In the book, The Midnight Library, Matt Haig crafts a fascinating tale about a very special place that allows those in the space between life and death to read books that play out a different version of their life’s events. Want to know what would have happened had you taken that other job? Or pursued your Olympic dream? Stayed in touch with your friends? Married that guy? The Midnight Library contains all these books that allow you to learn how the story played out under the different scenarios.
It’s a great read, but even more than that, it is a great tool to stimulate your thinking. You’ve only got a limited amount of time in the Library — which books would you pull off the shelf? What endings are you most curious to know? Or, as Nora is forced to confront, “What is the best way to live?”
The book makes clear that in life as well as in the Library, not all stories have a happy ending. Bad stuff still happens. It doesn’t all work out as you have imagined it would. Unfortunate events sometimes have a silver lining. Your choices in one area lead to consequences in other areas, and some things are simply out of your control. It is comforting to know that whatever path you chose, it is a good one.
Whether or not you read the book, take some time to reflect on the questions it poses. If you had a chance to “try another life you could have lived” which one would you pursue?
