The Midnight Library: An Analysis

“Regrets are just expired dreams. Throw them out.” In the fiction novel The Midnight Library, Matt Haig proves this sentiment true. It is demonstrated when Nora Seed commits suicide and finds herself in a library located somewhere between life and death; The Midnight Library. Here, Nora has the opportunity to live all the lives she didn’t get to before her death. Found there is a Book of Regrets, which is a book filled with all regrets, big and small, that Nora had during her life. As Nora goes through lives that remedy these regrets, she learns that they are not all she imagined they would be. 

In The Midnight Library, Haig demonstrates that life should be lived with no regrets.  At the end of her time in The Midnight Library, Nora learns that her original life is the life she wants to be living. This is shown when she thinks, “She didn’t want to die. And she didn’t want to live any other life than the one that was hers. The one that could be a messy struggle, but it was her messy struggle. A beautiful messy struggle” (269). Throughout the rest of the novel, Nora has been sure that her root life is not the life she wants to be living. This is the first time that she fully acknowledges that her original life is the life for her, no matter the regrets she previously had regarding it. This is an important point in the novel because it's beginning to resolve the main conflict. Earlier on in the novel, it was stated by a side character, “‘So, you see? Sometimes regrets aren’t based on fact at all. Sometimes regrets are just . . .’” She searched for the appropriate term and found it. ‘A load of bullshit’” (67). As the novel progresses, this is proven true to the reader through Nora's experiences. Although she didn’t fully grasp the truth of the words when they were originally spoken, Nora later learns after living through these regrets that they were built on a fantasy. Haigs’ exploration of this notion opens the reader's eyes to the reality that regrets are often based on idealizations. 

In the novel, Haig effectively demonstrates foreshadowing when during one of Nora’s last lives she thinks; 

“Everyday she went to bed thinking she was going to wake up in this life again, because it was - on balance, and all things considered - the best she had known. Indeed, she progressed from going to bed casually assuming she’d stay in this life to being scared to fall asleep in case she wouldn’t.” (241)

Though Nora hopes she can continue this “perfect life” she still fears she won’t stay in it. Earlier in the novel, it was explained to her that if she was meant to be in a life - truly belonged there - she would stay in it. I think that this demonstrates foreshadowing because shortly after this passage Nora is brought back to The Midnight Library, showing that she was not truly happy with that life. As a reader, this element helps you understand why Nora was brought back and eliminates any feelings of shock at this development. 

This was my first time reading a novel by Matt Haig. I have never read a book that encompasses as many genres as The Midnight Library does. The science fiction and fantasy aspects brought the almost whimsical atmosphere that I enjoy in a novel. At the same time, the book also had strong aspects of realistic fiction, which makes the novel more relatable. Together, these aspects make for a story that can, at times, take you away from the real world, while also hitting readers with lines that hold a harsh reality. 

The Midnight Library provides readers with a relatable story that forces them to rethink their ways of viewing the world. Haig not only addresses and handles serious topics wonderfully, but he also manages to weave a sense of humor into his work. Using these techniques, among others, Haig shows readers the unrealistic tendencies of regrets. Regrets can seem debilitating, but Haig emphasizes that it is not worth it to focus on these, because these regrets are often based on falsities. I would recommend this book primarily to young adults and adults, specifically those who have regrets regarding their life choices. I would also recommend this book to those who enjoy slower-paced novels with few major characters. Overall, The Midnight Library is an eye-opening novel that teaches its readers many lessons while also creating relatable characters and storylines.