I particularly enjoyed the way the library was affected by the choices Nora made, culminating in a climactic ending when Nora Seed sealed her final decision. Brilliant point . I have no other type of thinking available., And that sadness is intrinsically part of the fabric of happiness. date the date you are citing the material. The Midnight Library study guide contains a biography of Matt Haig, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The chessboard works as a symbol in the novel of possibility. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance The paradox of volcanoes was that they were symbols of destruction but also life. She imagined accepting it all, the way she accepted nature, the way she accepted a glacier or a puffin or the breach of a whale. Acceptance, posits Haig, is freedom, and this masterful novel is a more powerful guide to self-acceptance than any self-help book. Other than the symbolically interesting locale, the story is largely driven by the choices made by the protagonist, Nora Seed. WebThe talented aspiring Olympic swimmer turned aspiring rock star now aspires only to stop living. Throughout the novel, readers cant help but question their past decisions, both major and minor, along with Nora. One of the pivotal moments in the book happens when, in one of her parallel lives, Nora is confronted by a polar bear. Aim to be you. In my head, Im thinking of libraries with grand architecture and hallways full of hidden secrets and rare books. The Midnight Library Tackles Regret and Choices in a Quirky Way Her family resides in Cambridge. 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. She is portrayed as a thoughtful and sympathetic person, often thinking about the emotions of the people around her. More books than SparkNotes. Here, she finds herself slowly slipping away, despite wishing she could stay longer, as she knows this is not where she belongs. As the main character, Nora Seed, traverses through her different life possibilities, the library becomes the main place where she returns to reflect upon the paths she could have chosen. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Nora blinked, and when she opened her eyes both she and Mrs Elm were standing in a different part of the library. She is described as loving and warm. I am staying here. Book Club Discussion Questions for 'The Midnight Library This suggests that the relative importance of any one of these individual lives is only incidental, and to live mired in universal regret is to ascribe an unnecessary degree of importance to the reality at hand. 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. Fine is keeping yourself in check, being cautious, not using your heart and your mind to its full potential. Other powerful moments in the book happen when Nora is experiencing extreme emotions love, fear, pride, adoration, strength theyre feelings at the extremes. Acres of disappointment and monotony and hurts and rivalries but with flashes of wonder and beauty. 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. in The Midnight Library Choice and regret: The novel What is the main theme of The Midnight Library? "The Midnight Library Essay Questions". 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. 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. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original It is also important in that it depicts Mrs. Elm trying to show Nora the value and importance of her life. The warped logic of severe depression is honestly and clearly expressed, as Haig describes the inescapable feeling brewing in the darkness when Nora sees Voltaire, her dead cat, lying on the road. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. 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. This means that by the time you reach the middle of the story, the plot starts getting repetitive, and the development of the character stalls. To be the world, witnessing itself. Cooper, James ed. Mired in this repeating pattern, regret becomes the predominant emotion in Noras life. Completely agree, feeling all of the feels is being alive even when the tears flow. What is the atmosphere in the short story "Private Tuition by Mr Bose" by Anita Desai? Not affiliated with Harvard College. This means that the novel can It is easy to mourn the lives we He asks her on a date once and she wonders if there might be something between them romantically. B) It foreshadows Noras tragic death. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. How does Nora change and grow over the course of The Midnight Library? It isnt long, however, until disappointment slowly creeps back into Noras heart and transports her, unwillingly, back to The Midnight Library. 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. In feeling so overcome with terror, she also realizes that she wants to continue living. When she loses momentum, she then finds herself stuck in situations that foster situational depression. The Midnight Library Marmalade and Mustardseed In her real life, she often ruminates about their breakup. Plain and simple. You are giving up at the worst possible moment. The only reason Nora didnt end up living one of those lives instead of the life she recently chose to end is because of the choices she made leading up to the present moment. WebMatt Haig's unique novel The Midnight Library ponders the infinite possibilities of life. publication in traditional print. "The Midnight Library Characters". This is a moment late in the book in which Mrs. Elm informs Nora that the library will cease to exist if she dies. Nora has a life, one that she has nearly turned her back on, and this life roots her, grounds her, in reality. The Midnight Library is a fantasy novel by Matt Haig, published on 13 August 2020 by Canongate Books. Faced with a number of promising opportunities in her lifehigh-level competitive swimming, a pending marriage, a record deal, a move to AustraliaNora has, at each turn, chosen inaction. Darling. Nora then begins to hop from universe to universe, testing out these alternative realities. After her overdose, the novel follows her imaginative journey through the various lives she didn't lead. In some cases, the shift in relationships is more dramatic. InThe Midnight Library, Matt Haigs enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. It might look small and ordinary but it isn't. In some lives shes been a mother and in others she raises no one besides her tabby cat, Voltaire. Log in here. However, death is not that simple, as Nora embarks on a journey of other potential lives she could have lived. Shes been an Olympian, a dog-walker, and a glassblower. You have more to offer. I cant describe how much his work means to me. But it is boring. When the story begins, Nora is figuratively buried under the weight of her regrets. Exploring the meaning of life in The Midnight Library The Question and Answer section for The Midnight Library is a great The feeling she experiences is envy: she is jealous of the cat's complete absence of pain. Nora's inner landscape is artfully rendered on the page: She was afraid of motherhood.The fear of deeper depression. I felt my gut wrench as I read this sentence never before has a writer so perfectly captured my experience of the power of mental illness to haunt and destabilise, to instill a fear of further suffering. Midnight Library Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Finally, there are plenty of allusions in this novel. Why does Nora return to her old life at the end of the novel? I dont think polar bears look this chummy in real life. There is also one life wherein Noras long-dead father never had his heart attack, having adopted much healthier habits after being inspired by his daughters success as an athlete. 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? 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 seems initially surprising, especially given the fact that she seemed to find many seemingly good versions of her life, but the reason for this becomes quite clear in the last chapter. A connection between herself and the world. To see how things would be if you had made other choices Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?, Sometimes just to say your own truth out loud is enough to find others like you., Of course, we can't visit every place or meet every person or do every job, yet most of what we'd feel in any life is still available. Ultimately, she is able to extend this grace and forgiveness to herself, too. There are lives where you make different choices. It also shows her that her choices often have surprising outcomes. He is portrayed as being more interested in the idea of being married to her than the reality of their relationship. 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. From as far back as she could remember, she'd had the sense that she wasn't enough. The Midnight Library explores the complex psychological dynamics of choice and regret. 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. In each of them, she gradually gathers details about the life she is inhabiting from conversations and the physical feeling of her body. The image of the chessboard symbolizes possibility in the novel. Last Updated on July 8, 2021, by eNotes Editorial. Want, she told her, in a measured tone, is an interesting word. More books than SparkNotes. She spends a great deal of her time reflecting on her regrets, like not pursuing a career with her band the Labyrinthes and calling off her engagement to her ex-boyfriend. Matt Haig: The Midnight Library review - The Arts Desk 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. The lessons than Nora learns from her other lives feel less about letting go of regrets, and more about embracing the whole wide range of emotions of which human beings are capable. Mrs. Elm is the librarian from Nora's elementary school days. Have you read The Midnight Library? resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. 2023 . Haig bases The Midnight Library around one central theme and a common human curiosity: what is the purpose of life? This is the book of regrets. This would not have been a problem had there been more to the main character. Noras numerous and diverse experiences in the novel underscore the centrality of relationships in human life. I wanted to be angry about something, to feel excited, hurt, happy. The author of Reasons to Stay Alive, Notes on a Nervous Planet, and How to Stop Time, in his latest novel The Midnight Library, Matt Haig charts her story, from the hours before she attempts to kill herself, to the days she spends hopping between infinite possible lives on a time-travelling adventure. 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. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. What is the theme of the short story "Games at Twilight"? from St. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. We dont know how she will spend it or who she will spend it with. As readers, her journey is our journey, and by the end, my own book of regrets felt considerably lighter. 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. Symbolism is the practice of employing symbols. She is a professor of philosophy and has a daughter. Midnight Library She is despondently lonely and thinks that she no longer has a purpose.