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The Midnight Library Characters | GradeSaver At the beginning of the story, Nora feels completely trapped in her bad circumstances. It reveals how exploring these unlived lives has opened her up to the idea that she can make a change in her daily life. Once the lava slows and cools, it solidifies and then breaks down over time to become soil - rich, fertile soil. 4 Mar. This is the last line of the novel. The Midnight Library But there are also limitations to this style of narration. What is the main theme of The Midnight Library? 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. Ultimately, she is able to extend this grace and forgiveness to herself, too. This is the book of regrets. Would any of these other lives truly be better? "Doing one thing differently is often the same as doing everything differently.". There may be bits you don't like, a few dodgy side streets and suburbs, but the good stuff makes it worthwhile., As Thoreau wrote, Its not what you look at that matters, its what you see., You dont have to understand life. I am staying here. Throughout the novel, readers cant help but question their past decisions, both major and minor, along with Nora. My word of the year this year is SELF, and I dont feel like I can be my best self if Im only experiencing a limited range of feelings. 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. 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. Hes best known for the novelHow to Stop Time, but he has a new novel just out on September 29 calledThe Midnight Library, which sounds equally intriguing. Symbolism She decides to overdose on pills,but does not meet the oblivion she was hoping for. Melendez, John. 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. We just have to close our eyes and savour the taste of the drink in front of us and listen to the song as it plays. Nora Seed is the main character of the novel. This is a must-read for those of us given to endlesswhat ifs. BookRiot, Haig is one of the most inspirational popular writers on mental health of our age and, in his latest novel, he has taken a clever, engaging concept and created a heart-warming story that offers wisdom in the same deceptively simple way as Mitch Alboms best tales. Independent (UK), Just beautiful . 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. because a pawn is never just a pawn. Once a gifted swimmer and musician, she currently works in a music shop and gives piano lessons. . Acres of disappointment and monotony and hurts and rivalries but with flashes of wonder and beauty. [1] It was abridged and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 over ten episodes in December 2020. Ed. The Midnight Library Themes - eNotes.com Yet Nora is not particularly tragic or heroic, so I found that I couldnt connect with her, which is a shame because there are no true secondary characters in the novel. Midnight Library Discuss the theme of childhood as presented in "Games at Twilight" by Anita Desai. I was both intrigued and uneasy about the use of a fantastical library to explore something as real and horrific as suicidal depression. Let's look at some examples of these. WebThe Midnight Library Quotes and Analysis "Doing one thing differently is often the same as doing everything differently." "A Conversation About Rain" to "The Chessboard", "The Only Way to Learn Is to Live" to "System Error", Read the Study Guide for The Midnight Library. from Franciscan University of Steubenville M.A. 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. 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. Choice and regret: The novel But it is boring. Endless stacks of books tower over Nora as she walks up-and-down the isles of The Midnight Library. 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. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. 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. Each life that Nora samples represents potential, yet none of them satisfy Nora. It makes for a great philosophical read about the regrets we have in life. The Midnight Library is a fantasy novel by Matt Haig, published on 13 August 2020 by Canongate Books. And you can get to the other side and unlock all kinds of power., It is quite a revelation to discover that the place you wanted to escape to is the exact same place you escaped from. Nora's regrets range from not marrying her ex-boyfriend Dan to failing to become an Olympic swimmer. 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. This feels somewhat at odds with a lot of the things we are taught about the pursuit of happiness. Writing from lived experience, Haig is right to critically examine the efficacy of powerful medication; however, in a book that treats every other aspect of mental health with such compassion, it is disappointing to find an implicit disregard for what is, for many who battle with suicidal urges, a life-saving and life-maintaining treatment. Instead she finds herself wandering an enormous library, where the books without titles enable her to rewrite her own life story by undoing the decisions that have haunted her as regrets. Nora returns to her old life because she has a renewed sense of possibility. It is easy to mourn the lives we aren't living. The Midnight Library Themes | SuperSummary This theory is explored in the alternative lives generated by minor changes, like going on a date or not keeping a cat inside. Midnight Library What does the first potential life reveal? You get no sense of the length of those longitudes and latitudes. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original Things begin to get more chaotic. Maybe even the most seemingly perfectly intense or worthwhile lives ultimately felt the same. He asks her on a date once and she wonders if there might be something between them romantically. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. WebIn the Midnight Library, Mrs. Elm says that she can't overlook minor decisions, because, in chess, every piece has the potential to radically change the course of a game, just like these choices can reshape a life. She is described as a sweet and happy child. 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. Nora has a life, one that she has nearly turned her back on, and this life roots her, grounds her, in reality. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. Curl up in a window seat or Then, she is fired from her job of twelve years. The library allows Nora to reverse her regrets and pursue different iterations of her existence. 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. Her parents who both had their own insecurities, had encouraged that idea. Embrace that you-ness. What is the significance of the multiverse or many-worlds theory in The Midnight Library. Acres of disappointment and monotony and hurts and rivalries but with flashes of wonder and beauty. This was the first book I finished since the first lockdown life, work, babies, teaching and all that other stuff has got in the way of my love of reading. Most gossip is envy in disguise., Never underestimate the big importance of small things, A person was like a city. It is about a young woman named Nora Seed, who lives a monotonous, ordinary life and feels 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.. More books than SparkNotes. WebThe library is a symbol of possibilities and choices. 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. 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. Readers first meet Nora almost two decades before she tries to end her life. Nora thought This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The dialogue flows naturally and the characters come to life. 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. The basic premise is that a woman called Nora decides to kill herself, and before she dies she finds herself in the Midnight Library. 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. The Midnight Library was my introduction to Matt Haig and I thoroughly enjoy his writing. This is the best life.". The paradox of volcanoes was that they were symbols of destruction but also life. Symbolism is especially heavy in this story. 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. In this storyline, she owns a pub with her husband Dan. Nora, who is treated like a mistake in need of correction by her mother, seeks comfort and kindness from Ms Elm, after finding out her father has died. 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. Exploring the meaning of life in The Midnight Library What is the atmosphere in the short story "Private Tuition by Mr Bose" by Anita Desai? 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. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Nora feels sad that they have drifted apart over the years. Love and laughter and fear and pain are universal currencies. Endorse it. The Midnight Library WebA) It tells the reader that Nora will die when she is 19. That was how she had felt most of her life. The Midnight Library is out now in the UK and America. The novel opens with her playing chess with Nora and talking about the possibilities of life. And don't give a second thought when people mock it or ridicule it. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. That idea of a root life is one of the central metaphors of the story. WebNora is the main character in The Midnight Library.She is a 35-year-old British woman who lives alone with her cat in the quiet town of Bedford. Log in here. 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. Due to the Treaty of You alone, can climb the stairs of the strange, old Victorian mansion and be somewhat welcomed by your Hosts, Miranda Merrick & Mr. The novel alludes to Henry David Thoreau, too, whose writings guide Nora to understand the difference between loneliness and solitude. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Aim to be you. Plain and simple. Haig bases The Midnight Library around one central theme and a common human curiosity: what is the purpose of life? It also shows her that her choices often have surprising outcomes. However, on meeting Nora a complex but deeply likeable character I had faith that the book would be a compassionate illustration of an often stigmatised experience. This is a moment late in the book in which Mrs. Elm informs Nora that the library will cease to exist if she dies. Why does Nora return to her old life at the end of the novel? "Between life and death there is a library," she said. Aim to be you. My views may probably be a little surprising for some, given that this book is an award-winner and has a rating of more than 4 out of 5 on various review websites. Like Nora, our regrets encourage us to make different decisions in our future, and redirect our time and energy towards activities, people and ways of living that make us feel happy. She later reappears as a younger version of herself in the Midnight Library, where she assists Nora in traveling to her various unlived lives. Each book is a different shade of green and can grant Nora access into a parallel or perpendicular universe where another version of herself is living a completely different or only slightly different life. WebA symbol can be an object, a sound, or a bodily sensation. Midnight Library Ryan Bailey is a fictional movie star. 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. 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. However, in one of her parallel lives, she learns that he is unhappy with her and cheats on her. Whether its through a fictional characters narrative or summaries of his personal experiences, Haig encourages readers to let go of their past and make the most of their present, and The Midnight Library is no exception to this trend. This Study Guide consists of approximately 50 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and eNotes.com, Inc. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. The Midnight Library study guide contains a biography of Matt Haig, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. When Nora tries to kill herself, she ends up in a library with Mrs. Elm, the school librarian she knew in her childhood. What does the chessboard symbolize in the novel? 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. Matt Haig Quotes The sense of possibility she feels as she considers where to move the piece on the board suggests that the same sense of possibility exists in her life.