图书作者与内容简介

Matt Haig is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction. His books often convey the genre of speculative fiction, inspired by the mental breakdown he suffered. 
The Midnight Library is a powerful guide to self-acceptance and cuts to the heart of what matters in life. The day when Nora decides to end her life, she finds herself transported to a library. There, she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out the lives she might have lived.

我的观点

 「The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig is a profound and life-affirming book, inviting readers to reflect on the choices they made and the infinite possibilities that life actually offers. The novel introduces us to Nora Seed, whose life has been going from bad to worse. Despite being only in her thirties, she sees her life as a series of missed opportunities and unfulfilled dreams. For instance, she dreamed of becoming an Olympic swimmer, a philosopher, a glaciologist, and so on. She didn’t become any of them, instead, she was stuck in her hometown working in a shop and struggling to pay the rent. As she is about to end her life at the stroke of midnight, she finds herself transported to the Midnight Library, a place between life and death, where she can try out the infinite possibilities of life arranged on the endless bookshelves.

     The concept of the Midnight Library serves as the key to the story. Each and every book on the library’s bookshelves represents the different versions of Nora’s life, containing the choices and decisions that she made or didn’t make. Due to the existence of the library, Nora is stuck and can’t die as she wishes. She is forced to step into those alternative lives and experience them firsthand. This fantastical premise allows the author to delve into the philosophical aspects of questions that drive the genre. What if we could undo our regrets and make different choices? What defines a 「meaningful life」? And the ultimate question: with infinite choices, what is the best way to live? In this book, Matt Haig explores themes of regret, second chances, and the search for happiness.

     When I first encountered this premise, where I realized that Nora could choose any life she wanted, I actually felt envious of Nora. The idea of trying out different lives seemed absolutely appealing. However, as I followed Nora’s subsequent developments, I came to realize that having the opportunity to start over doesn’t necessarily guarantee living the life we desire; even making the choices one initially considers the right choices. For example, once Nora chose the life of one of her childhood dreams, being an athlete. In this life, she spends most of her time dedicated to intense swimming training. She did indeed become an Olympic athlete with a healthy body, surrounded by her family, and giving speeches to large audiences. It appeared that she belonged to the 「winning」 side of life, nevertheless, Nora’s admiration from others was built solely on her success. Despite those apparent fulfillment and those around her, she isn’t happy. 

     As the storyline continues, Nora navigates through multiple lives she could have led, and so do we readers. From being an Olympic swimmer to a famous musician or a glaciologist in the Arctic, each life offers unique experiences and lessons to Nora. As I accompany Nora Seed on her journey, I am prompted to consider my own choices and what I value most in life. It seems too early to think of life in this stage of life, as a teenager, but I find it quite helpful for me to remain in a positive state of mind. Throughout the process of reading the book, as Nora tries countless different lives, I, like her, am convinced that it isn’t possible to find a 「perfect」 life because we think that the next life may be a better one. That is why we should unlock those regrets and move forward in life.
「She realized that she hadn’t tried to end her life because she was miserable, but because she had managed to convince herself that there was no way out of misery.」

     In the end, Nora finally found the meaning of life and accepted who she was in her root life. With every decision, she could be anyone and live any life she wants, because it is she who writes the remaining blank pages of that book of her root life. However, it’s important for us to understand that we cannot predict what will happen in the future, and the decisions we make can only influence the likelihood of success but not guarantee it. Therefore, there’s no need to blame ourselves for unfavorable outcomes, as long as we make decisions with a clear conscience. In fact, Nora’s life is similar to that of most people like us, filled with regrets as well as things to look forward to. Dwelling on the past can only hold us back. It’s only when we, like Nora, continue to try and find the reasons and meaning for our existence that we can truly feel the beauty of life from within.

「The Midnight Library」 is a story of hope, self-discovery, and the pursuit of happiness that will surely resonate with anyone who has ever questioned their path or existence in life. It reminds us that it is never too late to rewrite our own stories and find what we want in the life we now have and are living.