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  • The Midnight Library

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Matt Haig
  • Narrated by: Carey Mulligan
  • Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (3,366 ratings)

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The Midnight Library cover art

The Midnight Library

Written by: Matt Haig
Narrated by: Carey Mulligan
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Publisher's Summary

Between life and death there is a library.  

When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change. The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. 

With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they’d be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger. Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: What is the best way to live?

©2020 Matt Haig (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Editorial Review

What if you could hit rewind and create an alternate life? The Midnight Library opens up that very possibility through the power and magic of books.

When she stumbles upon Mrs. Elm, the school librarian, Nora Seed has no idea of what she is about to find: an amazing new way to escape through reading. As she quickly learns, the books inside this library hold a magical power that allows her to go back and change her life. With books that teach her how to stop time and relive her past, Nora seeks to erase pain, suffering and regrets from her previous life. But, like everything, there is a price to pay for seeking perfection.

Matt Haig delights with this fantasy book full of life lessons, parallel universes and infinite possibilities. A New York Times best seller and one of the best books of its genre, The Midnight Library is full of wonder, mystery and danger. It is both a fantastic story and a cautionary tale of the problems that arise from seeking a perfect life. By following Nora as she tries on new lives— for example, living as a glaciologist—Haig carefully addresses serious issues of mental health and depression while still delivering a wondrous and uplifting tale about valuing one's own life.

This audiobook adaptation is narrated by Carey Mulligan. The renowned actor brings her professional expertise and dreamy British voice to the reading, adding perfectly to the poignant yet fantastic tone of the book. The audiobook was nominated for an Audie Award in 2020.

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What listeners say about The Midnight Library

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

It will change your life perspective !

I think 2020 has been a rough year for a lot of us, and more than ever, a lot of us can really relate to Nora in the beginning of this book. You walk along side Nora every step of the way, and honestly, it kinda feels like you’re walking through a philosophical/spiritual awakening with her. When I started this book, I was in a really dark place, probably the most hopeless I’ve felt all my life. Matt Haig has so many powerful quotes in this book, that really reminds you of all the hope and opportunity that there truly is out there. It’s a great reminder that even when you think everything feels hopeless, there’s so many possibilities. I adored this book, and I can almost dare to say that it saved my life :)

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38 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Like Nora

Perhaps that’s why I found it so easy to connect with this book. I couldn’t stop listening. I found the narrators voice to be fitting and soothing.

If you’re in a similar situation to Nora I’m sure you can find it to be a bit life changing or even thought provoking. I will be listening to this one again and again.

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12 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Read this book!

If you are scrolling through reviews right now trying to figure out if you should read this book, the answer is yes!

I loved this book. It will be a book that I reread many times, and I can already see that I will get something more out of it each time. The narration is amazing as well, It felt comfortable to listen to.

I’ve not ever read a book where I connected more with the main character! This book is my new favourite book, and I’m off to read more Matt Haig books now!

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Banish regret

Powerful and highly entertaining book about beating depression and it’s root causes - like regret. “It is easy to regret, and keep regretting, ad infinitum, until our time runs out. But it is not lives we regret not living that are the real problem. It is the regret itself. It's the regret that makes us shrivel and wither and feel like our own and other people's worst enemy.”

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Truly outstanding!

This book is not only a wonderfully, compelling & beautifully written story; but it is also, perhaps more importantly, life affirming & engenders hope. Definitely going on my fave shelf to be brought out regularly on lifes journey.

Brilliant narration as well!

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fulfills my dream of a grand, undoable do-over

I was hooked from the moment I read the blurb for this book. Like probably every human ever, I have often wondered what my life might be like if only I had done one thing differently, or had done something else at a different time, and so on. Even though intellectually I grasp that we all do the best we can until we know better, this book tapped into the part of me that still has some regrets, particularly when my choices have affected those around me. It pulled out my innermost secrets and shadows and made me think about them in a whole new way. This one goes onto a very short list of books I plan to read (or listen to) again. MUCH LOVE.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Charming and thoughtful

I totally enjoyed this book. Somehow ended up following the author on Instagram and then bought the book. I thought it might be dreary , as the protagonist is a bit ...well, you’ll see. But it’s woven together so thoughtfully and I loved it.

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An Absolutely Unacceptable Take On Mental Health

This book makes me unbelievably angry. I will tell you why.
1) This is the most important one. People with mental health issues do not choose to have issues. They have no control over when it happens, how it affects their life, and how it impacts their daily functioning. The sentiment that people who are depressed "just need to make different choices" makes me SO angry. I am worried that anyone suffering from mental health issues will receive the message "I just need to adjust my attitude", and blame themselves even more for a condition they have no control over. Matt Haig needs to adjust his own attitude, and do a bit more learning and self reflection before he should be allowed to write about mental health (or any health issues for that matter). This book should be taken off the shelves until he realizes his mistake.
2) I like a good metaphor like everyone else, but this book takes a caveman's approach to them. I felt like I was literally being clubbed over the head with the seeds/trees/green/growth.
3) The writing was subpar. Carey Mulligan does her best though.
That's all.

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4 people found this helpful

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Best book I've ever read.

I have been an avid reader for 35 years, and this is without a doubt my favorite book. I can't stop thinking about it days later.

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Fantastic

It was an amazing book and I wish I could listen to it again with fresh ears.

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4 people found this helpful