Review - 'The Midnight Library' by Matt Haig

"That is just me. I add nothing. I am wallowing in self-pity."

No truer words have been said by Nora, the world's largest wet blanket. Woe is her, folks.

Nora ends up at The Midnight Library, a place between life and death, because she doesn't want to live anymore. The library is full of books, each representing a life she could've had, had she made different choices. Now she has a chance to undo all her numerous regrets and to try out all the lives she's missed out on, to see if there is another one she would like better.

Lest you think I'm cold-hearted for not loving this, I assure you, I'm not. Normally, I love sappy, cheesy, inspirational mush. I watch Hallmark movies. I believe in soulmates and happily ever after. I cry during every sweet scene in every movie. And yet this book left me so cold inside, and I'll try to put into words why.

For one thing, this story doesn't come across as fiction so much as self-help disguised as fiction. The lessons to be learned in here are pretty obvious right from the beginning, yet they are presented like some sort of epiphany that can only be understood if explained slowly and repeatedly. We are forced to endure these lessons over and over every time Nora goes back to the library. Either Nora is the most dim-witted of characters, or the author thinks us readers are.

Another problem is that it's really hard to connect with Nora. She'll take a situation, suck every ounce of joy out of it, and interpret what's left in the most negative way possible. She's full of regret for every decision she's ever made, and thinks the grass is always greener. However, other than being negative, she literally has no other personality traits. She's a blank slate, dull and uninteresting.

I also have issues with the core messages in this book. Nora finally learns her lesson, but only after having fixated on each regret, remade every decision, and lived all subsequent lives. I'm also uncomfortable with the implication that if you're depressed, you only need to change your outlook and you will feel better. That goes against everything we understand about mental illness, including that it's important to seek out professional help, that it can be chemically based, and that it's not a matter of not trying hard enough.

So many readers loved this book, as evidenced by its overwhelmingly favorable reviews. But it's just not for me. This is the second book I've read by Matt Haig, and I've had trouble connecting with both. So I think it's time I part ways with this author and just accept that we are not compatible.

Readaroo Rating: 2 stars