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Not affiliated with Harvard College. 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 decides to overdose on pills,but does not meet the oblivion she was hoping for. Cooper, James ed. Why does Nora return to her old life at the end of the novel? Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. 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. You are giving up at the worst possible moment. He also purchases a Simon and Garfunkel guitar songbook from her at the music store. The Midnight Library was my introduction to Matt Haig and I thoroughly enjoy his writing. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. Completely agree, feeling all of the feels is being alive even when the tears flow. WebThat is not to say that The Midnight Library is a miss. There are so many versions of you out there. She ruminates on the failures she has made, believing, Every move had been a mistake, every decision a disaster, every day a retreat from who shed imagined shed be.. Regardless of their genre, his writing explores the many elements that impact a persons satisfaction with life. What is the atmosphere in the short story "Private Tuition by Mr Bose" by Anita Desai? What does the chessboard symbolize in the novel? Melendez, John. WebThe midnight library represents a chance for Nora to erase her regrets. Sitting in a gloomy high school library, she is playing chess with the schools librarian, Mrs. Elm. 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. We know well by now I think that life isnt about being blissfully happy all the time, but often this is replaced with the idea of the pursuit of contentment a low key level of satisfaction that comes from appreciating small things in life, managing our own expectations and generally trying to keep on an EVEN KEEL. The pivotal moments for Nora dont happen when shes just CONTENT. Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday! This is the best life.". 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. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Nora then begins to hop from universe to universe, testing out these alternative realities. All we know is shes been given a second chance, one she fought desperately for towards the end of the novel. She discovers that she also cannot teleport back to the library. These relationship changes are often the best indicator of a given lifes suitabilityin lives where she is still close to Joe and Izzy, in particular, she feels a sense of relief that a universal wrong has been righted. This description lays out the mechanics of this otherworldly setting, framing Nora's subsequent adventures in the rest of the novel. 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. 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. More books than SparkNotes. Maybe that's what all lives were though. Aim to be you. She realizes, too, that she can always make new and better choices going forward. At the beginning of the story, Nora feels completely trapped in her bad circumstances. And 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. This is the best life for me. Here, she finds herself slowly slipping away, despite wishing she could stay longer, as she knows this is not where she belongs. 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. How does LIFE make you feel? 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. Shes lived in Alaska, Australia and England. "The Midnight Library Characters". Maybe that was the only meaning that mattered. You get no sense of the length of those longitudes and latitudes. You just have to live it., Youre overthinking it. I have anxiety. "And Nora smiled as she stared at all the pieces she still had left in play, thinking about her next move.". Early in the book, However, in both of these lives, she perceives things that are missing and comes to question the cost that came with their notoriety. Like Nora, Hugo is a fellow traveler through his alternative lives. Refresh and try again. Matt Haig fills his novel The Midnight Library with many literary devices, especially symbolism, metaphor, and allusion. What does the library symbolize in The Midnight Library? The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Though this immediate danger quickly passesNora survives the encounter with the polar bear and is complimented for her bravery by the other members of the expeditionthis is an important moment in the book as it shows her definitively deciding she wants to keep living. But amid pure naturesolitude took on a different character. There arent those difficult chapters at the beginning where you have to get to know the characters, you never say it took me a while to get into but youre just THERE, in the story from page one. Love it. Would any of these other lives truly be better? They itch for ever., It was interesting, she mused to herself, how life sometimes simply gave you a whole new perspective by waiting around long enough for you to see it., She realised that you could be as honest as possible in life, but people only see the truth if it is close enough to their reality., Maybe that's what all lives were, though. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. And it became astoundingly clear to her, finally, in that moment: This quote occurs in the moment Nora is nearly attacked by a polar bear. In another she is a swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. To be the world, witnessing itself. *Im sure if I actually came face to face with a polar bear I would NOT want polar bears. His books are YA, but theyre not advertised as YA. Assuming the errors were somehow removed from the book, do you think you would have felt differently about the book had it been sold to you as a YA title? 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. 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. date the date you are citing the material. When Nora tries to kill herself, she ends up in a library with Mrs. Elm, the school librarian she knew in her childhood. How did it make you feel? The talented aspiring Olympic swimmer turned aspiring rock star now aspires only to stop living. She eventually learns that her root life is the best one for her. Ed. In this storyline, she owns a pub with her husband Dan. Remember how much you wanted life.". online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. Haig himself is an accomplished writer, and his books have been very successful in approaching the darker themes of mental illness, regret and death, often in unique ways. Have you read The Midnight Library? Long after Nora has graduated and forgotten about those after-school chess sessions, she finds herself utterly disappointed with all aspects of her life. In a few instances, Nora chooses lives that are radically different from her root life. 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. However, in one of her parallel lives, she learns that he is unhappy with her and cheats on her. I dont think polar bears look this chummy in real life. In this library, Nora Seed finds endless books which contain different versions of the life she could have lived. However, she quickly discovers that their marriage is deeply troubled, as he drinks too much and is unfaithful to her. It can also be a character, or an act. More books than SparkNotes. 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. Matt Haig. Her discoveries ultimatelyprove life-affirming in Matt Haigs dazzling fantasy. Christian Science Monitor, Charminga celebration of the ordinary: ordinary revelations, ordinary people, and the infinity of worlds seeded in ordinary choices. The Guardian, A brilliant premise and great fun. Daily Mail, An uplifting, poignant novel about regret, hope and second chances David Nicholls, author ofOne Day, Would we really make better choices if we could step back in time? B) It foreshadows Noras tragic death. The image of the chessboard symbolizes possibility in the novel. 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. A) They were about to sign a record deal. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. WebThe Midnight Library Symbols & Objects. While the The Midnight Library is available from NLB Overdrive and copies can also be bought from retailers such as Amazon. One cement-grey book, however, is different from the rest. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . The narrator knows all the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist, Nora, but not of any of the other characters. After visiting all these alternative lives for a temporary amount of time, Nora rediscovers lifes potential and her personal will-to-live. Containing every regret Nora has had in her 35 years of life, this book allows Nora to pinpoint choices in her life she wishes to undo and guide her towards a life in which she did the exact opposite. The basic premise is that a woman called Nora decides to kill herself, and before she dies she finds herself in the Midnight Library. Her parents who both had their own insecurities, had encouraged that idea. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Fine is keeping yourself in check, being cautious, not using your heart and your mind to its full potential. Photo by Ivo Rainha on Unsplash. That idea of a root life is one of the central metaphors of the story. Standing, From as far back as she could remember, she'd had the sense that she wasn't enough. "What literary devices are used in The Midnight Library?" date the date you are citing the material. Nora likens herself to a black hole because her life is imploding daily; when the novel opens, the omniscient narrator mentions that Nora will commit suicide. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. What is the significance of the multiverse or many-worlds theory in The Midnight Library. The novel opens with her playing chess with Nora and talking about the possibilities of life. publication online or last modification online. This line indicates that Nora is beginning to learn that marrying Dan would have been a huge mistake and that some of the things she regrets not doing would have turned out poorly. English novelist and author of The Midnight Library, Matt Haig, has written several fiction and non-fiction books. WebMrs. Nora's regrets range from not marrying her ex-boyfriend Dan to failing to become an Olympic swimmer. Endorse it. 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. from Franciscan University of Steubenville M.A. Petrified by fear, Nora realizes she has to do something to scare off the bear before it mauls her. In The Midnight Library, thirty-five-year-old Nora finds out from a handsome young surgeon, Ash, that her beloved cat has been killed. 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. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. WebA) It tells the reader that Nora will die when she is 19. In each of them, she gradually gathers details about the life she is inhabiting from conversations and the physical feeling of her body. 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. I want more than fine. Before the midnight library, she never took the time to evaluate what she really wants or Remember how you felt after the polar bear. We are as completely and utterly alive as we are in any other life and have access to the same emotional spectrum.. 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 one she is a famous rockstar. 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. The Midnight Library explores the complex psychological dynamics of choice and regret. Superb post! The library allows Nora to reverse her regrets and pursue different iterations of her existence. Reader expectations are HUGELY important to the reading experience, I think. Maybe even the most seemingly perfectly intense or worthwhile lives ultimately felt the same. 70 episodes. It's you, Nora. . 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. 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. Matt Haig has written several books that draw from his personal experiences with depression, suicide and mental wellness, The Midnight Library Tackles Regret and Choices in a Quirky Way. After a particularly bad day, she decides that she no longer wants to keep living. Aim to be you. 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. All you need to do is find a way to keep moving forward. Aim to look and act and think like you. 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. I usually read three books at Accessed 4 Mar. 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.. Self-harm is discussed throughout the novel, with calmness and grace, as Haig describes the tell-tale scar lines that Nora notices on her body in some of the different lives that she enters. 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. Error rating book. Other than the symbolically interesting locale, the story is largely driven by the choices made by the protagonist, Nora Seed. Nora had always had a problem accepting herself. You have more to offer. By the end of The Midnight Library though I was left feeling like an even keel doesnt really cut it. She now has a Knowing now that her choices can have a dramatic and unforeseen impact, she feels more hopeful about how much she can change things. The library is a symbol of possibilities and choices. Cloud State University M.A. Why are Ravi and Joe upset that Nora left the band? 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. If you follow me on Instagram stories, youll know that I accidentally stayed in bed until lunchtime one day this week reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The novel opens with her playing chess with Nora and talking about the possibilities of life. C) It reveals to readers something that Nora likely does not know. GradeSaver, 29 December 2022 Web. When she finds herself in the Midnight Library, Nora is offered the opportunity to reckon with her regrets by finding out what would have happened if she had made other choices in her life. This was not the life she imagined it to be. 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. WebSymbolism In Night By Elie Wiesel. They were in a band together and their relationship was fractured when Nora decided to not pursue a record deal or tour with the band. It isnt long, however, until disappointment slowly creeps back into Noras heart and transports her, unwillingly, back to The Midnight Library. I cant describe how much his work means to me. Web Matt Haig, The Midnight Library 1115 likes Like If you aim to be something you are not, you will always fail. WebThe Midnight Library According to Mrs. Elm , the Midnight Library is the physical embodiment of a state between life and deathan in-between state. One of the pivotal moments in the book happens when, in one of her parallel lives, Nora is confronted by a polar bear. In her real life, she often ruminates about their breakup. I am staying here. eNotes Editorial, 19 Feb. 2022, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-literary-devices-are-used-in-the-midnight-3023590. She is caught in an inevitable cycle: Nora suffers from panic attacks and anxiety, and her mental health often leads her to lose momentum. The Midnight Library Quotes Showing 1-30 of 1,208. What does the first potential life reveal? 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 Where the Mind Is Without Fear (Gitanjali 35), The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. It means lack. Overall Rating: 3/5 Reviewed by: Haris Arman Thong ReadNUS Team Member Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. 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. She discovers that all the dreams she thought she lost out on were really other peoples dreams. Symbolism is especially heavy in this story. Cooper, James ed. She explains how dissatisfied she is to the world in one final Facebook post before attempting suicide. What are the main themes in The Midnight Library? Love and laughter and fear and pain are universal currencies. As Mrs. Elm, the librarian at the Midnight Library, puts it, You have as many lives as you have possibilities. However, death is not that simple, as Nora embarks on a journey of other potential lives she could have lived. WebThe Midnight Library Character List Nora Seed Nora Seed is the main character of the novel. Indeed, Noras regrets constitute one of the major forces driving the novels narrative. Ryan Bailey is a fictional movie star. It reveals how exploring these unlived lives has opened her up to the idea that she can make a change in her daily life. The Question and Answer section for The Midnight Library is a great 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. WebThe closest secondary character, Mrs Elm, is witty, but feels more like a transient character without much power to accelerate the events in the novel. 1,304,772 ratings, 4.02 average rating, 141,977 reviews. She discovers that he cheated on her in the past and that in this timeline their relationship is deeply fractured. Throughout the novel, Nora contemplates the meaning of life in terms that are often influenced by major figures of Western philosophy. Plain and simple. Just as, she supposed, it is hard to have a sense of the vastness inside any one person. 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. 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. In this way, the novel highlights how her life always had a hidden potential for change. because a pawn is never just a pawn. You cant have one without the other. This ability, she discovers, is double-edged: in one alternate life, she doesnt let anxiety undermine a record deal before she, her brother, and their friend Ravi sign with a major label. In these depictions, the image of a chessboard is used to illustrate the idea that life is full of variable outcomes. "The Midnight Library - Themes" eNotes Publishing Cooper, James ed. Seeing this allows her to realize that Dan was never the right person for her and that she shouldn't regret having broken things off with him. How does Nora change and grow over the course of The Midnight Library? 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. She is described as a sweet and happy child. Maybe even the most seemingly perfectly intense or worthwhile lives ultimately felt the same. In the first life Nora travels to, she owns a pub with her husband Dan. Look at how ordered and safe and peaceful it looks now, before a game starts.