The Midnight Library Summary, it is a fantasy novel by Matt Haig, published on 13 August 2020 by Canongate Books. It was abridged and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 over ten episodes in December 2020.
The novel follows a 35 year old British woman unhappy in her dead-end life who is given the opportunity to experience lives she might have had if she had made different choices.
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| The Midnight Library Summary |
Synopsis of The Midnight Library
The novel opens with a startling fact: The main character, Nora Seed, will attempt suicide 19 years after the events of the Prologue. The Prologue takes place in the Hazeldene School library, where Nora plays chess with the school librarian, Mrs. Elm. Nora has recently given up swimming professionally, to the chagrin of her father. She now worries about her future. Mrs. Elm reminds Nora that she can travel anywhere and be anything she likes. Specifically, Mrs. Elm encourages Nora to leave Bedford and to take up glaciology. A while later, Nora learns from Mrs. Elm that Nora’s father has just died from a heart attack. Mrs. Elm comforts a grieving Nora.
The narrative jumps 19 years into the future. Nora still lives in Bedford and is living a lackluster life. Within the span of two days, Nora’s cat, Voltaire, dies, her estranged brother visits town but ignores her, she’s fired from her job at the music store String Theory, and her only music pupil, Leo, cancels his lessons. These setbacks, coupled with earlier hardships like Nora’s mother dying from cancer—Nora backed out of her engagement to her fiancé, Dan, two days before the wedding, she turned down a chance to move to Australia with her best friend, Izzy, and she backed out of becoming a rock star in The Labyrinths with her brother, Joe, and his best friend, Ravi—cause Nora to spiral into depression. Nora considers herself a black hole imploding in on itself. She writes a suicide note and overdoses on pills and wine.
The narrative jumps 19 years into the future. Nora still lives in Bedford and is living a lackluster life. Within the span of two days, Nora’s cat, Voltaire, dies, her estranged brother visits town but ignores her, she’s fired from her job at the music store String Theory, and her only music pupil, Leo, cancels his lessons. These setbacks, coupled with earlier hardships like Nora’s mother dying from cancer—Nora backed out of her engagement to her fiancé, Dan, two days before the wedding, she turned down a chance to move to Australia with her best friend, Izzy, and she backed out of becoming a rock star in The Labyrinths with her brother, Joe, and his best friend, Ravi—cause Nora to spiral into depression. Nora considers herself a black hole imploding in on itself. She writes a suicide note and overdoses on pills and wine.
Nora experiences many lives, including one in which she marries Dan, one in which she and Joe make it big with their band, one in which she marries a kind soul named Ash, one in which she sticks with swimming and becomes rich and successful, and one in which she pursues glaciology. With each life, Nora learns a little more about herself and the meaning of life. It’s not until Nora comes face-to-face with a polar bear intent on killing her that she realizes she has wanted to live this entire time. Nora’s problem, it turns out, is her perception of life. She’s always thought of life as an event that should be magnificent. Now, she understands that the point of life is life itself. In taking a lesson from her favorite philosopher, Thoreau, Nora determines to alter her perception of life by experiencing solitude and then cherishing the ups and downs that come her way.
Though Nora learns a valuable lesson about life, she still has a lot to figure out. She must continue exploring lives and experiencing heartbreak until she realizes that the best life for her to live is her real life. With this knowledge, she must make it out of the Midnight Library before it crumbles and, back in her life on Earth, survive her attempted suicide. Only then can she begin to value life by reconnecting with others through love and kindness. She overcomes her overdose and then sets about experiencing her life with a newfound appreciation of what it means to live.
Questions about The Midnight Library Plot
What is the main message of The Midnight Library? Overall, “The Midnight Library” is a novel that speaks to the human experience and offers readers a powerful message of hope and self-discovery. Its themes are likely to resonate with readers on a personal level, and its message of acceptance and self-love is one that many people may find comforting and inspiring.
Does The Midnight Library have a happy ending? She eventually finds a life she's happy in, but in the process she learns that her original life had value. The Library dissolves as Nora decides to live. Nora returns to her original life, except now with less regrets and hope for the future.
Is Midnight Library hard to read? The Midnight Library offers an enjoyable story to those looking for a fantasy feel-good book that is an easy read. It's a relatively short novel that can offer an opportunity for introspection.
What is the main conflict in The Midnight Library? The Midnight Library follows the story of Nora Seed as she struggles to find meaning and direction in her life while grappling with overwhelming grief, despair, and regret.
Will The Midnight Library make me cry? Matt Haig's latest novel, The Midnight Library, does just that and so much more. Now, I'm a crier, I've always admitted it, but my crying has always been exclusive to music, films, and situations. Never have I cried at a novel.
What is the conclusion of Midnight library? The destruction of the Midnight Library represents Nora's decision to finally commit to life. The Midnight Library represents a liminal space between life and death. In this space, Nora is able to explore infinite possibilities, let go of long-held regrets, and have some fun along the way.
Why is Midnight library a good book? "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig is an interesting read that delves into themes of regret, choices, and the pursuit of happiness. I found the concept of a library where the protagonist, Nora, can explore different lives and possibilities to be quite captivating.
Who is the main character in The Midnight Library? Nora Seed. Nora is the main character in The Midnight Library. She is a 35-year-old British woman who lives alone with her cat in the quiet town of Bedford. Nora likens herself to a black hole because her life is imploding daily; when the novel opens, the omniscient narrator mentions that Nora will commit suicide.
What mental illness is in The Midnight Library? Matt Haig's The Midnight Library gets depression spot on. A defining feature of the condition is its capacity to skew perception, to put a distorting lens over one's vision of the world so that everything looks negative and hopeless.
Who should read The Midnight Library? I would recommend The Midnight Library to teens and adults alike. It's a short, worthwhile read that will get you thinking and have you on the edge of your seat. And it may just awaken you to how much unlocked potential you have.
What type of book is The Midnight Library? The Midnight Library is a novel about depression and suicide by British author Matt Haig. The book has been variously categorized as fantasy, science fiction, and magic realism. It deals with themes of depression, connecting with people around us, and explores what a successful life actually is.
What is the first line of The Midnight Library? Opening Line: “Nineteen years before she decided to die, Nora Seed sat in the warmth of the small library at Hazeldene School in the town of Bedford.”
How many hours does it take to read The Midnight Library? The average reader will spend 4 hours and 32 minutes reading this book at 250 WPM (words per minute). How long will it take you? To find your reading speed you can take one of our WPM tests.