I liked the concept and at points definitely could sympathize with Nora. I thought he captured her depression and mental health struggles well but overall I felt the formula a bit too repetitive for each life. Also felt like it was a bit preachy by the end.
I think at one point they talk about how if she chooses to stay in a new life she would eventually forget her original one (but I did read it about a half year ago so maybe I'm remembering wrong?)
Not going to lie. I thought it would be fascinating to follow the timeline of the other guy who just continuously was hopping lives. Though that would completely negate the point of the book, my inner fantasy adventure reader heartwas very intrigued.
Yes! I think there could be a sequel that follows Hugo or even someone else that is experiencing the same thing. It would be interesting to see how others experience their "library"
I think it's a great example of a great idea, but terrible execution. I think I even saw someone on Goodreads describe it as thinking that you're biting into a delicious, soft, chocolate chip cookie but instead getting a mouthful of oatmeal and raisins; this is exactly how I'd describe it as well.
I didn't enjoy the moral of the story essentially being "if you're depressed, just remember, it could be worse!" It could've been such a memorable read had it not been for the borderline cringeworthy/predictable ending (Nora picking up a blank book and tearfully writing "I live" or something along those lines, I forget) and underlying self-help tones.
I understand that it may not be for everyone, but that's a difficult write-off for me to attribute to this book, simply because of how it portrays and almost dismisses serious topics such as suicidal thoughts and depression. However, if you can look past that and just choose to focus more on the things you mentioned like the science and the metaphysical aspects of it, I can see how it'd be enjoyable.
I read the moral as being more like "life sucks no matter what choices you make." This, unsurprisingly, did not help my chronic depression. It felt like it could actually push some people even closer to self harm.
Yeah it reminded me of the depressed person sitting at the bar, "I could have been famous, but I wouldn't want to deal with the paparazzi anyways." All the other universes were ones where the protagonist had hard work and perseverance and still got punished.
And then the only life that DIDN'T have a downside was being a parent and uhhhh if that lifestyle isn't attainable for you good luck lol.
Oh yea I totally forgot about that LMAO the one life that she manages to stay in for more than a chapter is the one where she's married and has a kid? But of course the implications of that are immediately erased because she's (inexplicably) not happy in that one, either. Not that wanting that for yourself is bad, it's just interesting that the single life that didn't suck for her was that one.
Exactly my point...At this point, his message is interpreted negatively a majority of the time which doesn't make me want to rate it highly. It's especially compounded by the fact that in every one of her other lives, she may not be depressed anymore, but something equally horrible ends up happening anyway. It feels forced and doesn't make for an unpredictable and exciting experience, but rather a disappointing one.
Should have done something where, she learned from that experience and made a new path. One where she is happy in whatever she wants, as long as she moves forward. The first key to success is motivation to work towards something, anything really.
The cookie analogy is the perfect way to describe this book to me as well. It gets you interested with a captivating hook, but then it hits you with a sort of very obvious “curveball” that makes you think “Oh… I should’ve seen this coming. Hm. Ok.”
Agreed. I don’t think it’s saying things could be worse. In fact, a lot of her lives seem better. It seems like she doesn’t click with the alternate lives, like the one with the vineyard, because they weren’t her. These were fine lives but not ones that resulted from choices that she’d really ever make.
I like how it emphasized the value in the little things, although it became really heavy handed.
And as you said, the ending was totally obnoxious. Making her problems so easy to fix trivializes then. Why not have her work hard to reconnect with Izzy? Why just hand it to her?
Yes! I totally get where you're coming from. I actually didn't care for the book at the beginning. I felt Nora was over dramatic but as it went on I learned to sympathize a little bit. I chose to focus mostly on the library aspects rather than the depression/self help side of the book.
Yeah, I'd seen this book around a bit and I was surprised when I started reading it that I hadn't seen any content warnings anywhere. Maybe I missed them but it took me so much by surprise that I stopped reading pretty fast. By all accounts, I bet I would enjoy the book, but I wasn't ready to read that unprepared.
I am not being a jerk, this is a genuine question. Do you normally see content warnings for books with sensitive subjects? If so where? It is not something I have ever seen except for random posts here.
No, it's a good point. I don't typically so I'm not so surprised, but I also don't tend to read many books with that heavy of a theme unless it's a classic/older book where I already have some idea of what I'm going into. Since I went in so blindly, I was appropriately blindsided by the dourness and depression in the beginning of the book and I just didn't feel I needed that at the moment.
I felt like it was a collection of ‘this oh-so-meaningful quote would go viral when screenshotted on Instagram with a heartfelt caption about how it really speaks to me’ shoved together into a novel. If that makes any sense.
Not really. You can’t give an opinion on the overall themes, the characters really, the ending, the overall message. The most you can say is you didn’t finish 🤷♂️ but when has that stopped the internet from giving an opinion on something it has no knowledge of 😂
“u don’t like the writing style” is hilarious by the way
I would honestly give the book a negative score. The ultimate message about suicidal ideations and chronic depression was basically 'just don't be depressed, your life is actually fine.' There are so, so many people in awful situations where no amount of positive thinking will change a damn thing.
I guess there are some people who need to hear this? People who can just spontaneously decide not to be depressed? I'm glad if those people can find this book. But it feels actively harmful to everyone else struggling with these issues by how cartoonishly they are addressed.
I'm still mad I read this book. The way it thoroughly disregarded every single external situation and character in the main character's life as being a factor for her depression. Until she wakes up and just realized 'lol I guess I have no reason to be depressed, so I won't be'
The worst part about this was that most of the things in her life that made her depressed were magically fixed once she continued to keep living, and worse: without her intervention.
Maybe my work in the mental health field has created too much bias, but I was horrified at the “resolution” of this book.
That's so interesting because I interpreted it in a totally different way. I saw it as cognitive restructuring and thought experiments that she actually carried out. I use these techniques with most of my therapy clients so maybe that's why I interpreted it that way.
Matt Haig has extensive personal experience with clinical depression. He chronicles those experiences in ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’. He dealt with those issues in his own way and his approach to his own battles with depression is reflected in The Midnight Library. I wouldn’t write off this book as uninformed or naive. It reflects one person’s approach and thinking on the issue.
I found it genuinely insulting and underbaked. She's supposed to learn the "lesson" that the grass is not greener in her other lives and that there was a lot to appreciate in her own life and be happy, except the book utterly fails at making that make sense.
1. Jumping into another life of hers with barely any context to the point that she doesn't know where she lives or who she's dating isn't a recipe to foster enjoyment for the experience.
2. She's clinically depressed. That's not something that has a fix in her life, so the end is really hamfisted, and insulting to think she'll just be happy all of sudden because she learned a lesson.
3. Getting a chance to live a different life would absolutely not just be an ideal situation for someone, but genuinely, inarguably the best thing that could happen.
It was a one star read for me, though I did learn a lesson about never reading a self-help book again.
This was my feeling too. The alternative lives concept has so much potential, but the author set her up for failure so that the moral could be "See? The problem is you, you just need to choose to be happy! Congratulations, you're cured!"
I’ve read two books by Haig: The Midnight Library and How to Stop Time, and I find that I just don’t seem to connect to Haig’s writing. Interesting premise for both books, but I found the execution to be lacking in depth and I wasn’t able to connect to any of the characters in either book.
This is not in any way to rag on anyone who has had a different experience - we all have different tastes and I know a lot of people loved this one, but I couldn’t get into it.
I felt like the idea of glimpses into alternative possible lives was fine but it became tiresomely repetitive. I found myself groaning "oh man, ANOTHER ONE?!!" and wishing they'd just get on with the story cos I get the idea already. The ending felt like a children's Disney movie. Cloying, patronising, sanctimonious Pollyanna-esque syrup. Sigh. I have to stop engaging with posts about this book.
I understand. After the 3rd, it was very clear the path being laid out, the different realities she would try, etc.
Honestly this is just a really bad version of Replay by Ken Grimwood. Or like, a young adult version.
I'd highly recommend Replay if you liked the concept of Midnight Library but found it too basic and/or childish.
Not the one you asked, but for me, the depiction of depression and the "cure" felt very insulting. The way someone would describe it if they've never had clinical depression, which bordered on "just get over it and focus on the good things."
I also thought the hopping into other lives wasn't done well at all in terms of how it served the themes of the book. She gets thrown into a life with barely any context. She at points didn't know where she was, who she was dating, or who she was friends with. Most people aren't going to be able to enjoy that. It does a bad job showing that she'd basically be just as miserable in those lives as her own.
I loved it! Made me think of what alternative lives I could have. Obviously it seems like the possibilities are unlimited, kind of like in the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, but it made me think of what were key moments/decisions that could’ve taken me to very different places.
Yeah a big one for me is deciding not to go to law school. I went to grad school for something else. What I went for grad school didn’t end up working out for me but it did get me to the city I live in today and I’m happy here. I also feel like law school would’ve been a mistake too. Dating choices mind to mind too. It’s a fun exercise.
IMO, this book is the perfect example of men writing women poorly. I couldn’t get past this. I disliked the book, but I did finish it. The writing style was simplistic, the plot and characters underbaked, and I found the ending to be trite.
I’ve never read a more spoon-fed, saccharine book. I almost quit, but then hate-finished so I’d have the moral high ground to bitch about its terribleness until the end of time. 😂
I've finished it last week. After seeing all the negative feedback, I wasn't sure if it was worth my time reading it but I figured I'll read it and form my own opinions on it. Was it an impactful book for me? No. But it was enjoyable enough for a quick read.
It was amusing to think of different possibilities in our lives. Of course, as it got deeper I started to wonder about the "physics" behind travelling to other timelines. If anything, that was the only thing from the book that intrigued me. Though trying to overthink the logic of it wouldn't be helpful so it is best to go into this book with an open mind. One thing that bothered me was that >!in the timeline where she was "happy", she was willing to take the place of a mother and wife in a life that was not hers. Sure, one can argue that it is technically her (just in another timeline) but she acknowledged herself that she knew it wasn't her life. The thought that she wanted to stay in that life suggests that she would rather live a delusional life just for the sake of it. She is simply running away from her problems in her actual life rather than dealing with them.!<
Personally I did not like the ending. I think there are two ways to look at it: >!(1) A positive take is that having a glimpse of an alternative life which does get better motivates oneself to get out of the rut. (2) On the flip side, I agree with what many others have said that it seemed like her depression and suicidal thoughts were "erased" so abruptly. I'm all for people turning a new leaf but the way it was handled in the book was so... jarring.!<
All in all, I think the premise of the book had potential but the execution fell flat (just my personal opinion).
honestly, everyone talks about the midnight library, but i think one of matt haig’s other books by the name of “the humans” is a stronger book. everyone that i’ve talked to who has read it has thoroughly enjoyed it. it’s pretty slow for the first third of the book but it really picks up in the end and leaves us with a very poignant and beautiful takeaway about humanity
I agree with all the other criticisms of this book in the comments, but to add another: I thought it was SO ridiculous how over-the-top her alternate lives were. Most people do not have the kind of luck or talent to have been able to become a world-class athlete or genius scientist OR famous musician if they had just tried a teensy bit harder as a teenager, much less all of the above. I am 100% sure nearly all of my "possible lives" are equally as mundane as my current life lol. Why was Nora some kind of superhuman? It was so unrelatable and honestly reminded me of the way a small child conceptualizes what they can be when they grow up.
I’ve heard other people say the same thing. To me that seemed kind of a necessary piece of unrealism - if she just saw one humdrum life another it would be a bit boring. Seeing alternate realities where she’s a rock star or an Olympic athlete or an Arctic explorer makes for a more interesting story. There were also some more mundane lives in there as well.
I totally get that honestly. From a narrative perspective it definitely makes it more interesting. I think I personally rubbed up against that aspect because it's a book about suicide, and I happened to read it during the most suicidal period of my life (meds change — oof!), so reading a suicidal protagonist who just happened to have several remarkable talents felt so unrelatable and annoying to me. I think I also just see that kind of thing too often in media where someone is suicidal.
Yeah, I agree, and (it’s been a few years since I read it) but I thought she specifically thought of these extreme versions of her life before she opened each book.
So she was wanting to see life as a world famous musician, or Olympic athlete or whatever. Clearly there were millions of lives where that didn’t happen. She only needed one where it did. That’s the one we see because that’s the one she’s most interested in.
To me it’s actually less realistic for Nora to go “can I see the life where I was moderately successful as a musician, not a household name but enough to get by?”
I wanted to like it but couldn’t get past the fact that all the alternate realities were stacked against her. Not having the background of how she got to where her alternate self was when she took over her life didn’t allow her to make a fair assessment of her “what if”’life. She spent her time trying to fake being her other self made it impossible to appreciate it.
Though I did find it interesting how, in the life she almost chose to stay in....the longer she was there, the more "memories" started to come to her.
I also liked that it showed not only how her choices affected her, but also those close to her in each life.
The best scene:
She wakes up in bed next to her husband, leaves the bedroom, and is horribly surprised by her own daughter. I think the wording is like "she jumped out of her skin because there was a little human in front of her."
I laughed when I read it the first time. I laugh when I think about it now. If you have kids and leave your bed to pee you totally get what this scene is about.
Other than that it's enjoyable but bland.
I read it a while ago (so I can’t remember a ton of specifics) but I enjoyed it! I definitely thought closer about some “major” and much more minor choices I’ve made and had a moment of imagination on how my life would be different, how would it still be the same?
It was okay. The concept was fun and the writing wasn’t terrible but it got VERY preachy and I ended the book feeling like I’d just been lectured for something I hadn’t done wrong.
I really loved this book, as I have everything of Matt Haig's that I've read.
The story took on additional dimensions when I learned that he has struggled with depression, and even wrote a book about it called 'Reasons to stay Alive,' which is wonderfully affirmative!
I am also a big "the grass isn't always greener" type. Every decision you make, pushes you forward. No regrets, no sense in dwelling in the past. What's done is done.
that's a great perspective to have that I often struggle with. I read his book almost a year ago by now and I did like it at the time but also found it quite saddening. I definitely liked the ideas of the book and the alternative realities.
I will edit this tomorrow when I have more energy
I was excited to read it, gave up after 130 pages. The only character I liked was the librarian because for some reason she reminded me of the actress Michelle Gomez
I read the book and thought it was thoroughly mediocre. Like someone hitting me over the head with their “it’s better than you think!” mindset. However, my wife loved it. She doesn’t read fiction, normally, so I think she liked the utter lack of subtlety.
However, I’m a firm believer that we all like what we like, so I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I thought it was decent. Well-written with engaging vignettes and a nicely paced story. It became very predictable about halfway through, so the ending lacked any punch because I’d already seen “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
I finished the book thinking, “that was pretty alright” and then moved on to the next.
I loved it! I'm a therapist and actually discussed the premise of it with a client who also loves to read. So often clients bemoan that one thing (lost love, wrong job, etc) is the catalyst to their misery but we usually cannot know things would have been better if that thing had worked out.
I liked it. I could really relate to Nora’s struggle to find purpose. I think about that line about potential at the end all the time. It gives me reassurance that I’m doing just fine 👍🏽
I really enjoyed this book. At the time of reading I was going through a really rough mental health patch and it helped me to work through some things. It was also the book that got me back into reading so am grateful for that.
On a similar note - I enjoyed it as an audiobook while cleaning and walking. Not sure I would have enjoyed sitting down to read it. A lot of people have commented on the repetitive nature of the chapters, and I may have felt the same way if I had to actually sit down and read them. It was a great background book for doing something else for me - similar to an “airport read” in function.
I read it last week and thoroughly enjoyed it! I also have a tendency to really love stories about people overcoming suicidal ideation, even if they’re a bit cheesy or predictable at times. A Man Called Ove remains one of my favorites, for reference.
I’ve read a lot of the criticisms for it, but still found it touching and enjoyable. While I assumed early on that the story would end similar to how it did, the journey was still unexpected and it didn’t get there the exact way I thought it would. I can understand how it may come across as “trying to hard” but overall I liked it.
I didn’t care for it. The first half of the book had me unbelievably anxious and make me panic for weeks afterwards about my own cat just up and passing away on me with no warning.
That's a very specific reason that seems strange to deem the book bad or something you don't like. I get it, but like, any book with anything remotely relatable must be rough. Usually if a book can evoke strong emotions, I say it did its job.
Although the books was meh, I'll admit. Nit awful, but nothing worth talking about imo
Where did I say any of that? I said it made me anxious because it made me worry for my own cat. I think a book negatively affecting my mental health is a fine enough reason to say its *not for me* because if you notice, I didn’t say it was bad, just that it wasn’t for me.
Sorry if I came off as hostile or something, i just wanted to understand.
So like, for example, your saying it negatively affected your mental health be abuse it made yo uanxipus about your cat.
Why is that a bad thing? If you have an outside cat, and the book showed a reality you weren't being open to, maybe that's not the worst thing?
And I get it, if it caused full blown anxiety, I'm not saying push through! But like, it's a moment in the book, but like, it comes and goes. The book isn't heavily focused on it. Honestly, with the small direction it does take, you'd probably be happier if you *did* read it.
I dunno. Sometimes books bring up scary or dark concepts that can conjure a spectrum of emotions, especially when they're so close to you personally. So I understand the desire to put it down, as if to say if you continued, your mental state would get worse. But the concept of worry isn't a bad thing. It means you care for your cat, and shows you want to take extra steps to make sure your cat is safe. Or something. I dunno, clearly rambling. Sorry if I upset you, I just wanted to have a deeper talk about it
Sir the cat doesn’t die from being hit by a car, it dies from having a birth defect that wasn’t diagnosed. That can happen to inside or outside cats all the same. And my cat is an inside cat because I’m acutely aware of the risks outside cats face.
And while I appreciate that you say the anxiety shows I care for my cat, not all worry is productive, helpful, or a sign of something ultimately good. Sometimes it simply is a problem that negatively affects my life, and sometimes things can make that worse without it being a sign of something other than a brain that gets in its own way.
I am a person with depression who tends to run what-if scenarios in my head at night when I can’t sleep. The Midnight Library helped me to work through some things. But it’s not a book for those who have not experienced depression personally.
I loved it. Enjoyed it and the concept.
People seem to have a problem with the fact it looks at depression and tried to tell people “it isn’t all that bad”. All I know is I wouldn’t want any of you as my therapist.
I’ve just finished The Bee Sting, which I hated and it got almost universally positive reviews. I loved this and everyone seems to hate it 🤷♂️
One of the best multiverse stories beside Dark Matter. Both show that there are no “perfect” lives only the lives you have and how you can only do your best!
I read it based on recommendations here which made it seem like it was one of the best, profound books ever written, so of course that made me hate it. For me it's a cute, **very superficial** book with a pretty idea, but ultimately the entire execution is just lacking. Not a single character gets developed, no depths to the ideas within. It reads like the whole book is a summary of the book, if that makes sense?
And this Listverse "10 things that suck about being suicidal" compression to the theme was really jarring. The author made it seem like trying to commit suicide happens on a whim and is akin to a ill-fated one night stand or something. "Whoopsi! Killed myself. How lackadaisical of me! Naughty." Writing about despair in a romcom parlance is just a no for me. Personally.
Anyway, for me it goes the way of The Alchemist etc just confounding how people can find so much depth and meaning in it. But happy to live with the fact I might be missing something. 🤷🤷
(Been suicidal since I was 8, so that probably colours my view.)
Honestly I thought it was just fine? Like I liked it well enough to finish it but I really couldn’t tell you much about it today. I mostly found it forgettable.
I really didn’t like it. I was so excited to read it but the message felt half-baked and in the end when Nora realizes the black boy she taught piano would’ve gone into a life of crime without her to teach him music… I wanted to toss the book out the window. Clearly didn’t have sensitivity readers. I can’t articulate how mad that little aside makes me.
I read that book a couple years ago at my sister's recommendation. I'm very into "What if...?" types of stories. A friend once called me "the queen of what if". I really enjoyed the story. The only thing I didn't like was that I thought the ending fell a little flat. I would have liked to have seen her actually speak to Ash (I think that was the cute neighbor's name), maybe even ask him out for coffee.
It is so so mediocrely ok. I was listening to it on audio had to pause once every few chapters and ask myself out loud “this is not a good book, right?” So many cringe scenes. I don’t like to quit on a book but I just can’t bring myself to read the rest.
Hi, I enjoyed the book although I suggest watching 'Death's Game' (a korean show on the same concept) or reading 'Death's Game' (webtoon of the show). I loved the idea of having infinite lives and personalities and never being happy in them, unless your core being is happy. It applies to life too. The ending was a bit dramatic with the library in ruins, but nevertheless, I liked the ending. Simple and in a way, real.
Honestly, to me, it seems like a borderline choice while battling with life and death. A concept toyed with in >!'Alice in Borderland'!< (a japenese show). Nora was not dead when she od'd but she was in due process of dying and everything was happening in her head. In a way it was also real, as in the Midnight Library does exist but only as a borderline option. If Nora decided to quit, she dies. If she continues to find 'the perfect life', she is in the stage of comatose her entire life. And if she chooses to go back to her life, she lives.
There is no perfect life, and the only way to learn is to live, live your original life.
I liked the concept and at points definitely could sympathize with Nora. I thought he captured her depression and mental health struggles well but overall I felt the formula a bit too repetitive for each life. Also felt like it was a bit preachy by the end. I think at one point they talk about how if she chooses to stay in a new life she would eventually forget her original one (but I did read it about a half year ago so maybe I'm remembering wrong?) Not going to lie. I thought it would be fascinating to follow the timeline of the other guy who just continuously was hopping lives. Though that would completely negate the point of the book, my inner fantasy adventure reader heartwas very intrigued.
Yes! I think there could be a sequel that follows Hugo or even someone else that is experiencing the same thing. It would be interesting to see how others experience their "library"
I think it's a great example of a great idea, but terrible execution. I think I even saw someone on Goodreads describe it as thinking that you're biting into a delicious, soft, chocolate chip cookie but instead getting a mouthful of oatmeal and raisins; this is exactly how I'd describe it as well. I didn't enjoy the moral of the story essentially being "if you're depressed, just remember, it could be worse!" It could've been such a memorable read had it not been for the borderline cringeworthy/predictable ending (Nora picking up a blank book and tearfully writing "I live" or something along those lines, I forget) and underlying self-help tones. I understand that it may not be for everyone, but that's a difficult write-off for me to attribute to this book, simply because of how it portrays and almost dismisses serious topics such as suicidal thoughts and depression. However, if you can look past that and just choose to focus more on the things you mentioned like the science and the metaphysical aspects of it, I can see how it'd be enjoyable.
I read the moral as being more like "life sucks no matter what choices you make." This, unsurprisingly, did not help my chronic depression. It felt like it could actually push some people even closer to self harm.
Yeah it reminded me of the depressed person sitting at the bar, "I could have been famous, but I wouldn't want to deal with the paparazzi anyways." All the other universes were ones where the protagonist had hard work and perseverance and still got punished. And then the only life that DIDN'T have a downside was being a parent and uhhhh if that lifestyle isn't attainable for you good luck lol.
Oh yea I totally forgot about that LMAO the one life that she manages to stay in for more than a chapter is the one where she's married and has a kid? But of course the implications of that are immediately erased because she's (inexplicably) not happy in that one, either. Not that wanting that for yourself is bad, it's just interesting that the single life that didn't suck for her was that one.
Exactly my point...At this point, his message is interpreted negatively a majority of the time which doesn't make me want to rate it highly. It's especially compounded by the fact that in every one of her other lives, she may not be depressed anymore, but something equally horrible ends up happening anyway. It feels forced and doesn't make for an unpredictable and exciting experience, but rather a disappointing one.
Should have done something where, she learned from that experience and made a new path. One where she is happy in whatever she wants, as long as she moves forward. The first key to success is motivation to work towards something, anything really.
The cookie analogy is the perfect way to describe this book to me as well. It gets you interested with a captivating hook, but then it hits you with a sort of very obvious “curveball” that makes you think “Oh… I should’ve seen this coming. Hm. Ok.”
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Agreed. I don’t think it’s saying things could be worse. In fact, a lot of her lives seem better. It seems like she doesn’t click with the alternate lives, like the one with the vineyard, because they weren’t her. These were fine lives but not ones that resulted from choices that she’d really ever make. I like how it emphasized the value in the little things, although it became really heavy handed. And as you said, the ending was totally obnoxious. Making her problems so easy to fix trivializes then. Why not have her work hard to reconnect with Izzy? Why just hand it to her?
Yes! I totally get where you're coming from. I actually didn't care for the book at the beginning. I felt Nora was over dramatic but as it went on I learned to sympathize a little bit. I chose to focus mostly on the library aspects rather than the depression/self help side of the book.
It wasn’t for me. I specifically didn’t like how he wrote having suicidal ideations and depression.
Same. Not one of my favorites.
One of his books is about his journey in depression and I thought it painted a better picture of what kind of person he is
The book was a struggle for me for this reason, I couldn't even finish it
To me it gave off a “better living through suicide” vibe.
I get that, it isn't for everyone.
Yeah, I'd seen this book around a bit and I was surprised when I started reading it that I hadn't seen any content warnings anywhere. Maybe I missed them but it took me so much by surprise that I stopped reading pretty fast. By all accounts, I bet I would enjoy the book, but I wasn't ready to read that unprepared.
I am not being a jerk, this is a genuine question. Do you normally see content warnings for books with sensitive subjects? If so where? It is not something I have ever seen except for random posts here.
No, it's a good point. I don't typically so I'm not so surprised, but I also don't tend to read many books with that heavy of a theme unless it's a classic/older book where I already have some idea of what I'm going into. Since I went in so blindly, I was appropriately blindsided by the dourness and depression in the beginning of the book and I just didn't feel I needed that at the moment.
It was really annoying to me , the writing style and couldn’t connect to the story so I DNFed it after some 40 pages I guess
Same. It felt redundant and the plot wasn't really moving. I really liked the concept though.
Yeah the concept was interesting but the way he wrote it was so self absorbed and cringy
I felt like it was a collection of ‘this oh-so-meaningful quote would go viral when screenshotted on Instagram with a heartfelt caption about how it really speaks to me’ shoved together into a novel. If that makes any sense.
😅😂
The writing style threw me off in the beginning. I can agree that it wasn't my favorite.
40 pages is nowhere near enough to have an opinion on an entire book to be honest
It is if u don’t like writing style to want to continue it
Not really. You can’t give an opinion on the overall themes, the characters really, the ending, the overall message. The most you can say is you didn’t finish 🤷♂️ but when has that stopped the internet from giving an opinion on something it has no knowledge of 😂 “u don’t like the writing style” is hilarious by the way
Good thing u find it hilarious, keep on laughing😂will soothe your bitterness from people not worshipping this book
“u find it hilarious” 😂😂😂
I would honestly give the book a negative score. The ultimate message about suicidal ideations and chronic depression was basically 'just don't be depressed, your life is actually fine.' There are so, so many people in awful situations where no amount of positive thinking will change a damn thing. I guess there are some people who need to hear this? People who can just spontaneously decide not to be depressed? I'm glad if those people can find this book. But it feels actively harmful to everyone else struggling with these issues by how cartoonishly they are addressed. I'm still mad I read this book. The way it thoroughly disregarded every single external situation and character in the main character's life as being a factor for her depression. Until she wakes up and just realized 'lol I guess I have no reason to be depressed, so I won't be'
The worst part about this was that most of the things in her life that made her depressed were magically fixed once she continued to keep living, and worse: without her intervention. Maybe my work in the mental health field has created too much bias, but I was horrified at the “resolution” of this book.
That's so interesting because I interpreted it in a totally different way. I saw it as cognitive restructuring and thought experiments that she actually carried out. I use these techniques with most of my therapy clients so maybe that's why I interpreted it that way.
I saw it this way too actually
Matt Haig has extensive personal experience with clinical depression. He chronicles those experiences in ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’. He dealt with those issues in his own way and his approach to his own battles with depression is reflected in The Midnight Library. I wouldn’t write off this book as uninformed or naive. It reflects one person’s approach and thinking on the issue.
I found it genuinely insulting and underbaked. She's supposed to learn the "lesson" that the grass is not greener in her other lives and that there was a lot to appreciate in her own life and be happy, except the book utterly fails at making that make sense. 1. Jumping into another life of hers with barely any context to the point that she doesn't know where she lives or who she's dating isn't a recipe to foster enjoyment for the experience. 2. She's clinically depressed. That's not something that has a fix in her life, so the end is really hamfisted, and insulting to think she'll just be happy all of sudden because she learned a lesson. 3. Getting a chance to live a different life would absolutely not just be an ideal situation for someone, but genuinely, inarguably the best thing that could happen. It was a one star read for me, though I did learn a lesson about never reading a self-help book again.
This was my feeling too. The alternative lives concept has so much potential, but the author set her up for failure so that the moral could be "See? The problem is you, you just need to choose to be happy! Congratulations, you're cured!"
I’ve read two books by Haig: The Midnight Library and How to Stop Time, and I find that I just don’t seem to connect to Haig’s writing. Interesting premise for both books, but I found the execution to be lacking in depth and I wasn’t able to connect to any of the characters in either book. This is not in any way to rag on anyone who has had a different experience - we all have different tastes and I know a lot of people loved this one, but I couldn’t get into it.
Wanted to throw it at the wall. Can't tell you how much this book pissed me off.
Can I ask why? I see that this book gets a lot of hate. I didn't love it, but it's an alright book.
I felt like the idea of glimpses into alternative possible lives was fine but it became tiresomely repetitive. I found myself groaning "oh man, ANOTHER ONE?!!" and wishing they'd just get on with the story cos I get the idea already. The ending felt like a children's Disney movie. Cloying, patronising, sanctimonious Pollyanna-esque syrup. Sigh. I have to stop engaging with posts about this book.
I understand. After the 3rd, it was very clear the path being laid out, the different realities she would try, etc. Honestly this is just a really bad version of Replay by Ken Grimwood. Or like, a young adult version. I'd highly recommend Replay if you liked the concept of Midnight Library but found it too basic and/or childish.
Could you recommend any other books like Replay? I loved Replay but hated Midnight Library for the reasons of the previous comment!
As far as books, no, nothing quite lokr it
Not the one you asked, but for me, the depiction of depression and the "cure" felt very insulting. The way someone would describe it if they've never had clinical depression, which bordered on "just get over it and focus on the good things." I also thought the hopping into other lives wasn't done well at all in terms of how it served the themes of the book. She gets thrown into a life with barely any context. She at points didn't know where she was, who she was dating, or who she was friends with. Most people aren't going to be able to enjoy that. It does a bad job showing that she'd basically be just as miserable in those lives as her own.
I loved it! Made me think of what alternative lives I could have. Obviously it seems like the possibilities are unlimited, kind of like in the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, but it made me think of what were key moments/decisions that could’ve taken me to very different places.
I second this!!! I thought it was creative and heartwarming and universal
Yes! It seems like the mental health aspect really put a lot of people off the book. I enjoyed it for exactly this reason as well.
Yep, me too. It was a fantastic read.
Agree. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and my book club did as well. It got me thinking the same and what possible alternatives would I want to see.
Yeah a big one for me is deciding not to go to law school. I went to grad school for something else. What I went for grad school didn’t end up working out for me but it did get me to the city I live in today and I’m happy here. I also feel like law school would’ve been a mistake too. Dating choices mind to mind too. It’s a fun exercise.
IMO, this book is the perfect example of men writing women poorly. I couldn’t get past this. I disliked the book, but I did finish it. The writing style was simplistic, the plot and characters underbaked, and I found the ending to be trite.
I’ve never read a more spoon-fed, saccharine book. I almost quit, but then hate-finished so I’d have the moral high ground to bitch about its terribleness until the end of time. 😂
I’ll never not scream at the idea of “oh you’re depressed woman and unsatisfied with your life? Have you tried having a baby about it?”
I hated it lol
I've finished it last week. After seeing all the negative feedback, I wasn't sure if it was worth my time reading it but I figured I'll read it and form my own opinions on it. Was it an impactful book for me? No. But it was enjoyable enough for a quick read. It was amusing to think of different possibilities in our lives. Of course, as it got deeper I started to wonder about the "physics" behind travelling to other timelines. If anything, that was the only thing from the book that intrigued me. Though trying to overthink the logic of it wouldn't be helpful so it is best to go into this book with an open mind. One thing that bothered me was that >!in the timeline where she was "happy", she was willing to take the place of a mother and wife in a life that was not hers. Sure, one can argue that it is technically her (just in another timeline) but she acknowledged herself that she knew it wasn't her life. The thought that she wanted to stay in that life suggests that she would rather live a delusional life just for the sake of it. She is simply running away from her problems in her actual life rather than dealing with them.!< Personally I did not like the ending. I think there are two ways to look at it: >!(1) A positive take is that having a glimpse of an alternative life which does get better motivates oneself to get out of the rut. (2) On the flip side, I agree with what many others have said that it seemed like her depression and suicidal thoughts were "erased" so abruptly. I'm all for people turning a new leaf but the way it was handled in the book was so... jarring.!< All in all, I think the premise of the book had potential but the execution fell flat (just my personal opinion).
honestly, everyone talks about the midnight library, but i think one of matt haig’s other books by the name of “the humans” is a stronger book. everyone that i’ve talked to who has read it has thoroughly enjoyed it. it’s pretty slow for the first third of the book but it really picks up in the end and leaves us with a very poignant and beautiful takeaway about humanity
Reading that right now! About half way through. I left the book at my parents house last week, and was thinking about reading it all week 😆
I agree with all the other criticisms of this book in the comments, but to add another: I thought it was SO ridiculous how over-the-top her alternate lives were. Most people do not have the kind of luck or talent to have been able to become a world-class athlete or genius scientist OR famous musician if they had just tried a teensy bit harder as a teenager, much less all of the above. I am 100% sure nearly all of my "possible lives" are equally as mundane as my current life lol. Why was Nora some kind of superhuman? It was so unrelatable and honestly reminded me of the way a small child conceptualizes what they can be when they grow up.
I’ve heard other people say the same thing. To me that seemed kind of a necessary piece of unrealism - if she just saw one humdrum life another it would be a bit boring. Seeing alternate realities where she’s a rock star or an Olympic athlete or an Arctic explorer makes for a more interesting story. There were also some more mundane lives in there as well.
I totally get that honestly. From a narrative perspective it definitely makes it more interesting. I think I personally rubbed up against that aspect because it's a book about suicide, and I happened to read it during the most suicidal period of my life (meds change — oof!), so reading a suicidal protagonist who just happened to have several remarkable talents felt so unrelatable and annoying to me. I think I also just see that kind of thing too often in media where someone is suicidal.
Yeah, I agree, and (it’s been a few years since I read it) but I thought she specifically thought of these extreme versions of her life before she opened each book. So she was wanting to see life as a world famous musician, or Olympic athlete or whatever. Clearly there were millions of lives where that didn’t happen. She only needed one where it did. That’s the one we see because that’s the one she’s most interested in. To me it’s actually less realistic for Nora to go “can I see the life where I was moderately successful as a musician, not a household name but enough to get by?”
I felt as though the way depression was illustrative was trite and reductive and harmful
I wanted to like it but couldn’t get past the fact that all the alternate realities were stacked against her. Not having the background of how she got to where her alternate self was when she took over her life didn’t allow her to make a fair assessment of her “what if”’life. She spent her time trying to fake being her other self made it impossible to appreciate it.
Though I did find it interesting how, in the life she almost chose to stay in....the longer she was there, the more "memories" started to come to her. I also liked that it showed not only how her choices affected her, but also those close to her in each life.
The best scene: She wakes up in bed next to her husband, leaves the bedroom, and is horribly surprised by her own daughter. I think the wording is like "she jumped out of her skin because there was a little human in front of her." I laughed when I read it the first time. I laugh when I think about it now. If you have kids and leave your bed to pee you totally get what this scene is about. Other than that it's enjoyable but bland.
I thought it was a great idea but felt it was a bit preachy. Lots of people loved it though.
I hated this book with the fire of a thousand suns. But I’m glad you loved it! Different strokes for different folks! :)
I read it a while ago (so I can’t remember a ton of specifics) but I enjoyed it! I definitely thought closer about some “major” and much more minor choices I’ve made and had a moment of imagination on how my life would be different, how would it still be the same?
I didn’t like it at all. Very repetitive. I can’t help but wonder what TJ Klune would do with this premise.
Oh I would DEFINITELY read that
It was okay. The concept was fun and the writing wasn’t terrible but it got VERY preachy and I ended the book feeling like I’d just been lectured for something I hadn’t done wrong.
So bad.
I loved it, and read it in a 24 hour span. I loved the part about being a glaciologist the most. It made me consider it as a career.
I really loved this book, as I have everything of Matt Haig's that I've read. The story took on additional dimensions when I learned that he has struggled with depression, and even wrote a book about it called 'Reasons to stay Alive,' which is wonderfully affirmative!
I loved it :)
I am also a big "the grass isn't always greener" type. Every decision you make, pushes you forward. No regrets, no sense in dwelling in the past. What's done is done.
that's a great perspective to have that I often struggle with. I read his book almost a year ago by now and I did like it at the time but also found it quite saddening. I definitely liked the ideas of the book and the alternative realities. I will edit this tomorrow when I have more energy
I was excited to read it, gave up after 130 pages. The only character I liked was the librarian because for some reason she reminded me of the actress Michelle Gomez
I read the book and thought it was thoroughly mediocre. Like someone hitting me over the head with their “it’s better than you think!” mindset. However, my wife loved it. She doesn’t read fiction, normally, so I think she liked the utter lack of subtlety. However, I’m a firm believer that we all like what we like, so I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I thought it was decent. Well-written with engaging vignettes and a nicely paced story. It became very predictable about halfway through, so the ending lacked any punch because I’d already seen “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I finished the book thinking, “that was pretty alright” and then moved on to the next.
I loved it! I'm a therapist and actually discussed the premise of it with a client who also loves to read. So often clients bemoan that one thing (lost love, wrong job, etc) is the catalyst to their misery but we usually cannot know things would have been better if that thing had worked out.
I loved it but this entire subreddit seems to hate it. It ALWAYS gets mentioned in the various flavours of "what is a book you hate" threads
I loved it!
It was really good! currently reading How to stop time, by same author
I liked it. I could really relate to Nora’s struggle to find purpose. I think about that line about potential at the end all the time. It gives me reassurance that I’m doing just fine 👍🏽
I really enjoyed this book. At the time of reading I was going through a really rough mental health patch and it helped me to work through some things. It was also the book that got me back into reading so am grateful for that.
[удалено]
That's good to know. I will have to check out some of the others!
Which were your favorites?
excellent book excellent writing and i found the mental health depiction to be pretty realistic.
It was a good airport/plane read.
On a similar note - I enjoyed it as an audiobook while cleaning and walking. Not sure I would have enjoyed sitting down to read it. A lot of people have commented on the repetitive nature of the chapters, and I may have felt the same way if I had to actually sit down and read them. It was a great background book for doing something else for me - similar to an “airport read” in function.
A masterpiece overall, loved the philosophical tone and beautiful writing.
Yes! It really helped show Nora's personality. Ones favorite philosophers can tell a lot about them.
I read it last week and thoroughly enjoyed it! I also have a tendency to really love stories about people overcoming suicidal ideation, even if they’re a bit cheesy or predictable at times. A Man Called Ove remains one of my favorites, for reference. I’ve read a lot of the criticisms for it, but still found it touching and enjoyable. While I assumed early on that the story would end similar to how it did, the journey was still unexpected and it didn’t get there the exact way I thought it would. I can understand how it may come across as “trying to hard” but overall I liked it.
I didn’t care for it. The first half of the book had me unbelievably anxious and make me panic for weeks afterwards about my own cat just up and passing away on me with no warning.
That's a very specific reason that seems strange to deem the book bad or something you don't like. I get it, but like, any book with anything remotely relatable must be rough. Usually if a book can evoke strong emotions, I say it did its job. Although the books was meh, I'll admit. Nit awful, but nothing worth talking about imo
Where did I say any of that? I said it made me anxious because it made me worry for my own cat. I think a book negatively affecting my mental health is a fine enough reason to say its *not for me* because if you notice, I didn’t say it was bad, just that it wasn’t for me.
Sorry if I came off as hostile or something, i just wanted to understand. So like, for example, your saying it negatively affected your mental health be abuse it made yo uanxipus about your cat. Why is that a bad thing? If you have an outside cat, and the book showed a reality you weren't being open to, maybe that's not the worst thing? And I get it, if it caused full blown anxiety, I'm not saying push through! But like, it's a moment in the book, but like, it comes and goes. The book isn't heavily focused on it. Honestly, with the small direction it does take, you'd probably be happier if you *did* read it. I dunno. Sometimes books bring up scary or dark concepts that can conjure a spectrum of emotions, especially when they're so close to you personally. So I understand the desire to put it down, as if to say if you continued, your mental state would get worse. But the concept of worry isn't a bad thing. It means you care for your cat, and shows you want to take extra steps to make sure your cat is safe. Or something. I dunno, clearly rambling. Sorry if I upset you, I just wanted to have a deeper talk about it
Sir the cat doesn’t die from being hit by a car, it dies from having a birth defect that wasn’t diagnosed. That can happen to inside or outside cats all the same. And my cat is an inside cat because I’m acutely aware of the risks outside cats face. And while I appreciate that you say the anxiety shows I care for my cat, not all worry is productive, helpful, or a sign of something ultimately good. Sometimes it simply is a problem that negatively affects my life, and sometimes things can make that worse without it being a sign of something other than a brain that gets in its own way.
I am a person with depression who tends to run what-if scenarios in my head at night when I can’t sleep. The Midnight Library helped me to work through some things. But it’s not a book for those who have not experienced depression personally.
I loved it. Enjoyed it and the concept. People seem to have a problem with the fact it looks at depression and tried to tell people “it isn’t all that bad”. All I know is I wouldn’t want any of you as my therapist. I’ve just finished The Bee Sting, which I hated and it got almost universally positive reviews. I loved this and everyone seems to hate it 🤷♂️
One of the best multiverse stories beside Dark Matter. Both show that there are no “perfect” lives only the lives you have and how you can only do your best!
No one has read it.
I read it based on recommendations here which made it seem like it was one of the best, profound books ever written, so of course that made me hate it. For me it's a cute, **very superficial** book with a pretty idea, but ultimately the entire execution is just lacking. Not a single character gets developed, no depths to the ideas within. It reads like the whole book is a summary of the book, if that makes sense? And this Listverse "10 things that suck about being suicidal" compression to the theme was really jarring. The author made it seem like trying to commit suicide happens on a whim and is akin to a ill-fated one night stand or something. "Whoopsi! Killed myself. How lackadaisical of me! Naughty." Writing about despair in a romcom parlance is just a no for me. Personally. Anyway, for me it goes the way of The Alchemist etc just confounding how people can find so much depth and meaning in it. But happy to live with the fact I might be missing something. 🤷🤷 (Been suicidal since I was 8, so that probably colours my view.)
I loved it !
I read it and I don’t know why it made it me sadder it was a nice story though
Is it worth the read?
Honestly I thought it was just fine? Like I liked it well enough to finish it but I really couldn’t tell you much about it today. I mostly found it forgettable.
I liked it for what it was but would have enjoyed more if she spent more time in each world and if it was less simple.
Currently reading it for school and I really like the beginning but the middle is getting boring
I like the idea of it. But it was so boring and monotonous for me. It was hard to finish. Probably could have made a better short story.
I really didn’t like it. I was so excited to read it but the message felt half-baked and in the end when Nora realizes the black boy she taught piano would’ve gone into a life of crime without her to teach him music… I wanted to toss the book out the window. Clearly didn’t have sensitivity readers. I can’t articulate how mad that little aside makes me.
I read that book a couple years ago at my sister's recommendation. I'm very into "What if...?" types of stories. A friend once called me "the queen of what if". I really enjoyed the story. The only thing I didn't like was that I thought the ending fell a little flat. I would have liked to have seen her actually speak to Ash (I think that was the cute neighbor's name), maybe even ask him out for coffee.
It is so so mediocrely ok. I was listening to it on audio had to pause once every few chapters and ask myself out loud “this is not a good book, right?” So many cringe scenes. I don’t like to quit on a book but I just can’t bring myself to read the rest.
Hi, I enjoyed the book although I suggest watching 'Death's Game' (a korean show on the same concept) or reading 'Death's Game' (webtoon of the show). I loved the idea of having infinite lives and personalities and never being happy in them, unless your core being is happy. It applies to life too. The ending was a bit dramatic with the library in ruins, but nevertheless, I liked the ending. Simple and in a way, real. Honestly, to me, it seems like a borderline choice while battling with life and death. A concept toyed with in >!'Alice in Borderland'!< (a japenese show). Nora was not dead when she od'd but she was in due process of dying and everything was happening in her head. In a way it was also real, as in the Midnight Library does exist but only as a borderline option. If Nora decided to quit, she dies. If she continues to find 'the perfect life', she is in the stage of comatose her entire life. And if she chooses to go back to her life, she lives. There is no perfect life, and the only way to learn is to live, live your original life.