The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig

 

Characters

Root Life: Nora Seed Parents Joe – brother Ravi – The Labyrinth band with Joe Mrs. Elm – school librarian Dan – fiancé Neil – owner, String Theory Izzy – best friend Leo – piano lessons with Nora Mr. Banerjee - neighbor Voltaire - cat Ash – neighbor who found Voltaire alongside road   Book of Regrets: Quit swimming Didn’t take care of Voltaire Cancelled wedding with Dan Left band Backed out of trip to Australia with Izzy   Sample lives: Owned pub with Dan Back with Voltaire Australia Successful swimming career Artic researcher – met Hugo Lefevre, fellow “slider” Band with Ravi Working at dog shelter – Dylan, boyfriend Owned Buena Vista Vineyard – Husband Eduardo, son Alejandro Married to Ash – daughter, Molly

 

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from hardback edition.

1.       Did you like author’s writing style?  For example, Nora’s life at the pub was described as “a life where she put four exclamation marks in a row” (page 43) and the pub was described as “warm and characterful” (page 44).

2.       Did you like the references to different philosophers?

3.       At one point, Mrs. Elm, quoting Thoreau, said, “We only know what we perceive. Everything we experience is ultimately just our perception of it.  ‘It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see’” (page 219).  Can you think of an example of this from the book?

4.       Mrs. Elm told Nora multiple times to “Never underestimate the big importance of small things” (page 254).  What small things made a difference to Nora and to the other people in her life?

5.       Mrs. Elm also told Nora that “Even the bad experiences are serving a purpose, don’t you see?” (page 186).  What bad experiences did Nora have that helped her find her own life?  Have you had bad experiences that in the end led to successes?

6.       In the life where Nora was preforming with The Labyrinth, she was interviewed for an article.  In the interview, she made the observation, “we spend so much time wishing our lives were different, comparing ourselves to other people, and to other versions of ourselves, when really most lives contain degrees of good and degrees of bad” (page 179).  Is this true?  Was Nora unrealistically looking for the perfect life? 

7.       Did the author present the other lives fairly?  For example, could Nora have been happy as a successful swimmer or musician or in the life where she was married to Ash?

8.       In which of the various sample lives do you think Nora would have been the happiest?

9.       Did the author do a good job of describing what it was like for Nora to suddenly find herself in an unknown life?  How do you think you would have handled the experience?

10.   Would you recommend this book to someone else?  Why or why not?