The Midnight Library - Matt Haig Second Day Reading

Recap: In the last reading, Nora’s life had sunk so low that she made the ultimate decision—to end it all. But death, as it turns out, isn’t as straightforward as she had hoped. Also, I previously made an error: the call that shattered her world wasn’t about her mother’s passing but her father’s.

So, Nora overdoses herself in an attempt to take her life. And She wakes up—not in an afterlife, not in darkness, but in a colossal, boundless library, stretching infinitely in every direction. And standing there, as if plucked straight from her childhood memories, is Mrs. Elm, the librarian who once played chess with her.

This was too much. First, the mysterious library. Then, a long-lost librarian appearing out of nowhere. And now, the most mind-bending revelation of all: she isn’t dead. Not entirely. She is in a state between life and death—adrift in the Midnight Library.

Instead of relief, this realization intensifies her existential agony. She hadn’t achieved anything she wanted in life, and now, even death refuses to give her closure. Thoughts spiral in her mind like an endless loop:

"I haven’t become an Olympic swimmer. I haven’t become a glaciologist. I haven’t become Dan’s wife. I haven’t become a mother. I haven’t become the lead singer of The Labyrinths. I haven’t even managed to look after Voltaire. And now, last of all—I haven’t even managed to be dead."

But this isn’t just any library. Mrs. Elm reveals the mind-boggling truth: every book on these infinite shelves is a different version of Nora’s life—each one shaped by a different choice, a different path. These aren’t mere hypothetical scenarios; they are as real as the life she left behind.

"You have as many lives as you have possibilities," Mrs. Elm tells her.

And the best part? Nora can step into any of them. She can choose a regret, from the Book of Regrets, and live that life—correcting the past, erasing mistakes. If she dislikes the new reality, she returns to the library, while the version of her in that book continues to exist.

First up, she picks the Book of Regrets. One regret screams louder than the rest—her failed relationship with Dan and the life they could have built together, running a countryside pub. She opens the book, and suddenly, she’s there.

A charming little pub stands before her. She meets the regulars, the staff, and finally, Dan—her husband. But the fantasy crumbles fast. Dan is dismissive, belittles her interests, mocks her knowledge of glaciology, and worst of all, he’s unfaithful. Turns out, even in this alternate life, Dan was the one who convinced her to abandon her brother’s band, The Labyrinths, killing her dream before it even started.

Frustrated and disillusioned, she confronts Dan, and after a heated argument, she walks into the bathroom—only to find herself taken back into the Midnight Library.

That life, too, was not the answer.

Mrs. Elm, ever patient, reminds her: that was just one possibility. There are countless more. Does she want to try another?

Just curious about what she’s gonna do next 🧐