaciologist? The Midnight Library is a fantasy novel by Matt Haig, published on 13 August 2020 by Canongate Books. I like how it works with the concept of alternatives lives. This finale explores the truth behind Brightcliffe's troubled history via flashbacks, while in the present, there are emotional goodbyes and the Midnight Club members bring a . The two were close: Nora would often play chess with Mrs. Elm during breaks, and Mrs. Elm was the one who informed Nora of her fathers unexpected death in the middle of one school day. Really, it's a therapist simulator, minus the couch. Matt Haig age rating / The Midnight Library age rating = 16+ is ideal. Maybe you already knew that regret is a waste of time; I hear it constantly. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. Perhaps endless. Nora also tells Joe that she knows that he tried to go in after her the day she almost drowned when crossing the river, though Joe doesnt know how she knows it. " The Midnight Library ," by Matt Haig A library that contains an infinite number of books: talk about the dream. Photo by Ivo Rainha on Unsplash. Now that weve all read Where the Crawdads Sing, can we talk about the ending? Toward the end of the novel, Nora visits what is clearly the best alternative life: the one in which she says yes to the coffee date with Ash, the cute surgeon who pops up in her root life and then again in others. Yes, it really is that simple. Why a campaign to rename smear tests was rejected. The book weaves elements of science fiction and fantasy with philosophical contemplations on human mortality, happiness, and personal choice. Nora tries a life where she stayed in her band and became a famous rock star, but she learns that becoming famous lead to Joe dying from substance abuse. Do you think the role books played in the Midnight Library is similar to the role they play in your own life? eNotes Editorial. How is Lydia's relationship with the past presented, and how do you . Later, we learn that Huge experienced it as a video store, with a cherished uncle instead of a librarian. He realizes that he was dismissive of her panic attacks and it wasnt until Ewan got them, too, that he realized they were serious. Nora sees that her neighbor, whom she used to help out, ended up having to move to a care facility. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sounds like a wonderful book will be recommending it for book club next month. Next, Nora is transported into a life where she moved to Australia with Izzy, but finds out Izzy would have died in a car accident. As she is transported to Sydney, she senses she is in the water. The Midnight Library is different for each person who enters it. Spoiler warning: these summaries contains spoilers. Hes slightly drunk, and Nora realizes that she has recently dumped him. Mrs. Elm summons an appropriate book, and Nora is then transported into a life where she had doggedly pursued her swimming career. Haig also writes award-winning books for children . What is the setting of "Games at Twilight" by Anita Desai? "Every life contains many millions of decisions," says Mrs. Elm. Jojo tells her that Izzy died in a car crash. Not all of the parallel, or perpendicular, lives Nora tries on are so meaningful: In one, she argues with people on Twitter all day. As Nora realizes, It is not the lives we regret not living that are the real problem. The subsequent chapters tend to alternate between one of Nora's dream-lives and the library. Nora then tries becoming an Olympic swimming, only to find out she is depressed in that life, too. Shed still be there, but her friend would have died in a car accident. They are here to study climate change. Miss Manners: Uninvited colleague doesnt enjoy our lunchtime conversations. Nadia is her fathers second wife. Shes dissatisfied with her life. 1. Meanwhile, they talk about Noras her future and career plans. I was so engrossed in The Midnight Library that I stopped worrying about deadlines and small annoyances and bigger fears. Noras mother, Donna, had at one point had some type of breakdown that resulted in her never returning to work. This recap of the Netflix series The Midnight Club season 1, episode 10, "Midnight," the ending explained, contains spoilers. Even days later, when my mind darted to the would-have, should-have, could-haves, I was able to redirect. to call for help. This is where we begin, in Matt Haig's new novel, The Midnight Library: with a young woman on the verge of making a terrible choice. She meets and talks to Hugo Lefvre. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. eNotes.com, Inc. What if she had married her fiance, Dan, instead of calling off the wedding two days beforehand? Chapters 13 15 (Every Life Begins Now, The Three Horseshoes, The Penultimate Update Nora Had Posted Before She Found Herself Between Life and Death). Mrs. Elm recalls the games of chess that she used to play with Nora and how shed give up if she lost a few key pieces like her queen and whatnot, acting like the game was over and that her pawns and such were useless. Back at the Library, things are falling apart. This library is crammed full of books containing parallel lives she could have lived. And there's a deliberateness to it all. She eventually finds a life she's happy in, but in the process she learns that her original life had value.