Is the Midnight Library by Matt Haig overrated? A book review
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- Опубликовано: 12 янв 2021
- Not all hyped books are overrated...but some are. Is the Midnight Library by Matt Haig one of them? Let me know what you thought of the Midnight Library in the comments! It seems like everyone is reading this right now.
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I feel like this book is the kind of book where it needs to come into your life at the right time. Everyone is going to have different opinions on it but for me I read it when I really had no idea where my life was going but reading it reassured me that everything would be okay and my regrets don’t matter much anymore because this is the life for me. I do agree with many people that it got a little bit preachy toward the end and I felt like it was somewhat rushing through but it also fits in with the fact that Nora went to college for philosophy
I TOTALLY agree. Everyone I've talked to that just fell in love with it usually mentions that it just hit at the right time in their life. I still enjoyed it but probably wasn't at a point in my life where I really NEEDED it, so to speak.
So true. I was in total devastation mode and i needed it right now. Finished it in 1.5 days only and i feel better now.
it came at the absolutely right time for me
It came at the right time for me also, a loan from a friend. I had not even heard of Matt Haig. I agree it’s not a GREAT book, but its very faults make it more accessible to more people.
Nora is a terrific character and Mr Haig could perhaps have done her a little more justice.
Great way to say it!
I was the opposite. I went in with no expectations and ended up loving it.
I think it's a very good book, just not quite five stars! I think your opinion is pretty common!
Omg me too!!
Yeah. It was the same for me. I really liked it.
Best approach to reading any book for that matter! I do the same.
I went in with no expectations but then i heard it was famous and had mixed reviews so maybe it affected my views
Honestly, I think with this book, it really depends on the mental state the reader is in. It was very touching for many people who had experienced analogous, if not the same, feelings. It did a great job at feeling lost in your own life and living for other people without really acknowledging it. If I read this book a few years ago, I probably wouldn't have developed a connection to it as much as I have right now. Because it's a fast read, many people might assume it wouldn't be that profound or abstruse but it is all about perspective. Once you really get into it and start analyzing it on your own without the author telling you to do so, you start to value the little elements that were aforementioned throughout the story. For me, the quote, "Nora wanted to live in a world where no cruelty existed, but the only worlds she had available to her were worlds with humans in them"(197), was ingenious. It is easy for most people to quickly read through this sentence without giving it much thought since the author barely gave any context regarding this subject. However, I can write a whole essay solely based on this single sentence. I would say that it is one of those books that is underrated by being overrated (considered a read that doesn't require much peruse and personal notation, unlike many classics).
I completely agree with your first statement. As I've discussed this book with more and more people, it seems life experience and time period while reading this book can play a big role in how you feel about it. I mean, I still really enjoyed it, it just wasn't quite as profound for me. But some friends I have who have had similar struggles as Nora found it much deeper. So, that certainly plays a part.
OMG SAME I MARKED THAT SENTENCE
Personally I’ve never had an emotional reaction to a book (just not who I am) and by the end of this book I was crying. Happy cries, sad cries m, I was rooting for her. This has become my favorite book of all time and it stuck with me for days afterwards.
I rarely have emotional reactions to books too, so I have to say that just because a book doesn't illicit that from me probably doesn't mean a lot. I'm so glad you had such a reaction! It probably has a lot to do with life experiences!
I felt the same as you about this book. It was a mistake to finish this book in a public study area lol.
Same !
This book is definitely one of my favorite reads, EVER. I think it's because I identify with Nora 101%. So every philosophical quote, lesson learned, struggle, hit me deep. But everything is not for everyone (as Nora discovered with her many lives) so your review is valid for you.
Recently, I started reading this for a bookclub read. At first, I thought I wasn't going to like it but I really enjoyed it. This deals with a very real subject: Depression and suicide. This book also sent a message that life is worth living and there's light at the end of the tunnel.
I saw this book in every bookstore and I finally read it. The beginning was powerful, but after awhile it getting too preachy for me.
It certainly wasn't as subtle as it could be, a problem I see in a lot of modern books. Instead of letting the reader form their own opinions with what is presented, they try to force you into a conclusion
As someone with a history of depression and a s*icide attempt, this book was amazing. I could understand everything Nora was feeling. and by the end of it, I was thinking hard about my life and how i want to feel better. My favorite book rn, but that will change bc i olán on reading more.
It got me out of a book slump, i finished reading it so quickly when a few weeks ago i couldn’t get through 1 chapter of a book without getting bored.
A lot of my friends who also suffer with depression said this book was incredible and really spoke to them. I definitely think personal history matters a lot with this one
This book came at a really good time for me, I'm a very indecisive person and I'm always worried that I'd be happier had I made a different choice, permanently thinking that the grass is greener! So the message that I drew from the book of "the perfect life doesn't exist" was something I needed to hear (or read rather lol), I see the book as about regret instead of depression, and how the former can lead to the latter if you think of other lives too much
I recently finished reading this book and by the end I was crying. I LOVED the “Just a nobody that’s been everybody” message that Nora wrote at the end. I’m a person that has a lot of times wondered how things would’ve been different so I was able to relate to this book so much. It has truly given me a new outlook on life and helped me to see that there’s no way to know if those other decisions would’ve actually turned out better than where I am now. We just have to keep living and understanding that “it’s not about what you look at, it’s what you see.” It’s completely up to us to create the reality of our dreams❤.
This book reminded me of the film Soul. Both are about the protagonists realizing that they need to live their lives better.
I loved this book so much and I just chose to accept it for its cheesiness and "excess" positivity at the end (I would hype up my friends in a similar style). Because I'm so emotional, I got the feeling you get from a good motivational speech at the end. It was so beautiful for me to see Nora realize that she has the potential from all those lives within her. It made me feel like even if I'm not rich and/or famous, I've got it good, and I've got potential.
That was my first Matt Haig's book. Just finished reading it today.
What i liked:
-The concept of the book/plot/story.
-Taking heavy issues like anxiouty and depression & making them easy to read, & in a form of novel.
What i didn't like:
-Too cheesy Christmassy ending.
-Lack of profound poetic metaphoric writing (it was too much straight forward writing for my taste, that was missing a little bit of spices).
Overall:
I do recommend. 4 Stars out of 5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
P.S.
When reading, i use to uncover the book's cover. It was pleasent to see that the actual book's colour was green (as the books in the Midnight Library). So i felt myself holding a book from this magical library.
And thank you for your review. I totally agree with all what you said.
I immediately went and checked my cover and it's navy blue! I'm legitimately disappointed, I love the idea if it being green like in the novel itself.
I agree with all of your points. I think another thing that hurt it is just that it was obvious her current life was going to be the one she chose even from the very beginning, so that takes a little tension out of the story. Still a good one though.
@@Bookborn oh no😌, now i feel sad not everyone got a green book as in the midnight library. Thought it was intended to be green.
I loved this book. I read it right when I needed it and it was like a bandage, a sparkle of hope. I could honestly say that this book changed me.
I just finished this book! I found I had a really hard time liking Nora. I love what Hank was going for and I do think he made the idea of a multiverse accessible to the average reader. The different lives made it hard for me to fully immerse myself in the book as you always get pulled back to the midnight library. Lovely review and just subscribed to see more 🥰
Thanks for the support! I think sometimes characters that have depression can be hard to read from and feel frustrating (at least for me, someone who does not deal with depression) but I found I was able to forgive it and understand her perspective in this book.
I agree...I found her really annoying tbh and the take on depression just felt whiny rather than emotional or existential dread/emptiness. It felt over all too shallow a take - maybe better for pre-teens or teens rather than as adult fiction.
@@sam-wt1gq Sure, teens, but also adult readers with nearly dormant brains (depression makes intelligent adults stupid).
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Anxious People. I couldn't decide what to read next. It was between the midnight library or the push. Now thanks to you I'm going for anxious people. I read the synopsis and I loved it.
I hope you like it!
I think it was overrated. I felt it was a 288-page predictable cliche.
It was very predictable based on premise alone - you can't exactly end a book with "oh wow, if I had made different decisions I WOULD be so much happier! wow!" lol so it was obvious what the end game was from the beginning.
Also Hi! You just added me on instagram too haha I recognize the name
@@Bookborn yep! I just started my Bookstagram this week and wanted to see if you had one. I’ve been watching for a while though!
@@readingwithrobson3911 You going to join booktube too?!
@@Bookborn one step at a time lol. Thinking about doing 60 second book reviews on TikTok to start my life in front of the camera
@@readingwithrobson3911 Good luck!!
I just loved how the book made you feel like you were feeling what Nora was feeling not just seeing her feel them, it makes this book one that I enjoyed
Idc what anyone says. This book is fucking gorgeous
I just finished it and oh my god. Easily has become my current fav book
Our opinions with this book varies. For some who are experiencing anxiety and depression, it was totally relatable and it hits home for sure. But for some who are not, they might have the opposite.
And one thing I wanna share that I learned from this book whether you are suffering from depression or not:
We are exactly in the place where we are supposed to be ❤️
I've heard from many people struggling with depression that this book really spoke to them.
I read this in november/december and it became my favourite of the year (probably of all time, too)! :)
A lot of people have been saying that! Like I said, I still thought it was a really good book, just didn't hit that favorite spot for me.
Amen to all the telling instead of showing. I loved the first third, then things went downhill. It completely failed to touch me, I think because there were so many different lives she tried out. It got tedious after a while and I honestly didn’t care for what happened because I knew she was gonna step away from that life anyway very soon.
SPOILERS BELOW
Also I thought it was completely strange that in that “happy family version” where she was so happy... she didn’t feel bad because she had robbed the other version of herself of her family. I get it, it’s herself, but still. All the time she got to spend with her daughter was time that the “real” mother couldn’t spend with that daughter.
I think my issue was that the different lives weren't really *experienced*. Like because she didn't remember anything, she didn't really know how it felt to be in that life. So that sort of bothered me, and I think it would've been more interesting if we actually knew what had happened in those different lives.
And for your spoiler question...didn't the librarian say those memories would come back to the other person? I don't remember.
@@Bookborn yes! She always had to find out who she was and how everyone was feeling and that meant that all of the relationships she experienced in those lives was sort of secondhand. Not real.
Regarding the memories of the other Noras: yes, her memories were inserted, I think... but I feel like that’s not the same. It’s the difference between experiencing something yourself and watching it in the pensieve, I guess.
@@Bookborn But isn't that the main point? She was destined to live her root life and that would be the life for her regardless of all the other "potential lives". She just needed to *know* that those were not the lives for her and stop blaming herself for the decisions she didn't make. Mrs. Elm's purpose was never to make her choose a different life, it was for her to let go of the book of regrets, which she eventually did. The repetition of the possible lives Nora went through signified the dedication she had for finding the "perfect" one, which never existed.
@@badelakman949 I suppose I read it differently! I felt that it was perfectly possible that another life could've been happier, although I knew from the beginning she'd obviously choose her own life, simply because the ramifications of choosing another life would be too depressing to a reader. However, I still feel like the book suffered from not being able to fully understand the different lives she was leading.
I enjoyed it and I think it works better as a mental health book than just a fiction book--it helped me out a lot in that regard. I actually like Matt Haig's How To Stop Time a lot more.
I thought it was a bit overrated as well . I went in thinking it may be over hyped so I wasn’t disappointed but wasn’t blown away either. I did enjoy it though.
Spoiler alert:
I didn’t like how in each life how she chose a path and she was successful at each thing. For example she chose to continue with swimming and she made it all the way to the Olympics, she choose to continue with music and she’s playing sold out stadiums. A little to far fetched. And the article she wrote from her hospital bed at the end was more like a letter from the author. But just a little nitpicking , overall I enjoyed it.
Oooh I didn't even think of that! Like where's the life where she just became an okay swimmer lol. I was more annoyed by the fact that she couldn't remember anything so I don't think she actually got to experience those lives. Like they may have been pretty great if she could actually remember haha
Right!? That bothered me a lot actually. She's so perfect in many other lives but the book hardly touches on the ones where she's not
I had this one on my radar before it started getting so much hype and never got around to reading it. I feel like my expectations are so high now I don’t know if it could ever live up to them
The good news is it's still a good book! But yeah...this is why I usually try to avoid reviews so I don't get over hyped haha
This is my absolutely favorite book! I went into it with no expectations since I didn't even know that book before lol. But I really loved it. It's great to hear other opinion than just mine
I'm glad you loved it so much! It always feels great to read something that just blows you away
I came across the Midnight Library through a passing comment a couple people had made about the book at work. I agree with other comments that this book is needed in your life, at the right time. Lots of strong messages that hit home. I’m about half way through so yet to finish but so far I’ve really enjoyed the book.
I'm happy to see a second video this week! About how much reading do you get in every week?
Usually I only have the time to film and edit one vid a week, but the book reviews take less time/effort so I'm going to try to do two a week whenever I do them!
It all depends. I don't read as much as a lot of booktubers because I don't do audio books, which means I have to be sitting to read all the stuff I read haha. I usually finish about a book a week; sometimes faster if it's something small, sometimes longer if it's a beefy high fantasy.
I really didn't connect with this book. I can see why some people do, but it just came into my life at the wrong time I guess. Agree with you 100% about the end. I think that's where it really lost me.
It's one of those books that the more I think about it the more it annoys me. I'm most annoyed that she didn't *really* get to live any of the lives because she spends the entire time not knowing anything. It would've been better if she could've had some memories to actually decide if that life was worth living.
@@Bookborn that’s a good point. Or if she got memories quickly, like as she interacted with the people in the new lives. There’s much to be played with with a premise as good as this one. But this one just missed the mark for me
I totally get this review. It was about as subtle as a sledgehammer. That being said, it did somehow touch me. Maybe because I sort of needed this book / this message right now. For me personally, this is probably a contender for the top 10, but not top 3 of this year.
I'm sure life history matters a ton when reading this book. Like I said, I still really enjoyed it, just not a top of the year for me.
I am definitely not a book person but when I saw this book on tiktok and heard what it was about I really wanted to read it. I think I’m gonna buy it today and this would be one of the first books I’ve ever read on my own outside of school. Hope it’s good 😌
I hope you like it! It's a fast read so it may be a good one to try!
I've just finished reading this book, and I definitely enjoyed it. But I found myself thinking two main recurring thoughts through it.
1. The concept of being "dumped" (for want of a better term) into another life, with no memories of that life, and then being expected to enjoy that life and determine whether that's the life you want, seemed a little foolish to me (maybe that was the message that was being attempted, who knows).
2. I know it doesn't take a genius to know that the ending had to be somewhat cliched, otherwise the whole life-affirming-message wouldn't have worked. But at halfway through the book, I was really hoping for some kind of twist. Just something that would make me go "ooohh" and blow my mind in some way. I mean, you're dealing with alternative realities, the possibilities are literally endless.
Even something such as when Nora was in her last life, the "perfect" one and (spoilers) her "daughter" wakes from her bear nightmare, the daughter could have said something like "I had a dream that you were were on the ice, and a polar bear was about to attack you". Or even some sort of callback where someone else, other than Nora, does have some sort of recollection as to what had happened to them in an alternating life.
It was just so straight forward in the end.
Still, very much enjoyed the book. I just think that, in another life, it could have been written with such a more convoluted ending.
I'm so mad I didn't talk about your number 1 point in the video because I COMPLETELY agree. It got so tiring with her just going in to different lives and constantly being like "I don't know what's going on". How could she really KNOW she experienced those lives? I think it would've been cool if she got memories as she needed them in those lives.
Oh my God! I really like your video. Now I'm reading this book and it's fantastic! Unfortunately, my English is not enough for reading it in original. I read on Ukrainian, but it's so nice. This book forces me to thought about my life and about all possibilities I missed. Love it!
I'm so glad you're enjoying the book so much!
I love both books but this one is more emotional for me, because I can relate to the regrets the character has. For a lot of problems characters deal with in Anxious People, I just haven’t gone through that at all in life.
I agree, I kinda guessed the ending of why the existence of the library at pretty much the beginning of the book. But Nora’s writing in her notebook at the end of the book was very moving.
Yeah there were definitely moving parts, just not my fav book of the year!
im only at the part where she goes back to Dan, her first wish,... and im loving it so far. amazing book. i hope it doesnt get boring
I totally agree with you. It was a good read, not a great read. Everyone knew Nora would choose to LIVE in the end. Haig lost me when me decided that she was going to sample hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. If someone doesn't get the picture after 10 or 12, they're not worth keeping alive. I agree on the Frost quote - basically an in-your-face redundancy of the book's message.
Yeah like if you know what the ending will be - Nora will choose life - then the middle needs to be super interesting. But the fact that she could never remember anything made all the lives feels the same. I would've liked her to have memories in those other lives.
It felt to me that it was written for teens; either that or it’s just really cheesy. There were parts that, from a literary point of view, it was not written well. I think the concept was a good one, but didn’t grab me as a great literary work.
I agree that parts of it felt a bit juvenile - even just the philosophers chosen sometimes felt that way.
I went into this book not knowing anything about the hype, maybe that's a better approach. I really liked the part that took place on a glacier, the scene with the polar bear was really scary to me and effective. I also I liked how Ryan Bailey kept popping up in her different lives. I think it shows that fame and fortune do not equate true happiness.
I really liked the Ryan Bailey part too, super interesting to see someone else doing the same thing. I think the book would've helped if we actually got to really *live* the lives - her spending so much time not remembering hurt them a little.
I agree with your review, loved the concept of the midnight library and consider this a very well written and easy read. The concept itself is a wonderful topic of conversation. However, I didn't care for the attempt at a scientific explanation of what was happening, I would have preferred it to be a personal, emotional experience rather than a "multiverse" type of phenomenon. At some point it started to feel more like a self help book than a novel, not that there is anything wrong with the genre, just not my cup of tea. Fredrik Backman is in a totally different level for me, his books can make me sob and laugh out loud, all in the same page. Anxious People definitely one of my top 10
Anxious People was just SO SO GOOD.
So, turns out, apparently Matt Haig DOES right self-help books LOL so maybe that's why this veered their near the end...
For me it’s like reading about a dull woman having bunch of first world problems
lol, I can understand that interpretation. I think people struggling with depression though DO feel that way. Perhaps for us from the outside, it seems like small problems, but for those with depression it can be hard to see problems in the correct light.
Loving the frequent uploads! And I think this series will bring some fun discussions to the table.
In regards to LOTR I would have to rate it "a lot a bit" though
WHAATTT you think LOTR is a lot a bit overrated?? I read it as an adult and was literally blown away (and that was after reading a lot of adult fantasy already). I think it deserves it's place in history.
@@Bookborn I think it is an important piece of literature and basically forged a path for fantasy writers to come. However' it wasn't an enjoyable read for me. Pacing is all over the place and don't get me started on those damn songs and info dumps about trees and rocks and hills and whatnot
@@LabelWatch lol this is so funny because I loved the songs! I didn't think they were that prevalent at all! Just different strokes for different folks lol It's fine, I think half of reddit's favorite golden-child books are overrated so we've all been there.
@@Bookborn Yes definitely, I also have some controversial Harry Potter opinion but that's for another day 😶
@@LabelWatch WAIT please drop them on me. I grew up in the HP generation so I am absolutely obsessed with HP...but I also have controversial opinions about it so I'm always curious about others'
it made me come out of my reading Block that I have had for the longest time ever. I think it appeared in the right time and, because there wasnt much I could compare it to, I liked it a lot :)
I thought this book was very overrated. Look forward, love your life, and live with no regrets.
Yeah it's a book that has soured to me the more I think about it. I wrote this review right after reading and felt more positively about it. The more I think about it, the less I like it.
This book was a hot mess that felt incredibly preachy to me. The structure of sending her to alternate lives to show her that the grass is never greener didn't work because she had no idea what each life was. She might has well have been thrown into a stranger's life.
Totally agree with you
I think this is very fair. I really enjoyed the book and I read it across three days which is a VERY fast pace for me. But it did flirt slightly with becoming just a motivational poster. I didn't know much beyond the book description going in and really liked the premise, though I thought at one point I was going to get some awkward scientific explanation of what was going on and I'm really glad he pulled away from that a little.
Agreed with everything you said. It was super fast paced for me too, and I enjoyed it over all, but I like the description of a little "motivational poster". I think there could've been some moments that were a bit more real.
@@Bookborn - Although, it did make me want to read Thoreau's "Walden" now, so there's that. LOL
I loved the book but also knew nothing about it. Stumbled upon it at s bookstore when xmas shopping and felt a story about a person experiencing multiple different lives os really for me right know, so I got the audiobook. The high praises by reviewers at the beginning of the book made me believe its not totally bad, like matrix 4 🤣 but I was disappointed by hyped books before as well so I decided not to read too much into it. And I wasn’t disappointed! I even cried at the last part of the audiobook but I would say that is because of my personal struggle currently.
I really enjoyed this book. I picked up at the airport for something to read on the plane. It wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever read but it’s definitely worth a read.
Well, I hadn’t heard of this site until I searched The Midnight Library reviews, and now I’m a subscriber.
I agree wholeheartedly with your criticisms of the book, but I cannot comment on whether or not the book is overrated because I knew nothing about it until instructed by a friend to read it.
The telling-not-showing approach might have made it a little overrated. I would still consider reading it this year. Thanks! 😍🤓🥰
Yeah, like I said, still such a good book! But telling not showing is one of my personal pet peeves haha
😨although I know it happens frequently, it still shocks me how we all have different pov on how the book is written. I personally found Robert frost quick insert to be profound. Regardless great review🙂
I often like to call myself a grumpy person because I feel like I'm always the odd one out when it comes to this stuff 😂
@@Bookborn lol totally get it. There’s nothing wrong with that! Also I’m more of a non fiction reader so coming to this was probably more striking than someone who reads consist fiction🤷🏽♂️ absolutely loved it for my first fiction of the year
@@Ezek44 Ooo what non-fiction do you love? I always enjoy NF when I read it but don't naturally gravitate towards it. Give me some recs!
@@Bookborn I’m sort of all of the the place but that’s what keeps my enjoyment for readying alive lol
The journey of crazy horse - Joseph Marshall. History of Lakota specifically crazy horse.
With the end in mind - Kathryn mannix. Stories from a hospice nurse. More deeply, death shouldn’t be feared.
The Buddhist on death row - David sheff. Story of a man named masters on how his Death sentence saved him and others.
You definitely read more than I do so maybe you’ve read these lol but if not hopefully you can enjoy these memorable stories. 📖
can you please make a review and rating on the house in the cerulean sea and whether it is overrated or no
Haven't read it and doesn't sound like something I'll enjoy (I generally don't read any non SFF fiction at all)
But the "is it overrated?" series is great!
Personally my most "I don't understand why it's so popular" series is Kingkiller Chronicles.
It's actually in the fantasy section at the bookstore! Although, I think that's weird. It claims it's fantasy, but I say way more magical realism/literary fiction, imo.
I really loved The Name of the Wind, but the back half of A Wise Man's Fear I had a lot of problems with. So as a whole, when people say it's the most amazing series of all time...I'm kind of like meh. But I did want to see teh conclusion...before all the drama with Rothfuss. Now I may just keep my memories of the first one haha
@@Bookborn yeah the name of the wind was nice story and a great world (tho I didn't like Kvothe at honestly any of the characters) then WMF was very very bad lol.
If there's ever a sequel I might read it and I even night reread the first 2 before that but there are so much people saying that the best series they ever read and that's... Well their opinion which they have a right to have but it's still wrong lol
I thought the main character was whiny . She was annoying me. I could see were he was going, she could live every/any life but in the end she was going to be in her original life and appreciate it, like in Scrooge. And every life would make her a a different person really. It was ok.
I think sometimes people suffering with depression can come off whiny but they are actually just stuck in their own thoughts. I wonder if that's what the author was trying to catch. Either way, I just wish she could've gotten more out of her other lives - her not remembering anything kept the story back I feel like.
We read this book for our book club pick and we all ended up hating it. In fact I could barely get to the middle of it before I gave up. We deemed it the worst book ever.
I can see that, honestly. It was a fun read and I enjoyed it but I don't understand why everyone thinks it's life changing. It's weirdly one of those books that gets worse the further you get from it, does that make sense? Like some books the more I think about them the more I like them, and others (like this one), the more I think about it the less I like it.
The best way to approach anything is without any expectations whatosever. If only it was that easy though!
Also, my scifi-and makeup obsessed wife is wondering what lipstick you're using here. 😅
As someone obsessed with lipstick I always appreciate the question 😂 it’s a Bite lipstick in the color “fig” :)
Is The Midnight Library over rated? No. I don't think so. This is the first time I've heard of it.
lol! I'm surprised! It's been all over my feeds! But I love reading books with zero expectations, that's the best way to be.
Hi!
Overrated might be result of reading it after a lot of people have read it. You might've not found this book overrated if you have read it before the hype. But that is just my take.
Personally, I rated this book 4.25 out of 5.
My favorite line is: "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."
This quote perfectly described my situation. Had I not patiently waited for life to unfold, I think I wouldn't be here commenting.
By the way, you look so pretty!
It's very true. It's why I mostly try and avoid ANY talk of any book I read because I find I am able to just sit and enjoy it a lot more when the expectation isn't there! Although, I still gave it a 4/5 stars, so I really enjoyed it. Just wasn't quite as life-changing as everyone said it would be haha.
An thank you 😊
Reading this book gave me the same feels I got from playing omori for the first time but the feels only come if the reader is in the right mental state to either comprehend it properly or understand how Nora feels
fellow omori fan! and yes, absolutely correct, i think having experiences and struggles similar to Nora also really aid in the message hitting home
Yup. I agree. I was a little disappointed. But its still a good read.
Yeah, still glad I read it! Just not groundbreaking for me.
I agree with your review! But I did have an emotional reaction in the beginning of the book. I think if someone's been or is depressed it will hit hard.
just finished the book and I can absolutely understand why people hype it up so much. Then again it was a good read, I annotated it and although it has some pretty good sayings and ideologies, I wouldn't read the entire book again. But still it was worth it. Maybe if I had found it 1 year ago, maybe it would have helped me more than it has now
“Empathy rather than sympathy”
Couldn’t agree more
And thanks for the review
I don’t agree I think the beauty was in its simplicity. I don’t listen to other people of what’s good and what isn’t . As individuals we see things differently and that’s more than ok. I know nothing of hype but I know this book resonated with me and I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend it.
I agree with you, even though I really liked it. I liked it for all the reasons you mentioned. I think so many people are coping with depression, so that is why this was a book needed today. But, it was lame or corny in spots. I read a review that had caught grammatical errors in the book.
I felt the concept of multiverse travel is done to death. I have read and seen so much stuff on it.
Plus an obvious ending didn’t help the book at all. It was an easy read but I agree with you, didn’t blow me out of the water either.
As a philosopher (like I got a graduate degree in philosophy) and depressed & pessimistic person, I felt like this book was “a lot a bit” overrated. I probably went into it with super high expectations. I think you nailed it by saying that it pretends to be profound without actually being profound. I was _hoping_ for and _expecting_ an actually profound book! I love the idea of a midnight library, though!
I really enjoyed the book. Perfect for a summer read or before going to bed.
Oh , that your opinion is so similar to mine! Instead of leaving a little bit space for imagination and my own suppose , writer explains and repeatedly showing me what heroine feels like.
YES. It's something I really hate when authors tell me how to think.
I half way reading it. There are things I like but there are things that I don't like about it.
Overall, for me, this book I would agree is a bit overrated. Okay in the grand scale of things.
I am pretty good at picking up where a plot is going so I figured by the end of the book, she would have the desire to go back to life and live it with the book of regrets getting smaller and smaller. I was more interested in the journey. There were a few alternative lives where I thought she would stay. Especially the one where she was a glaciologist. Seemed like that was the life she would have really been happy in. Except the weird aspect of bad sex kicked her out of that reality.
As for the character of Nora, found her to be quite unlikable. Granted this could have been due to the sulking from her depression or general personality. I always try to imagine these characters in real life and she comes across like a person who at 35 would have complained about her life ever since high school and never done anything about it to change things.
I think often depression in characters can come off as very annoying, which I find interesting because I think sometimes in real life if we don't fully understand someone's depression it can feel that way. However, it's real to them, you know?
Either way, something just didn't quite hit it fully for me here. I liked it but there were some moments that I think could've come deeper.
@@Bookborn Yea, I agree. I was talking with my fiancé. She mentioned that instead of jump around to different, she should of have looked at the book of regrets and only been able to fix maybe 5 out of the 15 regrets. I think that would have made for a book with more drive.
anxious people was the best book i read this year
Gosh anxious people was incredible. SUCH a good book
You “a lotta bit” remind me of Pam on The Office.
I've never gotten that before but I am extremely flattered as I love Pam lol
I think I also gave it a four. It was alright, but I agree, a little bit too hyped
I really enjoyed The Midnight Library, more so than I expected. I read it in December when it was starting to get hyped and my expectations were quite low as I didn't enjoy The Humans. I can definitely see now that it is really starting to get a tad overhyped.
This is why I'm the type of person that likes to go in blind to anything I read...no expectations usually means greater enjoyment for the most part lol!
The Midnight Library is my fourth Matt Haig novel, and I think its overrated. Its short and sweet but a tad convenient whenever she goes to her alternate lives. I got the message but didn't love it.
Super agree. Is there another Haig novel I should try instead?
@@Bookborn his best work is The Humans. How to Stop Time is also decent
I didn't like Haig's metaphors, TBH. Especially the ones he uses to describe Nora's depression at the beginning of the story. They seem superfluous. It's like the author tries to create metaphors for the sake of metaphors, just to make sure there are plenty of them for the book to be full of imagery.
Funny enough I also gave this book 4/5 🌟 my head. I loved the concept of this book but it did feel preachy at times and I didn't like Nora. I've had depression, Been on medication, and some close encounters with death so I tried to be empathetic towards her but it really felt like she was having a pity party at times. I know the author was trying to show that there is no such thing as a perfect life, every time she went to a different life it had a different set of problems. I don't feel like it was presented well. Especially when the life she ended up loving the most was the one where she's a wife with a kid and not a super famous celebrity or scientist. I feel like the author tried to curb this type of misogyny by saying that oh she still got her Master's and she's publishing a book but it didn't feel genuine. That's just my opinion. Plus WTF was that scene where Volt was still dead? Couldn't she have hugged her Kitty one more time and then maybe he died the next day or something?
Yeah I think the book really suffers from not actually experiencing the other lives - like she spent 90% of those times trying to figure out what was going on; I wish the "magic" helped her remember.
Have you read Daemon and Freedom books by Daniel Suarez? You might enjoy them. I enjoy your videos btw.
No, I haven't! I'll look them up. And thanks :)
@@Bookborn It’s set modern day but has scifi, sociological, investigation, and technology elements to it. I enjoyed it immensely but not everyone I recommended it to liked it. Just one word of warning - there are some graphic elements in both books. It’s definitely not YA.
I’m reading this book now and just got it a couple days ago. I’m not emotional either.
It was charming and entertaining but to me the premise kind of foreshadowed the ending a little too obviously
You should talk about specifics book not just your opinion of it. Good bad ...Maybe you can describe what that means to you...But I agree.
I usually avoid specifics because it makes the video more watchable for those who haven't read it :) I usually do non-spoiler reviews on this channel.
I thought it was okay. I much much prefer The Humans bu the same author.
Ohh interesting, since someone just commented that they liked THIS one much more than The Humans! The plot thickens... this is the only book I've read by Haig.
I’m reading the humans now but between midnight library and the humans I read “reasons to stay alive” that was fantastic. The humans is quirky and I’m enjoying it but I don’t crave reading it like I do midnight
Honestly, I thought the book was terrible. The plot was predictable - it was just another Christmas Carol or Click but with a modern twist and a therapeutic message, rather than a moral one. And the entire book is just a tool the author uses to talk people off the ledge. The message is important, but it didn't need an entire book. I found myself skimming over each of Nora's other lives, knowing that she would find a reason to be disappointed before coming back to her original life with renewed vigor. There was no weight to the middle portion of the story. Probably wouldn't have disliked it so much if it hadn't come so highly recommended.
Agreed, this was an ok book that didn't quite hit it's full potential.
"A lot a bit" lol I gotta see what puts one in that rating XD
I just need to read more books with big reps haha. Or maybe revisit some old books with Reps...
@@Bookborn lolz, wheel of time comes to mind, maybe because I'm reading it nowadays. But u've already made that "is the wheel of time too long" video so prolly better go with smth else
Ever read "The Never Ending Story"?
could work for an "is it overrated" video
@@urigatt6815 I've never read OR seen the Never Ending Story! Which seems crazy...I probably should look into it haha
@@Bookborn I loved the book A LOT when I read it but I was like 13, and fell in love with the gimick lol. Not sure how it would work now. Dont like the movie tho, the poor effects really hurt the immersion. Would love to see a video about the book 'round here:) in any series
as an accidental recommendation for anxious people, 100 stars video
Very disappointed! I watched five years of Quantum Leap (Sci-fi TV 1989) It totally resurfaced here with the twist of a strong female lead) I felt a general unease with the lack of developed characters in Nora’s many life situations. Her “root” personality would have never been suited to her transitional lives as she was emotionally underdeveloped for a thirty year old woman. Due to her lack of “good” parenting she seemed to be stuck
In pubescent angst.Her brother Joe wasn’t far behind her in that respect. The brevity of the book itself provided a good back drop for any screen writer to slip in and grab the glory for a screen production.
Stood in front of Caps shield
No it's not overrated... It's totally worth the hype 1001%
A little bit?
From originality perspective I would give like 1 out of 5
Many thanks for the video. But, I wholeheartedly disagree. I say this with no disrespect to Matt Haig. Many hundreds of people really enjoyed it and that’s good. But, I felt it was rather overhyped and was a fairly generic read. Also, the book was pretty clear how it would end. It’s basically a British version of Its A Wonderful Life. It was more of a self help book.
I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t enjoy it at all. I read it at a low point and I felt worse.
I'm going to be honest that the further from this book I got, the less I liked it lol. Like it was an enjoyable read but the more I thought about it, the more generic, and weird it turned out. So like...I get this view.
I am reading this book, some chapters bore me.
I think it gets repetitive because she doesn't ever get to remember her life. I think that was a bad choice by the author...
Oh yeah, 2.5/5 for me. Watch Soul it is better.
I read this and really liked it! I’m a 13 year old girl who wants to read things that end well and I’m looking for recommendations! Please reply to my comment if you have an idea.
The folk of the air series ❤
One of the best ive read
Make book summary of Friedrich Nietzsche's books........ Have u read?
Nope, haven't read any of them!
حبيبتي حبيبتي ياقمراية يا جميله فيديو رائع جميل جدا صديقه جديده
Has anyone told you you look like jenna fisher when she was in the office!?
No! I usually get Sophia Bush 😂 But I'll take it, I love Jenna!
It was an good book. For me it falls flat in some areas, didn't hook me in. The concept was interesting but I was like "infinite possibilities? So why did she get sucky lives when there was supposedly INFINITE lives?" Nora wasn't likeable.
And as someone who struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts, I would not have recovered easily and a change in perspective would not have helped me.
Yeah and she didn't really get to EXPERIENCE those lives. When I discussed the book that was the thing that bothered us all the most. Because she spent so much time trying to remember what was happening, I don't feel like she really lived them or knew how they felt. And certainly "perspective solves depression!" is a dangerous idea because it just simply isn't true.
@@Bookborn Yes, thank you! a lot of the "problems" she had in those lives was mostly because she didn't know what was going on and she didn't have those memories.
This book was a big no for me. Technical writing errors throughout the entire novel, clunky dialogue, and how it’s wrapped up felt forced and unrealistic. Felt it would’ve served better if it ended 20 or so pages earlier.
Interesting! I usually notice technical writing errors a lot and didn't notice that in this book. I think I had the biggest problem with the ending only because I knew that was the only way it could end lol
Technical writing errors? What exactly? Phrrrwwrt! I don't think so.
What total bullshit!!