The theme chosen really is a fantastic one. Finally, there are plenty of allusions in this novel. And imagining there is just breeds more unhappiness in the life youre in., Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Its no coincidence that this strong emotion triggers such a powerful feeling in her, but Im just not sure Ive given this enough thought lately. A few chapters later, Noras cat dies, she loses her job, her She is a woman in her thirties, who leads a life she finds lonely and disappointing. This both suggests the potential for change in Nora's life and reveals the mechanism that allows her, using the "Midnight Library," to travel to different versions of her life. In Matt Haigs The Midnight Library, Nora is a woman in her thirties who feels as if her life has been full of regrets and sadness, and her future looks dismal. The basic premise is that a woman called Nora decides to kill herself, and before she dies she finds herself in the Midnight Library. In the speech she gives in her champion-swimmer existence, Nora says that the outward appearance of her life does not really convey the struggles she has endured and that the very idea of a "successful" life is misleading. Like Nora, Hugo is a fellow traveler through his alternative lives. WebThe talented aspiring Olympic swimmer turned aspiring rock star now aspires only to stop living. That the prison wasn't the place, but the perspective., The thing that looks the most ordinary might end up being the thing that leads you to victory., Regrets dont leave. In The Midnight Library, thirty-five-year-old Nora finds out from a handsome young surgeon, Ash, that her beloved cat has been killed. As a consequence of her self-critical thoughts, Nora overdoses and is surprised to find herself in the library, where the time on her watch is stuck at midnight. These figures appear as both brief references and conspicuous plot points: her cat is named Voltaire; she contemplates Bertrand Russells perspective on life and his many infidelities; and in one life, a favorite line from Thoreau is tattooed on her forearm. It is odd because she is still herself but finds that everything about her life, down to the shape of her abs and the smoothness of her face, varies from life to life. Most gossip is envy in disguise., Never underestimate the big importance of small things, A person was like a city. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. It concludes on an optimistic note, showing Nora as she is about to play a move in a game of chess with the real Mrs. Elm at a retirement home. After her overdose, the novel follows her imaginative journey through the various lives she didn't lead. What is the theme of the short story "Games at Twilight"? resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. That is not to say that The Midnight Library is a miss. She is a professor of philosophy and has a daughter. The narrator knows all the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist, Nora, but not of any of the other characters. More books than SparkNotes. Whats more, you dont have to come face to face with a polar bear to feel them theyre in you right now, in this life, just waiting to be felt. 1,304,772 ratings, 4.02 average rating, 141,977 reviews. We don't have to play every game to know what winning feels like. WebThe Midnight Library by Matt Haig. To be the world, witnessing itself. Love it. This theory is explored in the alternative lives generated by minor changes, like going on a date or not keeping a cat inside. Acres of disappointment and monotony and hurts and rivalries but with flashes of wonder and beauty. It reveals how exploring these unlived lives has opened her up to the idea that she can make a change in her daily life. And don't give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. It makes for a great philosophical read about the regrets we have in life. When the story begins, Nora is figuratively buried under the weight of her regrets. She is caught in an inevitable cycle: Nora suffers from panic attacks and anxiety, and her mental health often leads her to lose momentum. Cloud State University M.A. Would your expectations have changed, and as a result, would your reaction have changed? As Mrs. Elm, the librarian at the Midnight Library, puts it, You have as many lives as you have possibilities. Once the lava slows and cools, it solidifies and then breaks down over time to become soil - rich, fertile soil. Aim to look and act and think like you. The closest secondary character, Mrs Elm, is witty, but feels more like a transient character without much power to accelerate the events in the novel. Why are Ravi and Joe upset that Nora left the band? When I finished The Midnight Library I wasnt left wanting a nice sit down on a comfy sofa reading a magazine, as nice as that is I was left wanting to come face to face with a polar bear, to feel a rush of adrenalin standing up to speak in front of hundreds of people. What she means is that often making a single small adjustment can permanently alter the course of a life. You dont need to be famous or rich or medal winning to lead a spectacular life. 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 This quote describes the continual strangeness that Nora experiences as she moves through these different lives. Throughout the novel, Nora contemplates the meaning of life in terms that are often influenced by major figures of Western philosophy. We dont know how she will spend it or who she will spend it with. The Midnight Library Quotes Showing 1-30 of 1,208. Yet, with every flip of a page, they come closer and closer to burning their own book of regrets. When Nora tries to kill herself, she ends up in a library with Mrs. Elm, the school librarian she knew in her childhood. Things begin to get more chaotic. He is described as being somewhat aloof and cold as a result of his continual journey through parallel timelines. To be the world, witnessing itself., Sometimes regrets aren't based on fact at all, The lonely mind in the busy city yearns for connection because it thinks human-to-human connection is the point of everything. At the beginning of the story, Nora feels completely trapped in her bad circumstances. Most heartbreakingly, after choosing to go for a coffee with her kind neighbour instead of turning down his offer, Nora meets the seven-year-old daughter they could have had together. I dont think polar bears look this chummy in real life. On a beautiful page titledExpectation, Nora imagines What it would be like to accept herself completely, every mistake she had made every dream she hadn't reached. She now has a chance to sample some of those possibilities. It isnt long, however, until disappointment slowly creeps back into Noras heart and transports her, unwillingly, back to The Midnight Library. Haig bases The Midnight Library around one central theme and a common human curiosity: what is the purpose of life? "A Conversation About Rain" to "The Chessboard" Summary and Analysis. TW: mentions of suicide ideation and attempted suicide, Somewhere between life and death, Nora Seed finds herself wandering the marble hallways of a never-ending library; The Midnight Library.. Petrified by fear, Nora realizes she has to do something to scare off the bear before it mauls her. The excess of fame emphasizes his substance abuse problems to the point of fatality. WebA) It tells the reader that Nora will die when she is 19. Work hard at it. Early in the book, Let's look at some examples of these. You can't give up, Nora. Superb post! Maybe even the most seemingly perfectly intense or worthwhile lives ultimately felt the same. This feels somewhat at odds with a lot of the things we are taught about the pursuit of happiness. Welcome back. Her parents who both had their own insecurities, had encouraged that idea. They werent mosquito bites. After visiting all these alternative lives for a temporary amount of time, Nora rediscovers lifes potential and her personal will-to-live. What I found instead was a general lack of complexity in Nora Seed, which I attribute to the overly simplistic style used to write her dialogue, reflections and reactions. However, death is not that simple, as Nora embarks on a journey of other potential lives she could have lived. Dan is Nora's ex-fianc. Nora had always had a problem accepting herself. We dont know if she will live another five years or five minutes. We are as completely and utterly alive as we are in any other life and have access to the same emotional spectrum.. This moment comes after Nora has traveled through a few different lives. When Nora meets him, she finds him to be less interesting and intelligent than she envisioned. because a pawn is never just a pawn. "Between life and death there is a library," she said. Endorse it. Nora has a crush on him and in her alternative life as a rockstar, she dates and breaks up with him. Log in here. When she loses momentum, she then finds herself stuck in situations that foster situational depression. The second is the date of She realizes, too, that she can always make new and better choices going forward. Ultimately, she is able to extend this grace and forgiveness to herself, too. However, as this moment reveals, she comes to find that this life too has its shortcomings. From as far back as she could remember, she'd had the sense that she wasn't enough. She now has a WebThe Midnight Library Themes The Point of Life Is Life Itself One of the biggest issues with Noras root life is that Nora felt like she wasnt doing anything noteworthy. More opportunities to have. She loves this life and finds herself feeling both content and fulfilled, working on a book about Thoreau and spending time with her daughter. In response, the wise Mrs Elm relentlessly reminds Nora of "the big importance of the small things, as Nora discovers that her actions in the root life that she tried to end, such as picking up prescriptions for an elderly neighbour, Mr Banerjee, really mattered. By the end of The Midnight Library though I was left feeling like an even keel doesnt really cut it. The final line suggests the remaining precariousness of her situation, as she is still just barely alive after ingesting this overdose of medication. At the beginning of the story, Nora is playing chess with Mrs. Elm, who remarks to her that her life is full of possibility. Embrace that you-ness. The main themes in The Midnight Library are choice and regret, philosophy and the meaning of life, and relationships and forgiveness. Work hard at it. This quote is taken from early in the novel, as Mrs. Elm explains to Nora how lives are shaped by seemingly minor choices. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? In this way, she experiences separation from her body, as it provides "clues" to cracking whatever "mystery" is part of the life she is exploring. I got the sense that if three-quarters of the novel were cut, we would have reached the endpoint all the same, and with less stagnation. And don't give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. Maybe that was the only meaning that mattered. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. Refresh and try again. More books than SparkNotes. Then, she is fired from her job of twelve years. Its a beautiful thing. date the date you are citing the material. It is about a young woman named Nora Seed, who lives a monotonous, ordinary life and feels She explains how dissatisfied she is to the world in one final Facebook post before attempting suicide. She eventually learns that her root life is the best one for her. This moment occurs at the end of Nora's first adventure in a parallel life. One square after another. When she survives her suicide attempt, she awakens with a sense of peace in her life that has previously eluded her. Acres of disappointment and monotony and hurts and rivalries but with flashes of wonder and beauty. Noras numerous and diverse experiences in the novel underscore the centrality of relationships in human life. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. WebMatt Haig's unique novel The Midnight Library ponders the infinite possibilities of life. Aim to be you. She later reappears as a younger version of herself in the Midnight Library, where she assists Nora in traveling to her various unlived lives. The witty Mrs Elm, the shapeshifting nature of the library, and the journey that each of its books provides make for a quirky Midnight Library and an excellent location for Nora and the readers to think about the themes of regret, choices and mental illness. Shes lived in Alaska, Australia and England. All we know is shes been given a second chance, one she fought desperately for towards the end of the novel. publication in traditional print. In this way, Noras understanding of choice becomes somewhat more nuanced. Confused and self-questioning, Nora is eventually greeted by Mrs Elm, the school librarian, who guides Nora through the tomes, and encourages her to open a heavy book called The Book of Regrets. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. Matt Haigs thought-provoking, uplifting new book,The Midnight Librarydiscusses just that, exploring our relationship with regret and what really makes a perfect life. Harpers Bazaar (UK), British author Matt Haig is beloved in his home country, and hes a champion of mental health, which makes him a great person to follow on Twitter. Log in here. The library offers her the chance This is the key realization that ultimately leads her to a greater chance at happiness in her root life. The Midnight Library was my introduction to Matt Haig and I thoroughly enjoy his writing. "What literary devices are used in The Midnight Library?" In The Midnight Library, thirty-five-year-old Nora finds out from a handsome young surgeon, Ash, that her beloved cat has been killed. WebMrs. B) It foreshadows Noras tragic death. She has a difficult relationship with her brother and feels generally detached from the world around her. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. The Question and Answer section for The Midnight Library is a great I dont think I could have picked a better book to kick off this year with, definitely makes me want to explore the other what ifs and not regret the things I may have missed in the past. Mrs. Elm, p. 32 This quote is taken from early in the novel, as Mrs. Elm explains to Nora how lives are shaped by seemingly minor choices. . Maybe that was the only meaning that mattered. Nora Seed is the main character of the novel. There are lives in which both Joe and Izzy are dead, and their deaths can be indirectly traced to Noras presence or absence in their lives. Nora's cat's name is Voltaire, and this alludes to both the philosopher himself and his character Dr. Pangloss, who says that he lives in the best of all possible worlds. There is also a dog named Plato in the story, and indeed, Nora is searching for the ultimate reality. An exquisite depiction of existential depression and the lessons it can reveal, The Midnight Library is a captivating story and an uplifting antidote to the cult of self-improvement: a manifesto for true self-acceptance. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. What she thinks in this moment is that there isn't really a so-called perfect life, but rather a series of lives with their own specific challenges, even if some appear more exciting than others. The idea of success is complicated and questioned as the novel progresses. One of the pivotal moments in the book happens when, in one of her parallel lives, Nora is confronted by a polar bear. WebThe midnight library is magical, for a start, the library has a limitless number of books, and these books are far from ordinary, Haig sprinkles gold dust in each book, offering Nora If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance Embrace that you-ness. The basic premise is that a woman called Nora decides to kill herself, and before she dies she finds herself in the Midnight Library. You get no sense of the length of those longitudes and latitudes. This brainy, captivating pleasure read feels like what you might get if TVsTheGood Placecollided withWhered You Go, Bernadette. People, Clever, emotional and thought-inspiring. Jenny Colgan, author ofThe Bookshop on the Corner, Amazing and utterly beautiful,The Midnight Libraryis everything youd expect from the genius storyteller who is Matt Haig. Joanna Cannon, author ofThe Trouble with Goats and Sheep, Noras life is burdened by regrets. Regardless of their genre, his writing explores the many elements that impact a persons satisfaction with life. Joe is gay and struggles with his father's disapproval of his sexual orientation. WebThe Midnight Library Character List Nora Seed Nora Seed is the main character of the novel. The pivotal moments for Nora dont happen when shes just CONTENT. 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. I want more than fine. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Last Updated on July 8, 2021, by eNotes Editorial. In these depictions, the image of a chessboard is used to illustrate the idea that life is full of variable outcomes. Curl up in a window seat or Nora thought There are lives where you make different choices. You couldn't let a few less desirable parts put you off the whole. The Midnight Library study guide contains a biography of Matt Haig, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. from St. Already a member? The novel opens with her playing chess with Nora and talking about the possibilities of life. And yes, it is about that the plot isnt surprising in that sense but its about something else too, which Im not sure I had expected or appreciated quite as much. Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday! In feeling so overcome with terror, she also realizes that she wants to continue living. What does the first potential life reveal? Accessed 4 Mar. [1] It was abridged and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 over ten episodes in December 2020. You might not be uplifted by Nora Seed, but the book deals with some dark themes in a quirky and sensitive manner, and for that, I would suggest you keep it in your reading list, albeit closer to the bottom than the top. This acts as an easy analog for Noras circumstances: each of these lives exists as truly and completely as the others, even those that directly contradict others. WebThe library is a symbol of possibilities and choices. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Nora's regrets range from not marrying her ex-boyfriend Dan to failing to become an Olympic swimmer. As you might expect, shes terrified properly beside herself with fear but this moment is also the first moment where she realises that she doesnt want to die, that life might be worth living after all. Izzy is Nora's best friend. The second date is today's PartSliding Doors,part-philosophical quest, this is a moving novel with a powerful mental health message at its heart. Alice OKeeffe,The Bookseller, Haigs latest (after the nonfiction collectionNotes on a Nervous Planet, 2019) is a stunning contemporary story that explores the choices that make up a life, and the regrets that can stifle it. While Nora sees many different versions of her life throughout the book, the story ends with her back in Bedford. Easy to wish we'd worked harder, loved better, handled our finances more astutely, been more popular, stayed in the band, gone to Australia, said yes to the coffee or done more bloody yoga. Going to go away and think about that. A symbol is carried through the work and consistently represents something than adds to the meaning of the piece. Im a voracious reader. Nineteen years later, after a series of painful events, including the loss of her job and the death of her cat, Nora feels that the world would simply be better off without her. This is a moment late in the book in which Mrs. Elm informs Nora that the library will cease to exist if she dies. But there is no life where you can be in a state of sheer happiness for ever. "The Midnight Library Characters". He is portrayed as being more interested in the idea of being married to her than the reality of their relationship. Elm is the librarian from Nora's elementary school days. She discovers that all the dreams she thought she lost out on were really other peoples dreams. She quickly learns that they are not very happy in this life, as he is continually dismissive of the things she says and seems distant. The Last Family in England: First Few Pages, The Last Family in England: Deleted Chapters, The Last Family in England: Deleted Chapters 1, The Last Family in England: Deleted Chapters 2, The Last Family in England: Deleted Chapters 3, The Last family in England: Deleted Pages 4, The Last Family in England: Deleted Pages 5, The Last Family in England: Authors Commentary, The Possession of Mr Cave: First Few Pages. WebThe midnight library represents a chance for Nora to erase her regrets. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Matt Haig: The Midnight Library review - an uplifting modern parable |, Finding The Way Back review - alcoholism on the rebound, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld: The Discomfort of Evening review - lovelessness, loneliness, bodies and their limits, Sema Kaygusuz: Every Fire You Tend review an education in grief, Karl Ove Knausgaard: So Much Longing in So Little Space review smiles more than screams, Will Harris: Brother Poem review - writing the poems that could have been, Disbelief - 100 Russian Anti-War Poems (ed. But it is boring. We don't have to have tried every variety of grape from every vineyard to know the pleasure of wine. In fact, in her life as a rock star and her life as a competitive swimmer, she has severe mental health struggles and some fractured personal relationships. Not affiliated with Harvard College. And Have you read The Midnight Library? This is the last line of the novel. eNotes.com Each book in it represents the way Nora's life might have turned out had she made different decisions. This Study Guide consists of approximately 50 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and She is portrayed as a thoughtful and sympathetic person, often thinking about the emotions of the people around her. 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. You get the flow of the story quickly Nora reflects on a key milestone or regret, she makes a decision, and she experiences the consequences of that choice. Fine is the basis of a midlife unravelling. Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. The library offers her the chance to reflect on her life and her regrets and to try different lives, lives where shed made different choices. Each life that Nora samples represents potential, yet none of them satisfy Nora. The paradox of volcanoes was that they were symbols of destruction but also life. How is the idea of success framed throughout the novel? He also purchases a Simon and Garfunkel guitar songbook from her at the music store. As Mrs Elm guides her through the library, plucking the books from the shelves, Nora is able to undo her regrets, by re-entering her life having made different decisions. The library described in the book turned out to be different from what I had imagined, although it was intriguing all the same. Though Noras perspective shifts incrementally with each new life she enters, this experience particularly contributes significantly to her reframing of what it means to lead a good life. Long after Nora has graduated and forgotten about those after-school chess sessions, she finds herself utterly disappointed with all aspects of her life. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. It is easy to mourn the lives we aren't living. However, I foundthe depiction of antidepressants reductive: when Nora enters one of her favourite potential lives, she views the absence of antidepressants in the bathroom drawer as evidence of a happy life. Plain and simple. WebThe Midnight Library Quotes and Analysis "Doing one thing differently is often the same as doing everything differently." "The Midnight Library Quotes and Analysis". Sometimes if we fill that lack with something else the original want disappears entirely., You see, doing one thing differently is very often the same as doing everything differently., And even if you were a pawn - maybe we all are - then you should remember that a pawn is the most magical piece of all.
