#midnightlibrary

This is to all the all-nighters and the late nights spent “studying”. @sircharlesthepoet

After the situation with Volt (Nora's cat) she just decide to try another life. And then she remembered that boyfriend she used to have named Dan.

She and Dan were engaged untill Nora decided to cancel the wedding because she was afraid or because her mother just died months before, I'm really not sure, what was her reasons.

She remembered him and felt really guilty because after that, he was still texting her, asking to get back together, even one year later they broke up.

So she asking Mrs Elm to get a life where she was married with Dan.

After Mrs Elm gave her the book, she open it and start to read this life. Then she appeared like in a countryside wearing an overall and remembers that she and Dan wanted to have a pub outside somewhere in England. She saw the pub in the distance and decided to go in. Minutes later, Dan appears and she was expected to be more romantic or at least happy to see her (even though she doesn't go anywhere) but instead he acted distant. For me, that was kind of weird because in her root life, he literally begged her to get back together and in this life he act like this(?) anyway it was weird but not enough to suspect him. So I continue reading and then he asked what "Erin" said to her, i mean, what were they talking about... right then something started to ring a bell.

That was pretty awkward.

Nora started to suspect him too, I mean, was awkward for her too.

After the day ended and she realized that this life wasn't that happy she imagined, she discovered they had a lot of debt because of the pub and Dan wasn't the enthusiastic and loving fiancé he was in her root life. He also dismissed many things Nora said as scientific and phylosophic things. He treat her like she was dumb. and i really don't like that. She may have many problems, but a lack of intelligence is not one of them.

Then she began to explain that he had done those things even when they they were just dating, but she never saw anything wrong with it because she thought that was just how he was. And in this part i understand her point because we as readers are going to think like, how didn't you notice that before? But from her perspective, she is a person with very low self esteem and the idea of someone insulting her on pitting her down is very normal for her because that's how she sees herself, and that's why she didnt notice it before or let it go.

Then when they about to go to bed, she tried to get information out of him about that life. And somewhat he started to get defensive and then he admits what everyone already knew. He said and I quote (well, not so specifically): 'Is this about Erin? Because l already told you it was only once and I was drunk'.

I Knew it, I KNEW IT.

He cheated on her and Nora realized it too.

To be honest, I'm not really surprised because from the moment she mentioned it in the first few chapters, I already knew wasn't going to like him, I don't know, he gave me bad vibes.

After he practically confessed to cheating on her, he tried to downplay the situation with the lame excuse that "drunk men are like that", even after she had forgiven him so many times for his drunk behaviors. Honestly, I felt really bad for that Nora, and I know the original Nora felt that way too. That's why, after finally realizing she couldn't listen to his honsense anymore, she go to the bathroom and let that feeling of disappointment wash over her, returning to the library.

After returning, Nora realized that some people just change, and that sometimes it's best to leave things as they were. The best thing for her was to remember Dan for who he was and how beautiful their relationship had been during that time.

Then Nora thought about another life she would like to try. A life where she decided to go to Australia with her friend Izzie.

She appears in the bathroom in an apartment in Bronte Beach, which he found strange because she and Izzy had planned to go to Byron Bay. So she realized something has happened. Something with Izzy.

Then some weird girl appear through the front door, was someone Nora didn't know. Apparently her roommate.

It was really weird because she appears in an apartment, in a location that wasn't the location she planned and with a girl she didn't even know.

Then, when she goes to the bathroom, she saw a bottle of pills with her name on it. Antidepressants. They were antidepressants. Then her gaze dropped to her arms and wrists and saw a bunch of scars.

Something definitely happened.

At this moment, I sensed that I was about to witness something big.

Nora came out of the bathroom and went over the girl and, in a not-so-casual way, asked her what had happened with Izzy.

The girl said:'Your friend, Izzy? The one who died?'

Silence. From me and Nora.

I sort of knew it, but I didn't think it would actually happen.

Nora, obviously, was devastated, and how could she not? The only reason she went to Australia, the only reason she decided to enter in this life, was Izzy, and now she's gone.

Then she googled Izzy and a news story came up. Izzy had died in a car accident the month they arrived here. My question is, how could she continue living in Australia without Izzy? And then I understood, and Nora did too, it was because she was stuck, in Australia and in the past. And that's when she (and I) connected the dots and understood the reasons for the antidepressants and the scars.

Midnight Library Book Review

"You don't have to understand life. You just have to live it." – Matt Haig, Midnight Library

"Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?"

I think this is the biggest problem for each of us. The world is full of people who can't fall asleep on their pillows, thinking, "I wish I had said this instead of that," or "I wish I had done this instead of that." A book shows us a universe full of choices and the butterfly effect that follows. It instills events and thought patterns that evoke the teachings of Rumi. It shows us how precious the moment is, how painful perfection is, how precious everything we have is, and that since life isn't over, good surprises can actually be on the way after bad ones.

Like many people in Türkiye suffering from depression, I started reading this book when I was feeling withdrawn. The fact that it broke me out of my reading slump was bound to make it unforgettable. Despite being busy at work, I finished it in four days. I also bought it three times, lost all three, and finished it from the PDF. It's not a cursed book; it just encouraged me to pursue it.

For some, it's a simple book. But at least it helps with depression, makes us appreciate loneliness, helps us appreciate our loved ones and see what's around us, and tells us to look up at the sky. It's beautiful for Turks; we need books like this. It's ridiculous that it's being hailed as a literary work, but it grabs the reader by the hand, pulls them out of bed, and immerses them in life.

Spoiler-free, all you need to know is this: Do you wish you were like that? Do you wonder what my life would be like if I were like that? Just like it says on the back cover. I love Matt Haig. I'll read his other books.

Halfway through reading it, I thought, "Why haven't I read this book before?" But then I realized this book came to me at exactly the right time. "I'm glad that moment has come," I said.

One of the popular quotes on Goodreads says:

"And that sadness is an integral part of the fabric of happiness. You can't have one without the other."

The book beautifully captures this balance. However, some readers complain that the book deals with deeper themes like depression and suicide too superficially, concluding with the clichéd message that "life is beautiful." These criticisms seem reasonable to me; the story can be a bit too predictable at times. But personally, because it was a timely book for me, I appreciated even this simplicity.

In the heart of a forgotten town, where the streets whispered secrets and the wind carried the scent of old memories, stood a library unlike any other. Its doors, carved from dark mahogany and etched with ancient symbols, only creaked open at the stroke of midnight. The townsfolk called it The Midnight Library, a place spoken of in hushed tones, where the brave—or the foolish—ventured in search of forbidden knowledge.

Rumours swirled that the library's shelves were filled with books that foretold the future. Some claimed to have seen visions of their destiny unfold between the pages, while others spoke of ominous warnings best left unread. But no one could resist the pull of curiosity for long.

Ethan Caldwell had heard the stories all his life, passed down from his grandfather who had once dared to cross the threshold. The old man had returned with wild eyes and a shaking hand, clutching a small, leather-bound book. He had never spoken of what he saw, but Ethan knew the terror in his grandfather’s eyes had come from that place. Yet, on the night of his twenty-ninth birthday, with the weight of unsolved mysteries pressing on his shoulders, Ethan found himself standing before the library.

The clock tower in the distance chimed midnight, each strike reverberating through the deserted streets. The doors of the library groaned open, revealing a dimly lit interior. Ethan hesitated for a moment, the air thick with anticipation, before stepping inside.

The air was cool, filled with the musty scent of ancient pages. Shelves towered above him, lined with books of every shape and size. Some were bound in rich leather, others in cracked, faded covers. There was no librarian in sight, no one to guide him. The library seemed to breathe, alive with the secrets it held.

Drawn by an invisible force, Ethan wandered deeper into the labyrinth of books. His fingers trailed across spines as he passed, feeling the pulse of the future within them. Then, as if guided by fate, his hand stopped on a book that seemed to glow with a faint, eerie light. It was unremarkable in appearance, a simple black cover with no title. But when Ethan opened it, he saw his name etched on the first page.

His heart raced as he flipped through the pages, each one filled with his life story. There were moments he recognized, memories that seemed distant yet vivid on the paper. But as he reached the final chapters, his breath caught in his throat. The words told of a future he had not yet lived, a future that seemed to be set in stone.

The book spoke of a night not far from now, where Ethan would find himself alone in his home, a storm raging outside. The lights would flicker, the windows rattling with the force of the wind. And then, as the storm reached its peak, a shadowy figure would emerge from the darkness, a figure Ethan would recognize as his own reflection. But this reflection would not be him—it would be something darker, a twisted version of himself, come to claim his life.

Ethan slammed the book shut, his hands trembling. He could feel his pulse pounding in his ears, his breath shallow and quick. The prophecy was clear—he was destined to die by his own hand, or rather, by the hand of a version of himself that had been corrupted by something evil, something he couldn’t yet understand.

He stumbled out of the library, the book still clutched in his hand. The doors slammed shut behind him with a finality that echoed through the night. As Ethan fled home, the book’s words burned in his mind. Was this his fate? Was there no way to escape the future that had been written for him?

Days passed, each one filled with a growing sense of dread. Ethan became obsessed with the book, reading and rereading the prophecy, searching for any detail that could change his fate. He stopped sleeping, his eyes sunken and bloodshot. He avoided mirrors, fearing the moment when his reflection would turn against him.

Then, on a stormy night, just as the book had foretold, Ethan found himself alone in his home. The wind howled outside, the lights flickering ominously. He felt a chill creep down his spine as the shadows in his home seemed to lengthen and twist, taking on a life of their own.

And then, in the dim light of his living room, he saw it—his reflection in the window. But it wasn’t him. The figure stared back with hollow eyes, a sinister smile playing on its lips. It moved when he didn’t, tilting its head as if mocking him.

“No,” Ethan whispered, backing away. “This can’t be real.”

But the figure stepped closer, emerging from the glass as if it were stepping through a doorway. It was him, yet not him—an embodiment of every dark thought, every fear he had ever harbored.

“You can’t change what’s written,” the doppelgänger whispered, its voice a twisted echo of Ethan’s own. “The future is set. The book never lies.”

Ethan’s mind raced, desperate to find a way out. But the prophecy had already begun to unfold, and he realized with horror that every action he took only brought him closer to the inevitable.

As the figure lunged, Ethan closed his eyes, bracing for the end. But in that final moment, a thought struck him—what if the book was wrong? What if the future wasn’t set in stone?

With a surge of defiance, Ethan reached for the book, still lying on the table where he had left it. He tore it open to the final page, where the prophecy ended, and with a shaking hand, he grabbed a pen. As the doppelgänger loomed over him, Ethan began to write, scrawling new words over the old ones, changing the story.

The figure paused, its form wavering, as if reality itself was unraveling. Ethan wrote furiously, his heart pounding in his chest. He wrote of a different ending, one where he survived, where he defeated the dark version of himself.

And then, as quickly as it had begun, the storm outside died down. The figure let out a final, piercing scream before it dissolved into shadows, vanishing into the night. The room was silent, save for Ethan’s ragged breathing.

He dropped the pen, staring at the book in his hands. The pages were filled with his own messy handwriting, a new story written over the old. He had changed his fate, rewritten his future.

As the first light of dawn crept through the windows, Ethan knew that The Midnight Library had given him not just a glimpse of the future, but the power to change it. He had confronted his darkest fears and emerged victorious. But the memory of that night would linger, a reminder of the thin line between destiny and choice.

Életmentő mágikus realizmus az Éjfél Könyvtárban

Az Éjfél Könyvtár egy olyan kortárs regény, amely fantasztikus elemeket használva állítja fejre nem csak a főszereplő, de az olvasó életét is. Kötelező olvasmány a mágikus realizmus szerelmeseinek.