Back at the Library, Mrs. Elm explains that basically even if Voltaire was an indoor cat, he wouldve died anyway from a heart condition. Nora thinks that this may be the best version of her life. When she finds herself excited again about living, things calm down. Moreover, Nora must remember what she . When Nora next returns to the library, it is dark. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance She thinks about the plants she helped water for him when he was in surgery. Then, she thinks about Mrs. Elm telling her to never underestimate the big importance of small things. Each life has its own advantages and disadvantages, and some feel better than others, but Nora inevitably finds herself returning to the library after each one. "The Midnight Library," best-selling British author Matt Haig's latest book, tells the story of a woman in her thirties who, after suffering an overwhelming attack of hopelessness and despair,. When she is released from the hospital, Nora visits the real Mrs. Elm in a care facility. Once thinks about how her family here (Molly, Ash, Plato, etc.) So she ends it. Back at the Library, things are falling apart. 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 . Meanwhile, String Theory has closed down, as was the case in the Dylan reality as well. But her brother would no longer be part of that band. . Call it the Haig effect: Why squander energy on imagining some other life? 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. After attempting to end her life, Nora wakes up in the Midnight Library: an immense space filled with shelves of books that stretch endlessly. The author of the bestselling books Reasons to Stay Alive and Notes on a Nervous Planet has once again blessed us with an empowering novel. Start earning points for buying books! 4. The Midnight Library is an insightful and poignant exploration into regret, second chances and ultimately the joys and tribulations of simply living. 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. After the show, Nora gets a call from Ryan Bailey, a famous A-list actor that shed once fantasized about in her original life. A woman is there, and she either is or resembles Mrs. Elm. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight . 3. Major spoilers for The Midnight Library are ahead. The game is interrupted by a phone call with bad news for Nora. 'The Midnight Club': The Full Ending Explained and Your Over the course of the book, Nora lives a whole spectrum of lives, some for minutes and some for months, but only at the end does time actually pass, and by the time she wakes up in her root life it is one minute and twenty-seven seconds past midnight and her outlook on life has changed entirely. By Danni Turner. Afterwards, Nadia is very happy to see her brother Joe and that they get along well. Nora experienced it as a library because of the meaningful relationship she had with Mrs. Elm, her childhood school librarian. I like how it works with the concept of alternatives lives. 6. Mrs. Elm summons an appropriate book, and Nora is then transported into a life where she had doggedly pursued her swimming career. And the magnitude of that is staggering, given that a life can be determined or redirected by a single event. Just for joining youll get personalized recommendations on your dashboard daily and features only for members. Next, Nora asks to experience fame, and she is transported to a life where her band Labyrinth had made it big. Nora is transported into a life that seems perfect. Do you think its understandable that she would have given these things up? While shes in the Midnight Library, Mrs. Elm tells her, shes preserved from death; this is an opportunity to decide how and if she wants to live. Overdose. Finally, Nora finds Mrs. Elm at the retirement home where she offers to play chess with her. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . He is apparently her manager, and he manages others as well. 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. Immortality, Sadness And Drinking With Shakespeare In 'How To Stop Time'. Your email address will not be published. Enough of a theoretical portion of an infinity that she feels as though she has seen them all by the time we're closing on the final pages. The Midnight Library is different for each person who enters it. Every night at midnight, the patients meet in the hospice library to. Also, in the original life, she and Joe had been there for her mother before her death. THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY Characters By Chapter: EDITOR: Remy Hale CH: FIRST NAME: LAST NAME: DESCRIPTION: 1 : A Conversation About Rain : Nora: Seed: An Olympian, a rock star, a music teacher. 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. Nineteen years later, Nora is now a 35-year-old woman who is unhappy in her life. This time, Nora explores the life she might have had if she had accepted a long-ago coffee invitation from Ash, the kind acquaintance from Bedford who found her cat in the road. Where, for an hour, a day or a month, she gets to dip into and sample lives where she made different choices, with the ultimate goal. Different packaging; same us. Every move had been a mistake, every decision a disaster, every day a retreat from who she'd imagined she'd be. Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Whole. Eventually, Nora is heartbroken to appear in the Midnight Library yet again. She eventually finds a life she's happy in, but in the process she learns that her original life had value. 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. What do you think your Midnight Library would be? That is a simplification. For a non-spoiler version of the plot synopsis, see The Bibliofile's review of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. She knew that everything humans see is a simplification. Nora also start volunteering at the homeless shelter once a week, and she considers getting a dog. One of the reasons I love to read is because it quiets my mind. The Midnight Library is unusual in that it follows a plot with no twists, no turns that don't feel like a gentle glide. to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Clue #2: The Midnight Club novel's ending. Finally, Nora recalls how Ash had once asked her out and tries a life where she'd accepted that date. Nora wonders if shes just someone who will be depressed and stuck in any life, but Mrs. Elm disagrees. 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 leaves a voicemail for her brother and pens a suicide note, directed to whoever. Matt Haig is the number one bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive, Notes on a Nervous Planet and six highly acclaimed novels for adults, including How to Stop Time, The Humans and The Radleys. Instead she had to simply commit to one direction and go for it. Mrs. Elm points out that time has started progressing forward once again on Noras watch. Everything changes because of Anya's . If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ($2, $3, or $5) or joining the Patreon! But Nora longs to find a life to settle down in. -- Nora decides to die, and she overdoses on pills at midnight. You can opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information anytime. In it, each book represents a portal into another variation of what her life could have been. 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. Hugo, she learns, sees a video store instead of a library and a beloved uncle instead of Mrs. Elm. 2. What do you think your Midnight Library would be? 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. Neil also allows Nora to put up some flyers at String Theory offering more piano lessons to others, and the ads have already gotten a large response. But on the brink of death she is transported to The Midnight Library, where every book acts as a gateway to the past. It implies Augustine has died, at peace at last knowing an adult Iris is going to be safe. He has a bunch of dogs. Later, we learn that Huge experienced it as a video store, with a cherished uncle instead of a librarian. With her regrets laid to rest and with hope for the future, Nora is able to turn her life around. After the talk, Nora is transported back to the Midnight Library, having realized that the successful life is not one she wants either. When Nora is back in her original, she stumbles outside for help (post-overdoing) and soon wakes in a hospital. 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. What is the setting of "Games at Twilight"? Living has become nothing but a chore. Nora is then transported into a life essentially exactly the same as her original life. The Midnight Club is an exploration of mortality, with every one of the teenagers facing their certain death in their own ways. The Quick Recap and Section-by-Section Summary for The Midnight Library by Matt Haig are below. I just needed a single book. Her situational grief and existing depression coalesce until she feels impossibly burdened by them, and she decides to take her own life. And again, yes, they're presented that plainly. Mrs. Elm explains to Nora that this is the Midnight Library, a space between life and death. Again, yes. 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). Nora experiences a number of alternate lives in which she achieves a great deal of success in one area of her life at the expense of all the rest, be it in music, swimming, or polar exploration. eNotes.com And a character who doesn't actively want something even when it is something so basic as to keep on living is a hard character to identify with. In her life before she finds herself in the Midnight Library, Nora gave up many of the pursuits that brought her joy because she didnt feel like she could be the best at them. Theres nothing wrong with the life, but theres a fakeness to it, and Nora lets that life go as well. Chapters 16 18 (The Chessboard, The Only Way to Learn Is to Live, Fire). What transpired was a magical story about Nora Seed. Matt Haig's magical novel The Midnight Library is a tonic to anyone who tumbles down this rabbit hole of what-if thinking. 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. The Midnight Library was my introduction to Matt Haig and I thoroughly enjoy his writing. Still, she wonders what would have happened if shed stuck with it. 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 . Yes, it really is that simple. . (She overdoses. And her music student, Leo, ended up falling in with a bad crowd instead of discovering his aptitude for piano. Share this: Twitter Facebook Loading. As time passes, she finds herself feeling grateful for this life. Kirkus. Midnight Library is one of my favourite books I've ever read. 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? Nora explores a series of these other possible realities, returning to the library each time she feels dissatisfied. Some big, some small. Our club will be discussing this soon. 'The Midnight Library' is unusual in that it follows a plot with no twists, no turns that don't feel like a gentle glide. Nora is supposed to give at the hotel. Her best friend, Izzy, has moved to Australia, and the two struggle to keep in touch. Nora discovers that she is surprisingly content in this life, and she suspects this is the one shell want to stay in. A neighbor, Ash, informs her that her cat, Voltaire ("Volts"), has been hit by a car. What would've happened if she'd married her fiance rather than walking out two days before the wedding? Nora then gets a call from Doreen, who is irritated. by Matt Haig. With that, shes transported into the life of an Arctic Researcher. Ravi blames Nora, but Nora says she was getting panic attacks that would have made it impossible. She jokingly suggests glaciology. Meanwhile, Nora worries that shell die for real if she doesnt find a life she has the will to live. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. Her brother arrives, and the two share a heartfelt reconciliation; Izzy texts to tell Nora how much she misses her; and Nora gets rehired at one of her jobs. 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. Sometimes the elements of a really great book, but sometimes the elements of a non memorable one. A simplicity to the narrative that has to be taken as a choice on Haig's part, not an accident. The Midnight Library is a 2020 novel by Matt Haig. Haigs response: Of course we would. 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. Nora passes by String Theory and notes that it has closed not too long ago. 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 implies that these are a symptom of Noras health in her root life. ), Chapters 7 12 (00:00:00, The Librarian, The Midnight Library, The Moving Shelves, The Book of Regrets, Regret Overload). Everyones life could have gone an infinite number of ways, and each book in the library contains the story of that life. Directed by George Clooney and starring Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone . The first few lives Nora tries on are those that absolve her biggest regrets. eNotes Editorial. 8. There is one book that is different from the rest. Its 19 years before Nora Seed will someday decide to commit suicide. The Book of Regrets represents all the things Nora wishes she could change from her root lifethat is, the life she has actually lived. Nora sees the cat and feels sadness, but also a bit of envy at seeing him lying there peacefully. They have dinner together and watch a Ryan Bailey movie. When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. publication in traditional print. Mrs. Elm responds that sometimes the only way to learn is to live. She also comes across Ravi, her brother Joes best friend. They have a dog named Plato. Nora finds a blank book, and begins to write. The librarian tells her to write her own story now, as quickly as she can, and maybe she can escape. From there, Mrs. Elm encourages Nora to pursue less "obvious" paths. 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. Wallowing in self-pity, she downs a bottle of wine and posts a rambling message on social media. Joe seems to be a part of her life, and he is married to Ewan, who hed met at a cross-training class. Instead, Joe got a job he dislikes in IT, and Ravi still plays small gigs but is broke. This is where youll see your current point status and your earned rewards. 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. The reason Nora ended up back at the Midnight Library is because she wanted to live (in her original life). Follow along on Goodreads, or keep in touch via the newsletter. date the date you are citing the material. Mrs. Elm: The librarian. She's lost her job, her best friend, her brother. His guide is his Uncle Philippe. With that, Nora finds herself in a life with Ash sleeping next to her. Upon her arrival, the Midnight Library glitches slightly until Nora thinks about her desire to remain alive. 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. How is Lydia's relationship with the past presented, and how do you . To her surprise, she comes to understand and forgive herself better through this process, too. 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. Matt Haig's magical novel " The Midnight Library " is a tonic to anyone who tumbles down this rabbit hole of what-if thinking. Back at home, Nora thanks Mr. Banerjee for his help, and seeing his lovely garden Nora is able to appreciate the beauty of it. She and Ash are happily married, they have a daughter named Molly and a dog named Plato, and Nora is a Cambridge professor writing on sabbatical. Where the Mind Is Without Fear (Gitanjali 35), The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. Spoiler warning: these summaries contains spoilers. Nora wonders why Mr. Banerjee ended up in a elderly care facility in this life when he had been determined not to in her original life. Refresh the page, check Medium 's site status, or find something interesting to read. T.J.Parker 212 Followers My not so random reviews and thoughts To be human was to continualy dumb down the world into an understandable story that keeps things simple. Nadia is her fathers second wife. Its all lost to the ether. And then Nora wakes up. Online, she learns that she is a 2-time Olympian, having won a gold and two silver medals before retiring at 28. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. 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. Hes slightly drunk, and Nora realizes that she has recently dumped him. Matt Haig's latest book, 'The Midnight Library,' discusses the potential lives every human can experience depending on the choices they make in the present. Meanwhile, Noras father, Geoffs, life had taught him the lesson that life was meant to screw you over. Nora finds a video of herself, talking confidently about the pursuit of success. 2. 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. As Nora realizes, It is not the lives we regret not living that are the real problem. Nora thinks about the many expensive instruments she did manage to sell in her original life. Nora is upset and late for work, and she gets fired by her boss, Neil. The Midnight Library is a fantasy novel by Matt Haig, published on 13 August 2020 by Canongate Books. 2. As she writes, I AM ALIVE, she awakes on her own mattress and vomits. Netflix canceled The Midnight Club (co-created with Leah Fong) after season 1, so that tantalizing cliffhanger concerning a certain doctor won't be resolved -- well, you might have thought so,. Chapters 24 31 (System Error, Svalbard, Hugo Lefvre, Walking in Circles, A Moment of Extreme Crisis in the Middle of Nowhere, The Frustration of Not Finding a Library When You Really Need One, Island, Permafrost). The book is not one to be missed. Mike Flanagan's new series The Midnight Club . Doreen now says Leos too busy for piano anyway, against Noras futile protests. There is sadness and pointlessness, soft meditations on the cost of fame and the dignity of smaller lives, lots of quotes from philosophers (because that's what Nora studied in school), and quiet thoughts about the weight of meaning in a universe where everything that can happen, does. What is the setting of "Games at Twilight" by Anita Desai? 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. Nora realizes that her regret over this relationship ending is misplaced and returns to the Midnight library. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig ended up being a preachy, fictionalized self-help book that I didn't ask for and that wouldn't have helped anyway. 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. Tales From the Radiation Age is his latest book. Nora had offered inexpensive lessons and as Leos confidence in music grew, he improved in other areas as well and never get mixed up with worse stuff. She drags herself to her neighbors door, and he calls an ambulance as she collapses before him. Nora discovers a life that she thinks is quite nice, where they have a young daughter named Molly and a dog named Plato. She sees that the lawn is overgrown. The Midnight Library is about Nora, a thirty-something woman who is regretful about her life and feels alienated and unneeded in this world. Neil, her boss, is nice about it, but questions why shes still even working there since he thinks shes meant for bigger things. All 120 characters in The Midnight Library are listed by chapter with character descriptions included. Nora thinks about Dan, a man who worked in PR but had a dream of running a pub in the countryside. The mystery-horror series follows a group of eight terminally ill patients at Brightcliffe Hospice, run by Dr. Stanton. The Midnight Library opens with a teenaged Nora Seed, who is smart and a talented swimmer. In a scene that echoes other inward-looking moments from Pike's bibliography, the book in question wraps up on an epilogue set in the distant future . will be fine without her, she returns to the Midnight Library. The dialogue flows naturally and the characters come to life. The Real Meaning Of The Midnight Club's Ending & Story. As they talk, Nora is disappointed to learn that shes still on antidepressants in this life. The new Mike Flanagan series dropped many bombs in its final episode. Haig presents all of this as a straight line. The Midnight Club will tug at your heartstrings and have you piecing together its mysteries all at the same time. Ultimately, it became a saga about how Kevin feels like he's let down everyone he loves. If she is dissatisfied, she will automatically return to the library, at which point she can choose again. Chapter 53 Summary: "Lost in the Library". Nora immediately gets up out of the interview and heads downstairs, in shock and sadness, and soon she finds herself back at the Midnight Library. The Midnight Library is different for each person who enters it. She is playing chess with the school librarian, Mrs. Elm, when she gets the news about her father's death. 'Easy read' books often get a bad reputation. 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. And in a multiverse of infinite choice and infinite possibility, I'm just not sure that the answer matters enough. Afterwards, feeling impulsive knowing that any decision is just one iteration of her life, she kisses Hugo and they sleep together. Noras dad did not have a heart attack in this life because he ended up on a health kick as Nora was training for the Olympics. 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. Back in her original life, Nora wakes up and throws up. Despite him being perfectly nice, Nora wasnt too enamoured with this life and she bids it farewell. 5. There is tragedy, but it feels muted by the existence of infinite chances. Even as a rock star, Joe had stuck with her because she was making him money, not because theyd sorted out their issues. The book weaves elements of science fiction and fantasy with philosophical contemplations on human mortality, happiness, and personal choice.. Nora ends up trying out a multitude of lives and careers, ranging from becoming a single mom to running a winery or being an aid worker, but nothing sticks. . Every decision in life leads to different results in life, and those possible lives are reflected in these infinite volumes. 7. [2] At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like it, the first few chapters were quite triggering and after having a bad start to January I very nearly didn't prevail. When she inquires about Mrs. Elm, they inform her that Louise Elm died peacefully about three weeks ago. Joe is working as a sound engineer now. The last date is today's Also, in this reality, Nora is still close with Izzy, which makes her happy. Now that weve all read Where the Crawdads Sing, can we talk about the ending? Few fantasies are more enduring than the idea that there might be a second chance at a life already lived, some sort of magical reset in which mistakes can be . All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. When Doreen calls, Nora apologizes profusely about missing Leos lesson, but Doreen is just letting her know that Leo wants to continue his lessons. English novelist and author of "The . Chapters 60 63 (No Longer Here, An Incident With the Police, A New Way of Seeing, The Flowers Have Water). He has recognized her acting strangely, and he admits that he, too, has been slipping in and out of his possible lives. What if Nora had moved to Australia with her best friend instead of bailing to stay behind in England? 4. In her e-mails, she finds an address for herself. Kevin (Igby Rigney) finally decided to end his serial killer story. In the book "Games at Twilight", what details do you notice that show this story is not taking place in the United States? Even days later, when my mind darted to the would-have, should-have, could-haves, I was able to redirect. Jason Sheehan knows stuff about food, video games, books and Starblazers. She is wracked with regret. GoodReads. She thinks about how she loves them and forgives them for the ways theyve disappointed her. Nora is frustrated and unhappy when she sees Mrs. Elm again, and she wants to give up. If you really want to live a life hard enough, you dont have to worry, Mrs. Elm tells her.