The Midnight Library Study Guide

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

(c)2020 BookRags, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contents
The Midnight Library Study Guide................................................................................................ 1

Contents...................................................................................................................................... 2

Plot Summary.............................................................................................................................. 3

A Conversation About Rain - The Three Horseshoes................................................................... 5

The Penultimate Update - System Error.................................................................................... 10

Svalbard - Howl......................................................................................................................... 14

Love and Pain - A Spiritual Quest.............................................................................................. 19

Hammersmith - How it Ends...................................................................................................... 24

Characters................................................................................................................................. 29

Symbols and Symbolism............................................................................................................ 32

Settings...................................................................................................................................... 34

Themes and Motifs.................................................................................................................... 36

Styles......................................................................................................................................... 40

Quotes....................................................................................................................................... 42

2
Plot Summary
The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Haig, Matt. The
Midnight Library. Harper Avenue, 2020.

Haig’s novel is divided into 68 chapters. The chapters leading up to Nora’s discovery of
the midnight library each describe an hour preceding her decision to kill herself. The
subsequent chapters tend to alternate between one of Nora’s dream-lives and the
library. The narrator is third person limited, and describes the thoughts and feelings of
Nora, the protagonist.

Haig begins the novel with a flashback set in Nora’s elementary school in Bedford,
England. Nora chess with the school’s librarian, Mrs Elm, when Mrs Elm receives a
phone call telling her of the sudden death of Nora’s father.

In the present moment, still lives in Bedford. She is deeply lonely and depressed. She
receives a multitude of bad news in the span of a day. First, her neighbor Ash comes by
to tell her that her cat, Voltaire, is dead. The next morning, Nora gets fired from her job
at the local musical equipment store. On her walk home, she runs into her old
bandmate, Ravi. Ravi tells her he thinks Nora’s brother Joe is depressed. Desperate for
comfort, Nora reaches out to her old friend, Izzy, but receives no response to her text.
Nora nearly gets fired by her only piano student and is told by her elderly neighbor, Mr
Banjeree, that he has found someone else to bring him his pills.

Driven to despair, Nora overdoses on her depression medication, hoping it kills her.
Instead of dying, she wakes up in the midnight library. The library is guarded by Mrs
Elm. It provides Nora the opportunity to test out any other life she could have lived, had
she done something differently in the past. Should she feel disappointed in any of her
dream-lives, she will be instantly transported back to the library.

The first life Nora tries out is a life where she married ex-fiancé, Dan. In this dream-life,
Nora owns a pub with Dan, like he always dreamed of. Dan is an alcoholic, has money
troubles, and cheats on Nora with another woman. Nora recognizes that Dan was
always manipulative, resentful, defensive, jealous, even in her root-life. She feels
disappointed and is instantly transported back to the library.

With her recent loss still on her mind, Nora tries out a life in which Voltaire was kept
indoors. In this dream-life, Voltaire is still dead, showing how the consequences of
Nora’s choices are completely out of her control.

Missing her friend, Nora chooses is a life in which she moved to Australia with Izzy. In
this life, Izzy died in a car crash. Nora is devastated and lives with a random roommate
in a messy apartment.

In the hopes of appeasing her dead father, Nora tries out is a life in which she dedicated
herself wholly to swimming. She is unhappy, despite being a successful swimmer and

3
inspirational speaker. At first, Nora is glad that her brother Joe works as her manager,
but soon realizes that he still does not understand her mental health issues. Nora’s dad
is alive in this life, but he is still cold towards her, like he always was. Nora gives a big
speech at a conference in which she discusses regret.

Inspired by Mrs Elm, who encouraged her to become a glaciologist as a child, Nora
chooses a life in which she did just that. Nora comes face to face with a polar bear,
making her realize how badly she wants to live. One of her fellow glaciologists, Hugo
Lefèvre, turns out to be what is called a slider. This means that, like Nora, he slides in
and out of different dream-lives. They have a brief fling, but Nora feels disappointed by
it.

Guilt-ridden by the thought of being responsible for Joe’s depression, Nora tests out a
life in which she stayed in the band with Joe and Ravi. She enjoys performing but is
horrified to learn that in this life, Joe died of an overdose.

Exhausted from living out other people’s dreams for her, Nora chooses an easygoing
life where she works at the local animal shelter. She has a boyfriend, Dylan, who is
extremely kind to her. Despite this, Nora does not feel very deeply for him and returns to
the library.

On a whim, Nora decides to try out a life in which she owns a vineyard with a man
named Eduardo. Nora can tell she is happy in this life, but still, she craves something
more. Obsessed with collecting new experiences, Nora goes on to try out countless
other dream-lives, none of which bring her any closer to happiness. Sick and tired of
searching for meaning in life, Nora manages to become persuaded by Mrs Elm to try a
life in which she dated Ash, her neighbor, instead of Dan.

Nora’s life with Ash is nearly perfect. They have a wonderful daughter, Molly. They live
in Cambridge and Nora is a philosophy professor: her dream job. Nonetheless, Nora
feels undeserving of this life. When she visits Bedford, she realizes how much she
values all her relationships there and how much work is still left to be done. She returns
to the midnight library, and then, to her root-life at last.

After collapsing on Mr Banjeree’s doorstep and waking up in a hospital, Nora finds

opportunities to begin again. She makes up with Joe, reconnects with Izzy, plans to ask
Ash out on a date, thanks Mr Banjeree for his help, reschedules her piano lesson, and
visits Mrs Elm. The real Mrs Elm lives in a care home in Bedford. Nora promises to visit
her every day to play chess. The novel ends with the two of them starting a new game.

4
A Conversation About Rain - The Three
Horseshoes
Summary
The first chapter, “A Conversation About Rain,” begins 19 years before the rest of the
novel takes place, in Bedford, England. Fourteen-year-old Nora is playing chess with
the school librarian, Mrs Elm. Nora quit swimming recently, in which she had a very
promising career. Mrs Elm reassures Nora that her future is bright regardless, that she
can become whatever she wishes when she grows up. The chapter ends with Mrs Elm
leaving to pick up a phone call. It is later revealed that this phone call informed her of
the sudden death of Nora’s father.

The second chapter, “The Man at the Door,” brings us to the present moment. Nora is
35 years old and still lives in Bedford. It is nighttime. She is sitting at home,
contemplating her lonely life when someone knocks on her door. It is Ash, an
acquaintance from the neighborhood. He looks vaguely uncomfortable and distressed.
She is embarrassed by her unkempt appearance, and wonders if Ash is here to ask her
out again, as he did a few years ago, when she was still with her ex. Instead, he informs
Nora that her cat, Voltaire, has been hit by a car and died.

“String Theory” begins the next morning. Nora shows up late to her job at a musical
equipment store called String Theory. She apologizes to her boss Neil for being late,
and explains that her cat passed away the previous night. Neil is more interested in
discussing her mental health and general unhappiness. Neil encourages Nora to pursue
whatever goals in life she may have. This forces Nora to contemplate the times she
abandoned her dreams. First, she quit swimming as a child. Then, she quit the band
she was in with her brother, Joe, and his friend Ravi. The band was called The
Labyrinths. Lastly, she left her ex-fiancé, Dan, only two days before their wedding. At
the end of the chapter, Neil fires her from the store, claiming that her negative attitude is
bad for business.

Feeling hopeless and dejected, Nora wanders around town in “To Live Is to Suffer.” She
contemplates her father’s death and failed relationship with her ex, Dan, who texted her
recently to say he misses her. Nora responds vaguely. She feels she is a bad influence
on everyone, and that Dan would be better off if he stayed away from her. At the end of
the chapter, she walks towards the newsagent’s.

At the newsagent’s, Nora runs into Ravi, her brother Joe’s friend and former bandmate
from The Labyrinths. This marks the beginning of the chapter “Doors.” Nora is hurt to
hear that Joe recently visited Bedford, since he did not come to see her. She becomes
worried when Ravi tells her that he thinks Joe might be depressed. Ravi still feels bitter
towards her for backing out of their band, and accuses her of having “life fright” (15). He
leaves, and Nora chats with the newsagent, who turns out to be an old schoolmate of

5
her’s. The newsagent remembers that Nora had a promising future as a swimmer when
they were kids and asks Nora if she has any kids of her own. Nora is uncomfortable
throughout their conversation. She recalls that while Dan had always wanted to have
children, she never felt sure because she feared falling into a “deeper depression” (16).

In “How to Be a Black Hole,” Nora reaches out to her former best friend, Izzy, who lives
in Australia. She reflects on a quote by Thoreau and concludes that no one follows their
dreams anymore.

Nora finally arrives at the gate of her house in “Antimatter.” Before she can even step
inside, she gets an angry phone call from Doreen, the mother of her sole piano student,
Leo. Absorbed in her own worries, Nora forgot all about the piano lesson she had
scheduled. After Doreen hangs up, Nora spots her neighbor, Mr Banerjee, in his garden.
He tells her that she need not bring him his pills anymore, as the chemist has agreed to
do it. Once inside the house, Nora decides she no longer wants to live. She writes a
suicide note saying, “I make life worse for people,” before overdosing on
antidepressants (23).

Sleepy and disoriented, Nora wakes inside a building surrounded by mist in “00:00:00.”
She can tell by her wristwatch that it is midnight, but her whereabouts are unfamiliar to
her. She enters the building and discovers endless rows of books. There is no apparent
exit. Suddenly, a voice warns her to be careful.

It is revealed in “The Librarian” that the voice belongs to none other than Mrs Elm, from
the first chapter. She tells Nora that she is the librarian of this mysterious place. Nora
does not recognize her instantly, but then remembers how Mrs Elm had comforted her
when her dad died.

In “The Midnight Library” and “The Moving Shelves,” Mrs Elm explains the purpose of
this strange place: each book at the midnight library provides a chance for Nora to test
out another life she could have lived, had she done something differently in the past. So
long as Nora stays in the magical realm of the library, she is safe from death.

Nora discovers a book detailing all the regrets of her life, from the mundane to the life-
altering, in “The Book of Regrets.” The less significant regrets are written in faded
letters, whereas the more prominent ones are bolded. Dan’s name is bolded; this
resonates deeply with Nora.

“Regret Overload” focuses on Nora’s remorse in regard to how she ended her
relationship with Dan. She reasons that she never wanted to get married. Rather, she
got carried away with Dan’s enthusiasm and dreams of running a pub in the
countryside. She recalls how she wanted to delay the wedding after her mother’s death,
but never got the chance to. Nora waited until two days before the wedding to call it off.

Nora's real adventure, and the main plot of the novel, begins in “Every Life Begins Now.”
First, Mrs Elm clarifies the rules of the library: Nora cannot travel back in time, only to a
potential future. Should she survive her overdose, Nora is free to remain in whichever
dream-life she chooses for herself. If she regrets choosing one of these future lives, she
6
will be immediately transported back to the library where she can try out another. The
first future Nora chooses is a life in which she stayed with Dan.

Nora is transported to a pub in the Oxfordshire countryside in “The Three Horseshoes.”

In this potential-life, she is married to Dan and they own a pub. He is an alcoholic, has
money troubles, and cheats on Nora with another woman. One uplifting aspect of this
life for Nora is that she is close with Izzy, whom she regularly texts. Nora recognizes
that Dan was manipulative, resentful, defensive, jealous, and occasionally even cruel in
her root-life. These negative traits are amplified in this future version of Dan. She feels
disappointed in this potential-life, and is instantly transported back to the library.

Analysis
Haig’s strategic choice of opening his novel with a flashback serves to foreshadow the
main upcoming event in the story. In “A Conversation About Rain,” the sudden death of
Nora’s father hints at Nora’s impending attempt to end her life. The symmetry between
her life and her father’s is uncanny. For one, both spend their lives ignoring the
happiness that is right in front of them. They also both suffer when it comes to
relationships, as they tend to push those closest to them away. The death of Nora’s
father also marks the end of Nora’s childhood, and hints at the sorrow which lies ahead.

The mood of the second chapter, “The Man at the Door,” is a stark contrast from the
first. While the mood of the first chapter is cheerful and idyllic, the mood of the second is
dark and melancholy. It is clear that Nora, 19 years later, is but the shadow of the bright,
curious girl she once was. Furthermore, Nora’s obsession with existential philosophy
helps highlight the morbidity of the chapter. She comforts herself with the belief that life
is meaningless and that loneliness is inevitable. Even her cat’s name, Voltaire, is an
allusion to a famous philosopher. Nora’s depression and her love of philosophy go hand
in hand. While the words of famous philosophers serve as a balm for her loneliness,
they also emphasize the depressing mood of the chapter.

In “String Theory,” Haig uses dramatic irony to emphasize the disconnect between Nora
and the rest of the world. The last thing Nora expects the morning after her cat just died
is for her kind and affectionate boss to fire her. Throughout the novel, Nora fails to
realize that her actions and behaviors have impacts outside of her own life. In this
chapter, she expects pity and forgiveness from her boss. The reader expects this as
well, especially considering Neil’s empathetic personality. It is a shock to both the reader
and Nora when Neil shifts the conversation away from her dreams to the termination of
her employment. However, Neil’s reasoning makes it clear to the reader the true reason
for this: Nora’s negative attitude is simply not suited for business. Her failure to
acknowledge or accept this highlights Nora’s self-absorption.

In “To Live Is to Suffer,” Haig includes an insightful metaphor. Nora claims that life is just
one long “conveyor belt of despair” (12). This metaphor provides the reader with a
glimpse inside Nora’s dire state of mind. Evidently, Nora sees no point in trying in life.
She fixates on the numerous difficulties in her life and neglects to reflect on the endless

7
possibilities within her reach. Nora persists in undermining her capacity to bring love
and joy into people’s lives throughout the novel.

Haig builds suspense through dialogue in “Doors.” As Nora and Ravi interact, their
tones become more and more confrontational. Nora even says, “And I think your
problem is blaming others for your shitty life” (14). Haig gradually turns a seemingly
harmless interaction into a brutal confrontation through his use of aggressive language.
But this building of suspense also serves another purpose: to reveal Nora’s feelings
about her past. Nora’s defensiveness and hostility towards Ravi demonstrates her guilt
for having left the band, and for hurting him and Joe. Similarly, Haig uses Nora’s
conversation with the newsagent to build suspense. What starts out as a cheerful
conversation between old schoolmates takes on a dire tone when the newsagent brings
up motherhood. The reader is intrigued throughout the conversation, and wonders why
this is such a touchy subject for Nora.

Haig also uses the universality of regret to build a connection between the reader and
Nora in “How to Be a Black Hole.” When Nora reaches out to her former best friend, it is
a very vulnerable moment for her. Nora is not used to letting people in anymore, and is
disheartened when Izzy does not immediately reply. It is no wonder then that she
cannot find inspiration in Thoreau’s famous quote: “Go confidently in the direction of
your dreams. Live the life you have imagined” (17). To Nora, dreams of friendship or
love seem unattainable, given her state of depression and loneliness. Haig includes this
quote in order to emphasize the importance of dreams to the protagonist and to the
novel, but also, to the reader. Nora views dreams as belonging to the past, rather than
to the present or the future. She has trouble conceiving that she possesses the power to
create new dreams for herself. This feeling of hopelessness is not unique to Nora, but
rather, is applicable to everyone at some point in their lives.

Haig emphasizes the theme of loneliness and depression in “Antimatter.” All the
misfortunes of the day and the night before leave completely drained of energy and of a
will to live. Because it seems as though no one needs her, Nora feels as though she has
no purpose in this world. In essence, she feels “superfluous to the universe” (20). This
feeling of uselessness layered on top of her preexisting loneliness and depression is
what drives her to overdose on her medication. It is clear that Nora has trouble believing
that one’s self worth is not derived from external things, like her job or her ability to care
for a cat. Haig builds on this definition of self worth, along with the theme of loneliness
and depression, throughout the novel.

The next four chapters, “00:00:00” to “The Moving Shelves” all serve to immerse the
reader into the magical world of the midnight library. Interestingly enough, its librarian
takes the form of Mrs Elm. Nora knows that it cannot be the real Mrs Elm, as she looks
exactly the same as she did 19 years ago. Nonetheless, her presence soothes Nora.
The midnight library’s magical librarian resembles Mrs Elm because she is the
embodiment of comfort and courage in Nora’s subconscious.

In “The Book of Regrets,” Haig plants the seed in the reader’s mind that Nora’s
adventure will enable her to change her perspective on life. When Nora asks Mrs Elm

8
why “I regret not yet having children” is written in a faded script, Mrs Elm explains, “This
is a regret that sometimes is and sometimes isn’t” (35). Thus Haig subtly reminds the
reader how transitory regret can be. Something which had once haunted Nora and
made her feel inadequate no longer plagues her. This realization foreshadows the
journey of self-actualization that Nora is about to embark on.

Nora explains her reasoning for leaving Dan in “Regret Overload.” She claims that she
feared having a marriage resemble her parents’ marriage. Nora’s parents’ tumultuous,
loveless relationship shattered Nora’s ideal perception of love from a young age. She
cannot conceive of two people being happily married and allows the mistakes of her
parents to shape the way she lives her life. This is the first clue the reader gets of how
Nora persistently allows other people’s choices to cloud her judgement.

“Every Life Begins Now” and “The Three Horseshoes” both focus on Nora’s relationship
with Dan. This is a very intriguing subplot because Haig uses it to explore how regrets
are often simply the projection of our own insecurities, rather than mistakes actually
worth fixating on. Nora never focused on Dan’s negative traits because she was blinded
by her own desperate desire for the validation and love she never received from her
parents. By getting to live the life she could have had with Dan, Nora finally realizes that
he never truly had her best interests at heart. Furthermore, she comes to understand
that marrying Dan and owning a pub was never her dream at all; it was his. Reaching
this conclusion allows her to let go of the regret she was clinging to, regarding Dan.

Discussion Question 1
What does the death of Voltaire, the cat, symbolize? What purpose does it serve for the
main plot of the novel?

Discussion Question 2
What do all of Nora’s regrets have in common?

Discussion Question 3
What role does mental illness play in Nora’s day-to-day life and in her relationships?

Vocabulary
aficionado, entropy, superfluous, cacophony, quotidian, glaciologist, juxtaposition,
deterministic, fester, colonise, pervasive, abnormal, platitude, simultaneous,
indecipherable, apprehensive, superficiality, sporadic, Hobbesian, Herculean

9
The Penultimate Update - System Error
Summary
The brief chapter, “The Penultimate Update Nora Had Posted Before She Had Found
Herself Between Life and Death,” takes us back in time to the second-last social media
post Nora made before deciding to end her life. Nora compares life to a maze in which
she cannot find her way and can hear other people living happily on the outside. She
invites her followers to comment on this phenomenon.

Back in the present moment of the novel, Mrs Elm helps Nora understand the reason for
her disappointment in her life with Dan. In “The Chessboard,” Mrs Elm says, “It’s hard to
predict, isn’t it? The things that will make us happy” (61). Nora then chooses to
experience a life in which she kept Voltaire indoors, in the hopes that he will be alive in
that life. Unfortunately, she opens her apartment door to find that Voltaire is dead.

Reminded of her grief over Voltaire, Nora demands an explanation from Mrs Elm in “The
Only Way to Learn Is to Live.” Mrs Elm points out that Voltaire had a heart condition
from birth; he would have died anyway, whether Nora kept him inside or not. Mrs Elm
tells Nora that Voltaire loved her and that the year he spent with her was the best in his
life. Nora’s regret over Voltaire’s death fades from her book of regrets, proving that
regrets are not based on fact at all, but rather, on our imagination. Tired of death, Nora
chooses to try out a life in which she moved to Australia with Izzy.

Nora wakes up underwater in “Fire.” She has apparently been transported to a pool
somewhere in Australia. Izzy is nowhere to be seen. Nora begins to realize that
something is wrong in this dream-life; she perceives this based off the self-inflicted
scars on her arms, along with the strained, overly enthusiastic email she finds in the
“sent” section of her inbox. She finds further evidence that all is not well when she
enters her apartment, which is a complete mess. Nora is disappointed to discover that
she is living like a student, with an unknown roommate who is not Izzy. She finds that in
this life, she takes medication for her depression and publishes existential poetry on
social media. Her roommate reveals that Izzy died in a car crash.

“Fish Tank” begins back in the midnight library, Mrs Elm tells Nora that while one can
make choices, one can never be certain of outcomes. Nora reflects on her strained
relationship with her father. She spent her childhood vying for his approval; he was a
difficult and highly critical man. Nora’s father, Geoff, took a special interest in her
swimming career. When she decided to quit, it signified the end of their special bond.
Nora decides to try out a life in which she dedicated herself wholly to swimming.

“The Last Update That Nora Had Posted Before She Found Herself Between Life and
Death” has only one line: “I miss my cat. I’m tired” (89).

10
Nora wakes up in a hotel room in “The Successful Life.” She finds an itinerary stating
that she is scheduled to speak at a swimming conference on this day. She feels
physically fit but discovers that she sees a therapist in this dream-life. After looking
herself up on the Internet, Nora finds out that she is a retired Olympian swimmer. She
watches videos of herself speaking at conferences and is shocked at the confidence
she displays. Nora’s father is alive in this life. He had an affair and left Nora’s mother,
before her mother died. Geoff is still critical of Nora. She realizes she spent this whole
life seeking his approval only to receive no indication of pride on her father’s behalf.
Nora understands now that her parents’ issues were never her fault. She sees now that
they directed their criticism towards her because they could not bear do the same with
each other. Nora is thrilled to see her brother Joe and gives him a big hug. Apparently,
he is her manager; together, they prepare for Nora’s big speech.

Nora and Joe sit in a VIP lounge, chatting before her scheduled speech in “Peppermint
Tea.” Nora learns that in this life, her mother was an alcoholic before she died. Unlike in
Nora’s root life, Nora never took the time to get close to her; Donna died without Nora
by her side. Nora learns that Joe suffered from alcoholism too. However, he is now
married and genuinely happy. Nora also finds out that she never studied philosophy or
got into music; she is shocked to discover she could have lived a life in which she never
pursued two passions. Nora spots some self-inflicted wounds on her arms and those
around her express their grief at something she did in Portugal. Nora concludes that in
this life she tried to kill herself some time in Portugal.

Nora gives her big speech at the conference in “The Tree That Is Our Life.” Before she
goes on stage, she confesses to Joe that she is having a panic attack. He brushes this
off brusquely, and Nora realizes that this version of Joe resembles the Joe in her root-
life in that he makes no effort to understand her anxiety or mental illness. She worries
that Joe is only nice to her because he profits off her. Nora delivers a deeply
metaphorical speech which confuses her audience. Only Ravi, who she spots standing
in the crowd, smiles at her.

In “System Error,” Nora is transported back to the library. Something is wrong. Mrs Elm
is sitting at a computer which reads “System Error” and cannot hear or see Nora. Nora
panics and thinks about how much she has enjoyed experiencing these new situations
and how she would miss life if she were to die. In a desperate attempt to cling to
consciousness, Nora reaches out and touches Mrs Elm. This seems to resolve the
error; Mrs Elm and Nora are relieved. With the lessons of her previous dream-life still in
mind, Nora chooses to try out a life in which she became a glaciologist.

Analysis
Haig includes a flashback in “The Penultimate Update Nora Had Posted Before She
Had Found Herself Between Life and Death” in order to remind the reader of Nora’s
state of mind before she ended her life. The strange, existential social media update is
worrisome, to say the least. Nora includes the metaphor of a maze being her life in
order to illustrate her feeling of loneliness and depression. The maze metaphor shows

11
that Nora feels that life is one big secret everyone else is in on; she would give anything
to understand life or happiness.

Haig subtly introduces the metaphor of a chessboard being like life in “The
Chessboard.” In this chapter, Mrs Elm plays chess against herself. She is the dictator of
her actions; she is in control, something that Nora never feels like she is. Haig also uses
Nora’s cat’s death as a symbol for mortality. One way or another, everyone dies; there is
nothing Nora, or anyone, can do to prevent this.

Mrs Elm’s speech in “The Only Way to Learn Is to Live” reaffirms that Mrs Elm is Nora’s
foil. Haig purposely uses Mrs Elm’s determination, confidence, and optimism to contrast
Nora’s disillusionment, reluctance, and suspicion. The two of them make an interesting
pair; each of their characteristics serve to balance out the other’s. Evidently, Nora has a
lot to learn from Mrs Elm when it comes to life and happiness. She will gradually learn to
apply Mrs Elm’s wisdom to her dream-lives, but also to her root-life, throughout the
novel.

Haig includes a number of clues regarding Nora’s depression in “Fire” in order to build
suspense. The reader gradually gets a sense that something is off in this life, though
they cannot be certain until it is finally revealed at the end of the chapter that Izzy is
dead. It is ironic that Nora chose this life in order to get away from the death in her life
with Voltaire, only to find even more death. Haig uses this repetition to emphasize not
only the impartiality and cruelty of life, but also its uncertainty.

In “Fish Tank,” Haig uses swimming as a symbol for the strained relationship between
Nora and her dead father, Geoff. Nora clung to swimming in a desperate attempt to
secure her father’s love and approval, showing that external validation is important to
Nora. It is therefore possible that she chooses to live a life as a professional swimmer
as a tribute to his memory.

Haig includes a flashback in the form of a social media post in “The Last Update That
Nora Had Posted Before She Found Herself Between Life and Death.” While the post
reveals Nora’s state of mind before her attempted suicide, it also serves as an
interesting contrast from the present moment of the novel. The tone of Nora’s social
media post is resigned and tired. This could not sound more different than the Nora of
the midnight library, who is desperate to try out new lives in the hopes of finding
happiness. Haig includes numerous social media references throughout the novel as a
means of relating to the modern reader.

Both “The Successful Life” and “Peppermint Tea” have a tense and gloomy mood. Right
off the bat, Nora describes the room as “rather plush, in a bland and blue and corporate
kind of way” (90). This is also reflective of Nora’s personality in this life. She has
sacrificed all her passions, from music to philosophy, in order to gain her father’s
approval as a professional swimmer. The result of this is that Nora hardly recognizes
herself anymore. The gloominess of these chapters intensifies with each and every
discovery. Nora’s scars are symbolic of the stress and grief she has had to endure in
this life. Haig emphasizes the melancholy mood of these chapters in order to make both

12
the reader and Nora understand that there is no correlation between success and
happiness.

Nora uses a tree as a metaphor for life in “The Tree That Is Our Life.” She describes
branches as representing the infinite paths and choices for our lives. She uses this
metaphor in the hopes of making her audience see how unhealthy it is to fixate on the
different paths one could have taken in life. Nora’s speech ties in with the important
theme of regret in this novel. Nora is gradually coming to understand the foolishness of
regret and of doing things for other people, rather than for yourself. Her desire to share
this with the audience illustrates the growing connection between Nora and the world.
The fact that Ravi is the only audience member smiling shows that he, too, understands
the bitterness of regret.

The mood of “System Error” is both fearful and ominous, all at once. Haig uses this
mood to remind the reader and Nora of the precariousness of her situation. In the
library, Nora is suspended between life and death. Her choice to end her life put her
there. Her panic illustrates her regret at choosing death over life. On the other hand, this
mood contrasts with the theme of this chapter: hope. Faced with an error in the library,
of the possibility of near death, Nora is suddenly filled with hope and a will to live. Haig
uses powerful visual and auditory imagery to build suspense and make the reader worry
about Nora’s future.

Discussion Question 1
What role does social media play in The Midnight Library?

Discussion Question 2
How does Nora define success and how does this definition change throughout the
novel?

Discussion Question 3
What is the significance of swimming to Nora's relationship with her father?

Vocabulary
penultimate, delusional, ceilidh, tyranny, profound, manoeuvre, itinerary, terse,
pretentious, jovial, cornucopia, fluoxetine, spontaneous, archipelago, desolate, fjord,
interminable, thwart, empowering, resentment

13
Svalbard - Howl
Summary
Nora wakes up in a cabin on a boat in “Svalbard.” There is a woman with her, Ingrid,
who thanks Nora for her for the chat they had the previous night. Ingrid asks Nora what
she is doing here, so far from civilization. Nora answers vaguely, as she does not even
know where they are. She learns that they are in Svalbard, Norway, on a glaciology
expedition. Nora spots a gun in the corner of the room, which excites her and makes
her feel proud. She feels certain that in this life, she is having an adventure.

Nora meets another fellow glaciologist in “Hugo Lefèvre.” Hugo teases Nora for having
the role of spotter that day. Nora has no clue what a spotter does but looks forward to
doing it, nonetheless.

Nora discovers that her job for the day is to be a look-out polar bears in “Walking in
Circles.” As she waits impatiently at her post, apart from the group, she reflects on how
Ash comforted her in her root-life when her mother was sick with ovarian cancer. She
spots the shadow of an animal, but it is only a walrus. Then she spots a truly gigantic
animal approaching.

“A Moment of Extreme Crisis in the Middle of Nowhere” has only one line, said by Nora:
“Oh, fuck” (152).

Nora is gripped by her survival instincts in “The Frustration of Not Finding a Library
When You Really Need One.” She screams for help from Mrs Elm, who does not
transport her back to the library. Nora desperately attempts to kill the bear with a gun
and to scare it off with loud noises until the bear finally leaves.

Nora is brought back to safety in “Island.” As she sips coffee on the boat, she reflects on
her near-death experience and feels shocked at the realization of how badly she wants
to live. She feels grateful for the experience for reminding her of the vastness of the
universe.

Nora delves into her family history in “Permafrost.” Her grandparents and parents all
had difficult lives. Her maternal grandparents were poor immigrants with an unhappy
marriage. This, in turn, shaped Donna’s view of marriage, explaining her troubled
relationship with Geoff. Nora’s paternal grandmother was also a poor immigrant. Geoff
grew up with a single parent and was consequently bullied. This, in turn, set him up to
be a bully to his wife and children. Nora concludes her reflections by forgiving her
parents for their mistakes. She realizes that she loved them more than she ever even
knew.

Hugo interrogates Nora in “One Night in Longyearbyen.” He has noticed that something
is off with her and confesses his belief that they are in the same situation. Hugo, too,

14
has been trying out different lives. They arrange to meet in the communal kitchen in five
minutes.

In the meantime, Nora imagines what it must feel like to be free in “Expectation”. She
compares herself to the rest of nature’s animals, and wonders what it would feel like to
accept every mistake she has ever made.

In “Life and Death and the Quantum Wave Function,” Hugo explains that people like him
and Nora are called sliders; they get to try out different future lives while they lie
unconscious in their root lives. For every slider, their guide and setting represent a
person and place that was important to them in their root-life. This explains why Nora
always returns to Mrs Elm and her elementary school library. Nora finds herself
attracted to Hugo. He tells her that she is the only reason he has stayed so long in this
dream-life. They kiss.

Nora and Hugo have sex in “If Something Is Happening to Me, I Want to Be There.”
Nora feels disappointed by it and is instantly transported back to the library.

In “God and Other Librarians,” Mrs Elm reminds Nora of the rules of the midnight library:
if she dies in a dream-life, she will die in her root-life. Also, there is no telling how many
lives she will get to try out; it all depends on how long Nora remains unconscious. Nora
decides to try a life in which she did not quit The Labyrinths.

Nora is transported backstage to a concert for her own band in “Fame.” They are
performing in Sao Paulo. Nora learns that Joe is no longer part of the band but is not
sure why. Ravi is the drummer and Nora is the lead singer. Nora senses some
bitterness in Ravi’s attitude towards her. Inspired by Ash, who loves Simon and
Garfunkel in her root-life, Nora suggests that they play Simon and Garfunkel’s famous
song, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” for the encore.

Nora is greeted by a roar of applause and support from the audience in “Milky Way.”
She realizes that she is capable of a lot more than she ever thought she was.

Nora gets an idea of her schedule over the next few days in “Wild and Free.” It involves
a lot of press interviews and back-to-back concerts. She gets a video call from Ryan
Bailey, her celebrity crush in her root-life.

Nora discovers in “Ryan Bailey” that Ryan Bailey is an ex of hers, whom it appears she
has remained friends with. Based on the video call, Nora suspects that he is an
alcoholic. She is proud of herself for having dumped a movie star in this life. An ominous
tweet from Nora’s account reads, “You can have everything and feel nothing” (171).

In “A Silver Tray of Honey Cakes,” Nora notices that most of the fan’s adoration is
dedicated to her, rather than to her bandmates. Even the man who has come to
interview her for a podcast disregards her bandmates. When Nora tries to include them,
the band’s manager, Joanna, says that she seems different on this night.

15
The podcast interviewer in “The Podcast of Revelations” reveals that Nora has dealt
with a lot of drama in the past few years. Apparently, Dan, her ex-fiancé, broke into her
home; she had to file a restraining order against him. Nora is amused by the fact that
Dan is awful in all her dream-lives. Nora is horrified to hear that, in this life, her brother
Joe passed away from an overdose.

The chapter “Howl” is one of Nora’s songs from this life. It is filled with dark lyrics about
mourning and having to pretend you are fine.

Analysis
Haig uses the gun as a symbol for freedom in “Svalbard.” The sight of the gun does not
induce fear or curiosity in Nora, but rather, excitement. To Nora, owning a gun is a sign
of freedom and adventure. The gun also serves to contrast the everyday objects Nora
surrounds herself with in her root-life. As an employee at a musical equipment store, the
most exciting thing Nora holds on a day-to-day basis is a guitar amp. The gun in her
cabin represents the thrilling nature of her dream-life as a glaciologist.

The sarcastic tone of Hugo, who is introduced in “Hugo Lefèvre” provides the reader
with a glimpse of his indifference to life, which is explained in a few chapters from this
point.

In “Walking in Circles,” Haig uses the walrus as a red herring in order to catch the
reader off guard when the real polar bear arrives. This red herring is an effective tool in
building suspense. Similarly, Haig distracts the reader from the perilous situation at
hand with Nora’s musings about Ash. The last thing Nora or the reader expect is for her
seemingly boring and harmless task to turn fatal.

Haig incorporates a swear word in “A Moment of Extreme Crisis in the Middle of

Nowhere” in order to emphasize Nora’s fear and to make her more relatable to the
reader.

Haig uses the polar bear as a symbol of death in “The Frustration of Not Finding a
Library When You Really Need One.” Haig includes this symbol in order to remind both
Nora and the reader of how death does not discriminate. Nora is so caught up in her
own thoughts that she forgets how temporary and inconsequential (in the grand sense)
her existence really is.

Haig incorporates striking visual imagery in “Island” in order to illustrate the respect and
admiration Nora now holds for nature. The narrator describes, “Birds—little auks and
puffins clustered together—huddled against the Arctic wind. Life surviving against the
odds” (134). This image has a profound impact on Nora’s state of mind. She is left
feeling grateful to be alive in such a beautiful world.

The calm and reflective mood of “Permafrost” illustrates how Nora’s near-death
experience has changed her worldview. Accustomed to harboring grudges and
victimizing herself, Nora is not used to forgiveness. This sudden change from bitterness

16
to magnanimity is perfectly captured by this shift in mood from tense and expectant to
peaceful and optimistic.

Haig builds on the theme of philosophy in “One Night in Longyearbyen.” Nora feels
inspired as she reflects on a quote from philosopher David Hume: “The life of a
human… was of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster” (139).
The quote makes Nora feel as though it is important to aim to do something good: to
help preserve life, as she does in her career as a glaciologist. This is a stark contrast
from her previous philosophical references, which were mostly depressing rather than
inspirational. This shift in her usage of famous philosophical quotations marks an
important shift in her mindset from hopeless to hopeful.

Haig uses nature as a metaphor for acceptance in “Expectation.” We expect nature to

be flawed or imperfect, but we do not expect the same of human beings. Once Nora
realizes this, she is able to let go of her own insecurities and start making choices which
are more truthful to her in the moment.

Hugo acts as a symbol of amorality in “Life and Death and the Quantum Wave Function”
and “If Something Is Happening to Me, I Want to Be There.” Hugo is solely interested in
abusing his status as a slider. Rather than focus on finding happiness or the meaning of
life, Hugo collects lives and experiences for their own sake. His nonchalance towards
life intrigues Nora, but later makes her pity him.

Mrs Elm symbolizes God in “God and Other Librarians.” In theory, Mrs Elm shares the
same responsibilities as God; she oversees the universe and its multitude of choices,
only interfering as a source of guidance or inspiration. In reality, Mrs Elm exists solely in
Nora’s imagination. Mrs Elm’s role echoes the sentiment that God exists only in our
minds.

Ravi’s bitterness in “Fame” is symbolic of the discontent which follows him in every life.
Even as a rock star, Ravi cannot be happy. He struggles with not being the center of
attention and tends to blame others for his own negative mindset.

The thrilling and intoxicating mood of “Milky Way” helps illustrate the glamour of Nora’s
rock star lifestyle. Nora feels powerful on stage, which is very unlike her usually shy self.
The ambiance of the concert which Haig so expertly describes helps boost Nora’s
adrenaline and makes the reader understand why she loves performing so much.

In “Wild and Free” and “Ryan Bailey,” Haig uses the character of Ryan Bailey in order to
show the discrepancy between appearances and reality. While Ryan Bailey appears to
be a successful actor and a wealthy individual, he is also a narcissistic alcoholic who is
still hung up on his ex. In Nora’s root-life, Ryan Bailey symbolizes the glamorous,
unattainable lifestyle she feels she will never be privy to. Nora’s life as a rock star shows
her the ugliness behind wealth and fame, and how even celebrities are not immune to
life’s troubles.

Haig contrasts the treatment of Nora with her bandmates to show how fame changes
people. The Nora experiencing this life as a slider is uncomfortable with the discrepancy
17
between the attention that she receives compared with the attention the rest of her
bandmates receive. The fact that her manager is surprised she wishes to include them
shows that in this life, friends are not a priority to her. In choosing a life with fame, Nora
sacrifices the key relationships in her life along with some of her morals and values.

Haig includes Joe’s death in “The Podcast of Revelations” as a message to readers that
success does not cancel out pain. While Nora is objectively successful in this life, she
suffers daily for the loss of her dear brother, Joe. Evidently, the cruelty of the world does
not discriminate.

“Howl” is an allegory of the pain of losing someone close to you. The winter forest
represents death and despair. The girl running towards it is Nora, and the wolves
chasing her are her depression and grief. The song encourages people to howl at the
moon—or rather, to speak their truths and let their pain be known.

Discussion Question 1
What role does nature play in the changing of Nora's perspective on life?

Discussion Question 2
In what ways does fame shape Nora's personal relationships?

Discussion Question 3
What point is Haig trying to make about the correlation between "success" and
happiness?

Vocabulary
sadomasochist, linger, hefty, eerily, phenomena, craggy, smorgasbord, inquisitive,
skerry, fluorescent, vulnerable, tranquil, nocturnal, oblivious, monotony, ludicrous,
phenomenon, divergent, imminent, precarious

18
Love and Pain - A Spiritual Quest
Summary
Nora is transported back to the midnight library in “Love and Pain.” She tells Mrs Elm
that she wants to put an end to this process. She concludes that it is impossible to live
life without getting hurt or hurting people. Mrs Elm warns her that the library only exists
if she maintains a will to live. Nora reminds herself of how she felt with the polar bear
and manages to recover from her moment of despair. Mrs Elm encourages Nora to
keep on living and reminds her of a suppressed memory.

“Equidistance” describes the time Nora tried to kill herself when she was a teenager.
There was a party at the beach and Nora was dared to swim to the other side of the
river. She nearly let herself drown but ended up swimming to a nearby bank where she
recovered her senses.

Nora comes to the conclusion that none of the dream-lives she has tried out in the
library were ever really hers in “Someone Else’s Dream.” Dan wanted the pub, Izzy
wanted to move to Australia, her dad wanted her to swim, Mrs Elm wanted her to be a
glaciologist, and Joe wanted to be a rock star. Nora chooses to try out a life where she
chose to work at the local animal shelter instead of the musical equipment store.

In “A Gentle Life,” Nora goes to work at the animal shelter and enjoys feeling like a good
person. Her boyfriend Dylan works there too. In Nora’s root-life, Dylan and Nora went to
elementary school together. She remembers having a crush on him, back then. Dylan
comes off as shy and sweet. Nora can see why she would like him in this life.

Nora asks Dylan a tricky question in “Why Want Another Universe If This One Has
Dogs?” She asks him if he believes in parallel universes and, if so, if he wishes he lived
in a different one. Dylan tells her no, that he is happy with this life. Even though he
never became a vet like he once dreamed of, he finds lots to be grateful for. Then Nora
spots Ash walking around the neighborhood and greets him. He looks confused, and
Nora realizes they have never met in this life; this saddens her.

Dylan and Nora grab dinner at a restaurant in “Dinner with Dylan”. On the way there
they notice that the store String Theory, where Nora worked in her root-life, has closed
down. Dylan’s cheeriness amuses Nora and is a pleasant change from Dan, who she
remembers was always rude to waitstaff. Nora wonders whether there is any place in
the world in which Dylan could be unhappy. She is shocked to hear that Dylan spotted
Mrs Elm the other day, entering a care home.

In “Last Chance Saloon,” Nora watches a movie with Dylan at his place. As they sit on
the couch, she realizes she does not feel particularly happy in this mundane life. She
returns to the library.

19
Inspired by a bottle of wine she spotted in Dylan’s house, Nora tries something different
in “Buena Vista Vineyard.” She chooses a dream-life in which she married a man
named Eduardo, with whom she owns a vineyard. They met during the gap year that
Nora regretted not taking in her root-life. Her and Eduardo enjoy a good-natured silence
when together. Nora can tell she is happy in this life, but still, she craves something
more. She waits to be transported back to the library.

Nora goes on to experience countless potential lives she could have lived in “The Many
Lives of Nora Seed.” But the more lives that Nora tries out, the more difficult it becomes
for her to feel at home anywhere. Nora senses that she is losing her true self.

Mrs Elm makes an interesting point in “Lost in the Library.” She says that Nora feels
unhappy because she tries too hard to understand life, rather than just living it. Mrs Elm
hints to Nora that she should try a life in which she chose to be with Ash, instead of
Dan: a life in which she had said yes to the coffee date he asked her out on, all those
years ago, instead of no.

Nora wakes to find herself in bed beside Ash, whom she is married to in this life in “A
Pearl in the Shell.” It’s the middle of the night. As she sneaks out of their bedroom in the
hopes of learning more about this dream-life she bumps into a four-year-old girl; it is her
daughter, who just has had a nightmare and is looking for comfort. It disturbs Nora that
she does not know her own daughter's name. Nonetheless, she feels strangely at home
with the child, yet guilty, for not being the girl’s true mom.

In “The Game,” Nora suggests to her daughter that they play a game in which her
daughter answers questions about their life. Nora learns that her daughter’s name is
Molly and that they live in Cambridge, a city Nora had always admired in her root-life. In
this life, Nora teaches philosophy at Cambridge University and Ash is still a doctor. Molly
tells her that they are all very happy, and that Nora has a good relationship with Joe.
Nora falls asleep in her daughter’s bed beside her.

When Ash wakes in “The Perfect Life,” he is genuinely sorry he was not there for Molly’s
nightmare. Nora gets the sense that he is a kind and loving partner. In fact, everything
about this life seems perfect to Nora. She is impressed by this version of herself.

In “A Spiritual Quest for a Deeper Connection with the Universe,” Nora rummages
through all the cupboards, but does not find any antidepressants. There are no signs of
self-inflicted scars on her body either. This assures her that she is happy in this life.
Nora and Izzy still text in this life. Nora experiences many moments of joy, laughter, and
love. She fears going to sleep at night in case she wakes up in the midnight library.
Nora enjoys getting to know Ash and finds herself morphing into the Nora he loves.

Analysis
In “Love and Pain,” Mrs Elm uses the metaphor of life being a chessboard to illustrate
how one can move up through the ranks of happiness as long as they keep living. Mrs
Elm is trying to explain to Nora that she must keep playing the game if she wants to find

20
happiness; she must keep moving forward, and she must take each day as it comes.
This, of course, contrasts with Nora’s desire to put an end to her misery by killing
herself. Mrs Elm is also trying to explain that sometimes the most ordinary things prove
to be the most valuable. This message proves to be highly influential in Nora’s future
choices and outlook on life; essentially, it serves to inspire Nora to live out her root-life.

Nora’s river swim in “Equidistance” is symbolic of how she has always felt in her root-
life: lonely and trapped. The narrator describes Nora as feeling “Caught in the middle.
Struggling, flailing, just trying to survive while not knowing where to go. Which path to
commit to without regret” (190). Evidently Nora has battled with regret since a young
age. Her fear of making mistakes or hurting people makes her feel stuck in life; it
pushes her away from those closest to her and keeps her at an arm’s length from
happiness. Haig repeats the word "equidistant" several times in order to illustrate how
this word haunts Nora. She gives the word power over her and fixates on it in an
attempt to understand why she feels so far apart from everyone.

“Someone Else’s Dream” marks a pivotal shift in Nora’s mindset. Rather than picking a
dream-life based off one of her numerous regrets, Nora decides to try something new.
This spontaneity is unheard of for Nora, who tends to dwell on the past and her
mistakes. Her choice to live a gentle life, one in which she works with animals
represents the first of many choices Nora will make for herself, and herself alone. These
choices prove to be the most insightful and gratifying.

Nora compares Dylan to a dog in “A Gentle Life” because dogs symbolize all the
qualities Dylan possesses loyalty, friendliness, and an eagerness to please. Dylan’s
easygoing nature is apparent in how he accepts Nora’s vague and somewhat rude
responses to his attempts at conversation. The narrator even says, “Dylan was
confused but shook it away like rain,” suggesting that he is not easily piqued (203).
These characteristics endear Dylan to Nora, but still do not make her attracted to him.
This shows that Nora subconsciously seeks a level of understanding and empathy from
her partner. The bullmastiff Nora takes care of at the shelter actually represents her.
Bruised and burned, the bullmastiff is terrified of everyone around her. Much like Nora,
the bullmastiff has suffered terrible pain in her life and is frightened of opening up to
people as a result of it.

Haig sets “Dinner with Dylan” in the same restaurant Nora went to with Dan in order to
juxtapose the two very different men. Dan, on one hand, is rude, demanding, and
manipulative. Dylan, on the other hand, is kind, servile, and gracious. While both men
seem to interest Nora romantically at first, yet she ends up choosing to stay with neither
of them. In comparing and contrasting Dan and Dylan, Haig is sending the reader a
message that personality is not everything when it comes to love. Rather, both Dan and
Dylan are missing some indefinable quality which would bind Nora to them. She finds
this quality later on, in Ash.

“Last Chance Saloon” marks the first time Nora feels like an imposter in one of her
dream-lives. She experiences this feeling again in her life with Ash. Evidently, her
fondness of the individuals in her dream-lives makes her feel guilty and undeserving of

21
their love. This feeling is ever-present in her root-life as well, showing that the problem
lies not in stealing the lives of other Noras but in her own insecurities.

Nora’s life in “Buena Vista Vineyard” symbolizes her insatiable desire for new and
different experiences. This addiction is fueled by the midnight library and the multitude
of dream-lives which she is exposed to. This desire makes her feel constantly
ungrateful; it deceives her into thinking that there is always something greater waiting
for her in the next dream-life. This constant wondering of what could be destroys Nora’s
ability to find contentment. Thus, the paradox of the midnight library reveals itself; the
more freedom Nora is given, the more trapped she becomes.

“The Many Lives of Nora Seed” and “Lost in the Library” mark a turning point in the
main plot of the novel. Up until now, the reader has observed Nora trying out many
different dream-lives in the hopes of discovering happiness. What these chapters
explain is that Nora has missed the point of what the midnight library is trying to teach
her: that happiness is a choice in itself, rather than a consequence of past choices. This
realization enables Nora to make the most of her life with Ash, and later, in her root-life,
marking the transition into the denouement of the novel.

Both “A Pearl in the Shell” and “The Game” introduce Molly, Nora’s daughter, who is a
symbol of purity in the novel. Molly’s innocence moves and disturbs Nora
simultaneously. Given all of her own mental baggage, Nora has trouble believing that
she has managed to create such an honest and wholesome human being. Molly helps
Nora realize her full potential as not only a mother, but as a caring and selfless human
being.

“The Perfect Life” and “A Spiritual Quest for a Deeper Connection with the Universe”
focus on Nora’s relationship with Ash. The fact that Nora’s life with Ash seems almost
“Annoyingly good” to Nora reflects her deeply rooted insecurity (233). Nora cannot
conceive that she is deserving of a good, happy life. In this moment, her tendency to
self-sabotage is tempting. In choosing to stick this life out, Nora manages to shed her
insecurities and transform into a truly happy person.

Discussion Question 1
What does the word "equidistant" represent to Nora?

Discussion Question 2
How is Nora's relationship with Dylan different from her relationship with Dan? How are
the two relationships similar?

Discussion Question 3
What is the significance of the chess metaphor to the novel as a whole?

22
Vocabulary
equidistant, apt, riveting, enamoured, banal, affable, besotted, genteel, exultant,
halitosis, hypochondriac, archetype, doubly, gangly, highbrow, bastard, dejected,
teetotal, doleful, defiant

23
Hammersmith - How it Ends
Summary
Nora, Ash, and Molly pay a visit to Joe in “Hammersmith.” Joe works as a sound
engineer and loves his job. He is married to a man named Ewan. When Nora asks Joe
if he ever resents her for leaving the band, he reassures her that he does not and
apologizes for having treated her so awfully in the past. He explains that Ewan has
taught him a lot about mental health. He apologizes for undermining her panic attacks.
These words soothe Nora deeply.

When Molly falls off her tricycle in “Tricycle,” Nora is struck by the force of her love for
her daughter. The force of this realization brings her to tears. Nora recognizes now that
the one thing which she was missing in all her other dream-lives was love. At the back
of her mind, Nora is plagued by the thought that she has not earned this life.

Nora visits Bedford’s care home in “No Longer Here,” where she learns that Mrs Elm
recently passed away. There, she sees Mr Banjeree, the neighbor she looked after in
her root-life. Mr Banjeree does not recognize Nora. She observes that he is deeply
unhappy in the care home.

In “An Incident with the Police,” Nora suppresses her grief over Mrs Elm’s death and
takes a walk around Bedford. She wonders why Mr Banjeree lives in a care home. She
realizes that in this life, she never brought him his pills. This makes her believe that
small gestures can have large impacts on people’s lives. Nora then spots Leo, her piano
student from her root-life, getting arrested by the police for stealing. Nora recalls that
Doreen, Leo’s mother, had hired Nora in the hopes that she would inspire Leo to do
better in school and help him stay away from the rough crowd at school.

Nora gains a new perspective in “A New Way of Seeing." In this dream-life, just as in
her life at the animal shelter, String Theory is closed for business. This makes Nora
finally recognize the importance of her work and role at String Theory. Nora wishes she
had visited Mrs Elm before she died. She reflects on all the differences she made in
Bedford in her root-life, and the work that is still left to be done. This inspires her to
make the choice to return to her root-life.

In “The Flowers Have Water,” Nora rushes home in order to say goodbye to Ash and
Molly. Nora comforts herself with the knowledge that this life will go on without her. She
is sure that Molly and Ash will go on being happy with the version of herself that she
leaves behind.

In “Nowhere to Land,” Nora finds herself back at the midnight library, except something
is horribly wrong. The books are all on fire. Mrs Elm tells her that this is the library’s way
of giving her a chance to return to her root-life. Nora must find a way to get out. Before

24
parting, Mrs Elm hands her one final book; its pages are blank. It is the book of her root-
life.

Nora muses on her time in the library in “Don’t You Dare Give Up, Nora Seed!” She is
glad that she has learned the importance of believing in yourself. She understands now
that she never needed all those things from her dream-lives to be happy; she just
needed to believe she had the potential to achieve them. Nora takes the book of her
root-life and writes the words “I AM ALIVE” (277). The library disintegrates.

Nora wakes up in her root-life in “Awakening.” She stumbles over to Mr Banjeree’s

house and begs him to call an ambulance before collapsing at his doorstep.

Nora wakes up in a hospital in “The Other Side of Despair.” She assures the nurse that
she no longer wants to kill herself. She deletes her suicidal social media posts and
posts something else instead.

In “A Thing I Have Learned (Written By A Nobody Who Has Been Everybody),” Nora
shares what she learned in the midnight library with the world: mainly, that regrets are
pointless.

Joe comes to visit Nora in the hospital in “Living Versus Understanding.” He explains
that his shame over his alcoholism is what kept him distant from her. He apologizes for
not being more understanding in the past about her mental health. He begs her to stay
alive, saying that she is all he has. Next, Izzy replies to Nora’s text and apologizes for
not replying earlier. She tells Nora she misses her, that she can’t wait to catch up, and
that she is thinking of moving back to England for good. Outside the hospital, Nora
spots Ash and makes a mental note to ask him out some time. On the car ride home,
Joe mentions that he is interested in becoming a sound engineer. Nora encourages him
wholeheartedly, knowing that he was happy doing this in her dream-life with Ash. He
also mentions his crush on Ewan, and Nora is thrilled that there is a possibility for Joe’s
happiness in this real life. Outside her house, Nora waves to Mr Banjeree, who is happy
to see her well. She realizes that this is what it feels like to be cared for.

Nora makes plans to resume her piano lessons with Leo the following week in “The
Volcano.” Elated, Nora begins to play the piano; it is a tune she has never played
before. She decides to write it down and considers turning it into a song. She also
considers applying for a master’s degree. She is thrilled at having all these possibilities.

Nora visits Mrs Elm in “How It Ends,” and promises to come every day to see her. Mrs
Elm tells Nora that she has been lonely; she has made lots of mistakes in her life, and
they have pushed those closest to her away. Nora explains what Mrs Elm’s kindness
has meant to her, and together, they start a game of chess.

Analysis
Joe acts as a symbol of forgiveness in “Hammersmith.” When he tells Nora he forgives
her for leaving the band, the narrator says, “These words felt like a tonic she had been

25
waiting years to hear” (245). In Nora’s root-life, Joe represents all the suffering Nora
feels she has inflicted on the world. The opportunity for reconciliation that this dream-life
presents her with is very enticing, to say the least. In reassuring Nora, Joe transforms
into a symbol of forgiveness rather than of Nora’s guilt.

Molly’s tricycle accident in “Tricycle” is symbolic of Nora’s love for her daughter. Nora
has never opened her heart like this to another person in any of her dream-lives. Molly
falling off her tricycle helps Nora come to terms with the depths of her love for Molly; it is
a love so foreign and intense that it almost frightens her.

Haig includes Mrs Elm’s death in “No Longer Here” as a metaphor for how quick and
fleeting life can be. In living a life in which her own family is her main focus, Nora forgets
all about Mrs Elm and the kindness she showed her in her youth. Mrs Elm passes away
before Nora could ever thank her, showing how fast life moves and how time is
irretrievable.

In “An Incident with the Police,” Haig compares Mr Banjeree’s and Leo’s situations in
Nora’s dream-life with their contrasting situations in Nora’s root-life as a means of
spreading the moral of how small actions have larger impacts. This is one of the main
messages of the novel. In showing how Mr Banjere and Leo are worse off without
Nora’s help, Haig is proving to both the reader and Nora that her life has meaning, and
therefore, that the reader’s life also has meaning.

In revising her comparison of Bedford being a prison, Nora firmly establishes her
changed viewpoint in “A New Way of Seeing.” Nora says, “Growing up, she and Joe had
always joked about their hometown, the way teenagers do, and used to say that HMP
Bedford’s was the inner prison and the rest of the town was just the outer prison” (258).
In referring to her opinion in the past tense, Nora is placing distance between her
current self and her past, more negative self. This allows her to focus on the present
and work on building a more positive outlook.

The watered flowers in “The Flowers Have Water” are a metaphor for how life always
goes on. Ash says, in reference to the flowers, “They’ll be okay. They’re looked after”
(261). These words comfort Nora deeply. No matter how much she hates having to
leave this dream-life, the knowledge that—like the watered flowers—Ash and Molly will
be looked after soothes her conscience and gives her the strength to leave.

The fire in “Nowhere to Land” and “Don’t You Dare Give Up, Nora Seed!” symbolizes
rebirth: a new beginning for Nora. Fire destroys everything Nora has ever known and
grants her the opportunity to begin anew.

Nora’s collapse on Mr Banjeree’s doorstep in ‘Awakening” brings the novel to a full

circle. In seeking help from the very place she once offered it, Nora shows that she is
ready to open herself up to kindness, as well as offer it.

Nora’s act of deleting her old social media posts in “The Other Side of Despair” is
symbolic of her new beginning: a life in which she is free to make mistakes, to love, and
to be loved.
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Nora’s social media post in “A Thing I Have Learned (Written By A Nobody Who Has
Been Everybody)” is an allegory for Haig’s take on the meaning of life. Haig suggests
that life is full of possibility; one must keep their potential in mind, without worrying about
regret. He uses Nora’s journey as a metaphor for mankind’s quest for happiness and
survival in an increasingly isolating and individualistic world.

Haig ties off any loose ends left in the novel in “Living Versus Understanding.” In
reconciling Nora and Joe, showing Izzy’s response to Nora’s text, and mentioning Ash
and Mr Banjeree, Haig provides the reader with a sense of closure. Haig also gives
Nora an opportunity to express gratitude for her loved ones—the love she had never
believed she was deserving of before.

The piano tune Nora comes up with in “The Volcano” is symbolic of her fresh start and
all the opportunities that are now within her reach. Nora compares herself to a volcano
in order to illustrate her vow to continue working on her life. She says, “The paradox of
volcanoes is that they were symbols of destruction but also life… She’d have to stay
there and tend to that wasteland” (286). This comparison is far more optimistic than her
usual black hole metaphor. It shows that Nora comprehends that change does not
simply happen overnight; rather, she will have to constantly keep in mind the lessons
she learned in the midnight library as she embarks on this new era of existence.

Haig shows a different side of Mrs Elm in “How It Ends.” It turns out that Mrs is far more
similar to Nora than anyone realized. They both know what it means to have regrets and
to push those closest to him away. Mrs Elm’s humanity reminds the reader that nobody
is perfect. In coming together, Nora and Mrs Elm are able to learn from one another and
to explore what it means to be truly human and to begin again.

Discussion Question 1
What is the significance of the volcano metaphor? How is it different from the black hole
metaphor?

Discussion Question 2
What is the significance of Mrs Elm's confession to Nora in the final chapter of the
novel?

Discussion Question 3
What valuable lesson does Nora's life with Ash and Molly teach her?

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Vocabulary
anarchy, sentient, lorry, ravished, multiverse, ad infinitum, squander, velocity, delirious,
multifarious, guzzle, fraught, bravado, quid, unfazed, arrhythmic, illuminating, ruination,
razing, surmise

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Characters
Nora Seed
Nora is the protagonist of the novel. Nora is depressed and lonely. She suffers from a
constant need for validation from those around her. Nora spends her life seeking the
approval of her family and friends, but often feels disappointed in their behavior towards
her. In essence, she tends to victimize herself. Above all, Nora fears change and
disappointing others. Nora has never left Bedford in all her life, until she steps into the
magical world of the midnight library. The midnight library represents a chance for Nora
to erase her regrets. She discovers that all the dreams she thought she lost out on were
really other people’s dreams. Before the midnight library, she never took the time to
evaluate what she really wants or needs to be happy. Through her adventure, Nora
discovers that endless possibilities exist for her root-life. She realizes that the key to
happiness lies in choosing to be happy and in building connections with both nature and
human beings. At the end of the novel, Nora has a positive outlook on life and is excited
for her future.

Mrs Elm
Mrs Elm is the retired librarian of Nora’s elementary school and the librarian of the
midnight library. In Nora’s root-life, Mrs Elm was always there for her. Mrs Elm
encouraged Nora to pursue her dreams, and particularly encouraged her to pursue a
career in glaciology. At the end of the novel, Nora learns that Mrs Elm was no saint; she
had her own issues with her family and is not proud of all her decisions. This brings the
two of them closer together, and Nora vows to visit her every day. In the midnight library,
Mrs Elm represents the guardian of Nora’s dreams. She explains the rules of the library
and teaches Nora important life lessons along the way.

Ash
Ash is the doctor and neighbor to Nora. Ash is an amateur guitar enthusiast, who enjoys
chatting with Nora. He even asked her out once, while she was still with Dan, proving
his attraction to her. Ash is kind, considerate, and gentle. In Nora’s root-life, he helps her
bury her cat. In Nora’s dream-life, the one where she is married to him, he fulfils the
duties of a partner and parent with enthusiasm and love. He is highly perceptive and
emotionally intelligent, as can be seen when he remarks on Nora’s inexplicable
amnesia. Ash teaches Nora that she is loveable, and worthy of love.

Joe Seed
Joe is Nora’s brother and former bandmate of The Labyrinths. Joe has a rocky
relationship with Nora in her root-life. She worries for his health and that he still holds a

29
grudge against her for quitting the band. At the end of the novel, when Nora wakes up in
the hospital, it is revealed by Joe that the reason for his distance was due to his shame
for suffering from alcoholism. He also apologizes for not being understanding regarding
her panic attacks, and for not being a better brother when they were kids. He explains
that his teenage angst was the result of his suppressed sexuality.

Ravi
Ravi is Joe’s friend and former bandmate of The Labyrinths. Ravi still plays in a band,
but their gigs are mostly local and very small. Ravi resents Nora for quitting the band
and blames his failure to become a rock star on her. Ravi is bitter towards the world and
haunts Nora in her dream-lives as a constantly disapproving character. It is only in her
life as a swimmer, when she publicly speaks about regret and disappointment, that he
seems to approve of her.

Izzy
Izzy is the former best friend of Nora. Izzy and Nora lost touch over the years, after Izzy
moved to Australia and Nora decided to stay in Bedford. Nora’s favorite dream-lives are
the ones in which she still regularly communicates with Izzy, showing the high value of
her friendship in Nora’s eyes. When Nora reaches out to Izzy, it is a very vulnerable
moment for her. She is disheartened when Izzy does not immediately reply and
subsequently overdoses. However, when Nora wakes and discovers a warm text
response from Izzy, she is thrilled. Izzy’s text signifies the rekindling of their friendship,
and Nora’s reemergence into the world.

Geoff Seed
Geoff is the father of Nora and Joe, husband to Donna. Geoff passed away suddenly of
a heart attack while he was coaching rugby. Geoff was always an imposing figure in his
children’s lives. Joe felt uncomfortable opening up to him about his sexuality and Nora
constantly struggled to gain his approval. One way in which Nora sought her father’s
validation would be through her career as a swimmer. In Nora’s root-life, swimming
brought her closer to her father. But his love of winning and competing never fully
rubbed off on her. In Nora’s dream-life as an Olympic swimmer, she still vies for Geoff’s
approval, but never gets it. He remains as terse and cold as ever, even when she
sacrifices her whole life to his dreams.

Donna Seed
Donna is the mother of Nora and Joe, wife to Geoff. Donna passed away three months
before the date set for Nora’s wedding. Donna was a tired, sad figure in Nora’s
childhood. Nora claims that her mother treated her like a “mistake in need of correction”
(1). Donna was severely unhappy with her marriage. In spite of all this, Nora managed

30
to get close to her mother before her final days; Donna was highly involved in the
planning of Nora’s wedding.

Hugo Lefèvre
Hugo is another slider, just like Nora. Hugo meets Nora in her life as a glaciologist and
confesses to having a crush on her. Hugo introduces Nora to the world of sliders:
people who slide in and out of dream-lives, searching for the perfect one to settle down
in. Hugo never manages to find the perfect life, though. He is addicted to trying out new
lives, despite the growing numbness he feels.

Molly
Molly is Nora’s daughter in her dream-life with Ash. Molly is a thoughtful, inquisitive, and
cheerful little girl. She feels comfortable with her vulnerability, as can be seen when she
seeks Nora out after having a nightmare. Molly rejoices in the love of her parents and
helps Nora realize her potential as a parent.

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Symbols and Symbolism
Chessboard
In general, chessboards are a symbol of life in the novel. Mrs Elm consistently refers to
the game of chess in order to teach Nora important life lessons. For instance, Mrs Elm
uses the transformation of a pawn to queen to show how often the smallest things in life
are what lead us to victory. At the end of the novel, chess brings Nora and Mrs Elm
together once again, showing how life tends to come full circle.

Swimming
Swimming symbolizes Nora’s strained relationship with her father. As a child, Nora
clung to swimming in a desperate attempt to secure her father’s love and approval. In
pursuing a career as a professional swimmer in her dream-life, Nora hopes to finally
please her father.

Fire
In general, fire symbolizes rebirth in the novel. Nora writes a poem called Fire in two of
her dream lives; each poem discusses new, stronger beginnings. Additionally, the fire in
the midnight library gives Nora the opportunity to get rid of her past regrets and to start
fresh in her root-life.

Volcano
Volcanoes are a symbol of destruction and life in the novel. Essentially, they represent
Nora at the end of the novel, when she casts her past sorrows aside and focuses
instead on beginning again. Volcanoes serve as a reminder that change does not simply
happen overnight; rather, Nora will have to constantly apply the lessons of the midnight
library as she embarks on this new era of existence.

Social media
Nora’s social media posts are symbolic of her desire to connect with the world. In
sharing her deepest thoughts and feelings online, Nora is able to feel she is leaving her
mark on the world.

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Voltaire's death
Voltaire’s inevitable death symbolizes mortality in the novel. One way or another,
everyone dies; there is nothing Nora, or anyone, can do to prevent this. This is
something she comes to terms with by the end of the novel.

Molly
Molly is a symbol of purity in the novel. Molly’s innocence moves Nora deeply and helps
Nora realize her full potential. Her virtuousness inspires Nora to live a more wholesome
life.

Piano tune
The piano tune Nora comes up with at the end of the novel is symbolic of her fresh start.
The new tune represents her new mindset and all the possibilities that are now available
to her as a result of her choice to keep on living.

Gun
Guns symbolize freedom in the novel. The sight of the gun in her cabin excites Nora. To
Nora, owning a gun is a sure sign of a liberating and adventurous life.

Molly’s tricycle accident

Molly’s tricycle accident in is symbolic of Nora’s love for her daughter. It signifies the first
time Nora truly opens her heart to another person. Molly falling off her tricycle helps
Nora come to terms with the depths of her love for her daughter; it is a love so foreign
and intense that it almost frightens her.

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Settings
Bedford, England
The novel begins and ends in this small town in Bedfordshire, England. Nora grew up in
Bedford with her brother and parents. Haig does not delve into any detailed description
of the town; instead, he focuses on the houses and shops in Nora’s neighborhood which
make up the total of her existence. It appears that everyone Nora went to school with
still lives there, including Ravi, Dylan, and the newsagent. Bedford is teeming with
figurative ghosts from Nora’s past; she cannot turn a corner without being confronted by
some reminder of her failure. Haig presents the town as being stuck in the doldrums,
just like Nora herself. Nora’s attempted suicide and subsequent launch into the world of
the midnight library signifies her first time leaving Bedford.

The Midnight Library

As merely a figment of Nora’s imagination, the midnight library symbolizes her inherent
obsession with dreams and regret. The library itself takes the shape of Nora’s
elementary school library. Nora’s school library, where she spent her lunches playing
chess with Mrs Elm, was always a safe space for her. As a child, Nora struggled to gain
the approval of her parents. But Mrs Elm made sure to make her feel welcome in the
library, and to encourage her imagination. It is only natural then, that Nora’s
subconscious should choose her school’s library as the backdrop for her big adventure.
In the midnight library, Nora is given the opportunity to try out a multitude of lives but
she always ends up right back where she started-- in the library, feeling dissatisfied. The
library comes to represent Nora’s melancholy and constant thirst for something which
does not exist without a desire to live: happiness.

Cambridge, England
The most significant of all the places which Nora visits via the midnight library would be
Cambridge, where she lives with Ash and Molly. It is the only dream-life in which she
manages to feel truly happy. It is in Cambridge that Nora realizes the full potential of her
existence. It is also the dream-life she spends the most time in. In the novel, Cambridge
symbolizes everything Nora is missing in her root-life: love, security, fulfilment, and
interdependence. As she lives out this dream-life, Nora feels proud of herself; it is a new
sensation for her, and very different from the feelings of remorse and guilt which she
has grown used to. Once Nora decides to leave her Cambridge life, she is left feeling
inspired to make the most out of her root-life.

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Hotel, Swimming Conference
The hotel where the swimming conference is held mirrors Nora’s personality in that
dream-life: “It was rather plush, in a bland and blue and corporate kind of way” (90).
When Nora chooses a life in which she is a famous Olympic swimmer, she sacrifices
one of the key aspects of her personality: creativity. This is evident when Nora
researches herself and watches videos of herself delivering supposedly inspirational
speeches, which are really just full of cliches. Her creativity is the price she pays for
success, which in this case, is the equivalent of wealth. Additionally, Nora describes the
hotel lounge as being “small” and “airless” (102). But this description also provides the
reader with an insight on Nora’s state of mind; her demanding career as a professional
swimmer and inspirational speaker makes her feel trapped and suffocated.

Sydney, Australia
Nora’s life in Australia, is unlike anything she imagined. For one, she finds herself alone
in Sydney rather than in Byron Bay with Izzy (the place where Izzy lives in Nora’s root-
life). Nora’s apartment is also unlike anything she anticipated. Instead of finding an
appearance of comfort and ease, Nora discovers bags of garbage in the hallway,
waiting to be taken out. When describing her apartment Nora says, “The living room
looked small and depressing. The sofa tatty and old. The place smelt slightly moldy”
(77). The apartment, as a whole, reminds Nora of a student house. She feels ashamed
to be 35 and living like a student. Nora spots marijuana on the table, along with
antidepressants. The dilapidated and chaotic state of Nora’s home represents her grief
at Izzy’s death (which occurs in the dream-life only).

Svalbard, Norway
When Nora chooses a life in which she works as a glaciologist, she finds herself living
on a boat in the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. Nora describes the view outside her
window as “the most eerily beautiful sight she had ever seen. Islands of ice, like rocks
rendered clean and pure and white, were visible amid the fog” (121). The beautiful icy
nature of Svalbard helps ground Nora and makes her feel connected to the world
around her-- a feeling she lacks in her root-life. After her near-death experience with the
polar bear, Nora reflects, “To be part of nature was to be part of the will to live. When
you stay too long in a place, you forget how big an expanse of the world is” (134). The
setting of Svalbard serves as a source of inspiration for Nora; it makes her start to
realize that life might be worth living.

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Themes and Motifs
Philosophy
Haig’s uses the theme of philosophy in order to characterize the novel as a modern
philosophical exploration for young people. Traditional philosophical questions are
posed in the context of the year 2020 in the hopes of conveying the meaning of life,
which, in Haig’s eyes, involves making choices that are true to oneself.

Haig first introduces the theme of philosophy in the second chapter, with a playful
allusion to the famous French philosopher, Voltaire, which is also the name of Nora’s
cat. Right off the bat, the reader is able to deduce that Nora’s name for her cat stems
from a love of philosophy. Even in Nora’s other lives, she names her pets after
philosophers. Nora’s passion for passion for philosophy is present throughout the novel.

Philosophy is present in Nora’s lives in other ways as well. In her root-life, she majored
in philosophy at university. In a few potential lives, Nora enjoys writing existential poems
and publishing them on social media. In her life as a successful swimmer, she takes a
philosophical view of success in her speech. But it is in her favorite life of all, her life
with Ash and their daughter, that Nora’s love of philosophy extends in her work and
personal life. Nora adores the fact that her house is full of books by her favorite
philosophers and is incredibly proud that she works as a professor of philosophy at the
University of Cambridge.

Philosophy also acts as a powerful emotional stimulus for Nora. It serves to comfort her,
distress her, and even inspire her. This can be seen in the ways in which Nora regularly
quotes famous philosophers as a coping mechanism for her uncertainty in life. When
faced with her fear and distrust of the world, Nora recalls that “she’d studied enough of
existential philosophy to believe loneliness was a fundamental part of being a human
being in an essentially meaningless universe” (5). Evidently existential philosophy helps
Nora make sense of a seemingly senseless world. On the other hand, Nora’s view of
philosophy places importance on thinking rather than acting, which often makes Nora
overthink and subsequently exaggerate her troubles. This is clear in Nora’s passive
approach to life; she allows herself to grow apart from friends and family, preferring to
wallow in the misery of life instead of adopting a more proactive approach. However,
Nora’s love of philosophy is not harmful overall. Towards the end of the novel, she
draws on inspiration from different philosophers who focus on the beauty and simplicity
of life, rather than on the tragedy and complexity of it.

Dreams and Regrets

Dreams and regrets go hand-in-hand in The Midnight Library and serve as an allegory
for what happens when you let past regrets cast a shadow over your present and future.
The result, in Nora’s case, is a loss of a will to live—that is, until she is able to come to

36
the realization that dreams and regrets are not synonymous, but rather, two wholly
different concepts.

In the first place, Nora views all her dreams as past failures. At the start of the novel, the
reader observes Nora dwelling on her various regrets and mourning the lives she never
lived. This fixation on the past allows Nora to displace any responsibility for the choices
she makes in her current life. In essence, it is far easier for Nora to fixate on her failures
instead of experimenting with something new. In getting to try out a multitude of dream-
lives, each based on one of her many regrets, Nora is able to realize that she has been
wasting her time. Nora sees, at last, that her dreams never truly belonged to her; they
were all a mere projection of her friends’ and family’s desires for her. In recognizing that
her regrets have no bearing on her future, Nora is able to become a much happier
person. This realization enables her to feel confident and optimistic about her decision
to live out her root-life.

Having dreams is crucial to Nora’s survival. Nora alternately despairs of and embraces
having aspirations throughout the course of the novel. Nora’s dream-life with Ash and
Molly is crucial in that it allows her to reach her full potential as a partner, mother, and
human being. This dream-life teaches Nora that she never lacked either potential or the
ability to be a good person; she simply did not believe in herself. This lesson enables
Nora to confidently let go of her blissful life in Cambridge in favour of cultivating new
dreams in her root-life.

In telling Nora’s story, Haig attempts to prove to the reader that life is full of possibility. In
essence, The Midnight Library shows that it is possible to live a truly happy life if you
make choices that are true to yourself alone, regardless of the opinions of others. Thus,
Haig argues that happiness is, to an extent, an active choice. In his eyes, there exist
endless routes to happiness; the key lies in making the most of the route you choose,
with the knowledge that you can change its course at any moment.

Loneliness and Depression

Loneliness and depression characterize Nora’s existence at the start of the novel and
act as a starting point for her journey of personal growth. While the two work closely
together to shape Nora’s worldview, they are fundamentally different as well.

Nora’s depression is a form of mental illness for which she takes prescribed medication.
In fact, Nora finds evidence of anti-depression medication in many of her root-lives,
showing that her depression is likely genetic rather than situational, as she believes it to
be at the start of the novel. Nora’s depression makes her feel guilty for not viewing the
world in the same way others appear to. Nora also suffers from panic attacks, since a
young age. Her brother’s failure to correlate her frequent panic attacks with mental
illness makes Nora feel guilty and misunderstood.

Loneliness, on the other hand, is simply a by-product of Nora’s depression. Nora’s

loneliness makes her believe she is truly alone in the world, despite having numerous

37
friends and family members who care for her deeply. Nora fails to reach out for the help
which is available to her because she is so focused on wallowing in self-pity. Nora’s
inherent shyness and introversion also make her feel lonely. It is already hard enough
for her to make friends, let alone maintain those relationships in her poor mental state.
In failing to reach out to the friends and family she does have, Nora allows the
unfortunate events of one day to determine her choice to die.

Nora’s loneliness coupled with her depression leaves her feeling completely drained at
the start of the novel. Years of emotional abuse from her parents, on top of the loss of
her job and the rest of the day’s events leading up to her suicide attempt, make Nora
feel justified in her negative worldview. There is nothing left for her but to kill herself—or
at least, that is what her loneliness and depression force her to believe before the deus
ex machina that is Mrs Elm arrives. In recognizing that her mental illness is not a
choice, Nora is able to focus on the choices she can make; this realization is what
ultimately leads to her happiness.

Hope and Happiness

Achieving happiness is the ultimate goal for the novel’s protagonist. The entire novel
centers around the idea that happiness and hope go hand-in-hand. For one, Nora lacks
joy in her root-life. Her day-to-day existence involves working at String Theory, a job she
is indifferent to, and then returning home to a lonely apartment. Nora has no close
friends to speak of. That is to say, Nora keeps everyone in her life at a distance, for
what she feels to be a good reason; essentially, Nora believes she makes life worse for
people. Her depression helps enforce this belief, to the point that she makes the
decision to end her life. At the start of the novel, Nora has lost all hope. It is Mrs Elm’s
goal to restore Nora’s faith in humanity and in herself by acting as a guide on Nora’s
journey of self-discovery and happiness.

Hope plays an interesting role in The Midnight Library, in that it is the backbone of
Haig’s entire novel. What Nora ultimately comes to see at the end of the novel is that
having hope is the key to feeling happy. Getting to try out a plethora of dream-lives
proves to her that she never needed to experience all those different jobs or fulfil all
those goals, she just had to have faith in her potential to achieve them. In recognizing
this, Nora is able to return to her root-life and begin to live a life that is true to herself: a
happy life.

Haig himself is very open about his battle with mental illness in his personal life. In
sharing Nora’s story, Haig hopes to make the reader see that happiness is something
that is attainable for everyone; you need only have hope to realize it. In that sense, The
Midnight Library is a moral tale, as well as a riveting plot-based one. The universal
quest for happiness is something all human beings go through in the course of their
lives. Thus, in making the theme of hope and happiness central to the novel as a whole,
Haig is able to make Nora’s journey resonate deeply with his audience.

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Expectations versus Reality
The juxtaposition between expectations and reality is central to the novel as a whole. In
exposing the harsh realities behind Nora’s various dream-lives, Haig makes a powerful
statement about the discrepancy between what we expect and what is often a bitter
reality.

In allowing Nora to erase her regrets and live out her dreams, the midnight library is
actually teaching Nora an important lesson about life: mainly, that things are not always
what they seem, and that sorrow exists in all lives. One of Nora’s rude awakenings
occurs in her life as a rock star, when she discovers that Joe died of an overdose.
Another similar instance occurs in Nora’s life in Australia when she learns that Izzy died
in a car crush. These events deeply disturb Nora and allow her to understand that while
she can always make choices, she can never be certain of their consequences.
Therefore, it is illogical for Nora to beat herself up about her situation in her root-life.
After all, certain things are simply out of our hands.

Nora comes to understand the difference between expectations and reality when it
comes to people as well. Nora’s first disappointment involves Dan, her ex-fiancé. When
Nora tries out a life in which she married him, she comes to see all his horrible
personality traits. These include jealousy, resentment, and maliciousness, to name a
few. Similarly, in her life as a professional swimmer, Nora is shocked to observe that her
father still behaves coldly towards her—especially considering she sacrificed all her
passions in order to please him. Nora also feels disappointed in Svalbard after having
sex with Hugo Lefèvre. The highly anticipated event turns out to be a total letdown and
results in her getting transported back to the midnight library. Additionally, Nora is
disillusioned when her celebrity crush, Ryan Bailey, turns out to be a clingy narcissist.
Lastly, Nora feels disappointed in her life as an animal shelter employee—specifically,
she resents its lack of excitement or passion.

Mrs Elm exposes Nora to all these disappointments in order to make an important point;
it turns out that Nora did not miss out on anything significant in her root-life. Rather, her
regrets were all based off of failing to fulfil the expectations of those around her. In
realizing this, Nora comes to the conclusion that regrets are often mere creations of our
imagination, fueled by expectations that have no foundation in reality.

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Styles
Point of View
The Midnight Library is told from a third-person limited point of view. The narrator knows
all the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist, Nora, but not of any of the other
characters. Consequently, the reader is able to focus all their attention on Nora and her
sorrows. But there are also limitations to this style of narration. Since the reader is privy
to only Nora’s sensations, they must constantly question and interpret scenes. This is
partly due to the fact that Nora suffers from depression and is prone to distort the
meanings of others in order to for them to align with her negative worldview. For
instance, the reader’s perception of Joe is completely centered around Nora’s poor
opinion of him. It is only at the end of the novel, when Nora recovers from her
depression, that the reader realizes that Joe meant well all along. Similarly, the narrator
includes lots of gloomy metaphors and imagery in order to reflect Nora’s interpretation
of the world around her.

The novel’s narration style remains consistent throughout the novel. However, the
narrator’s tone gradually shifts as the novel progresses. It changes from somber and
pessimistic to joyful and optimistic, mirroring the change in Nora’s perspective on life. As
Nora grows more inspired and excited to live, the narrator begins to adopt a lighter tone
and includes more positive imagery, metaphors, and similes. This allows the reader to
track Nora’s mental progress throughout the novel.

Another slight change in the narrator’s style would be the shift from an inward to an
outward perspective. That is to say, at the start of the novel the narrator mostly focuses
on Nora’s own thoughts and troubles. The reader is given little insight into the world
around Nora, they are familiar only with the world in her mind. However, as the novel
progresses and Nora becomes more aware of her surroundings, the narrator begins to
focus more on describing settings and other characters. This slight change in focus
marks the monumental shift of Nora’s worldview.

Language and Meaning

The language of The Midnight Library is straightforward and informal. Haig includes
countless pop culture and news references which are relevant to the year 2020, when
the novel was published. These include references to the California fires and climate
change. Additionally, since Nora is passionate about philosophy the novel includes
numerous references to famous philosophers including Voltaire, Confucius, and Plato.
Haig’s word choices provide the reader of a sense of Nora’s personality and level of
education, while also staying true to the times.

Haig’s language alternates between colloquial and sophisticated. For one, he includes
common text message abbreviations in his narration. When Nora lies to Dan about

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being busy, the narrator ventures to add “big lol” in brackets following Nora’s response
(12). This phrase captures a common way of thinking in this modern, highly
technological world. Haig also includes occasional swear words for emphasis and
relatability. For instance, the chapter “A Moment of Extreme Crisis in the Middle of
Nowhere” which describes Nora’s reaction to coming face to face with a polar bear has
only one line: “Oh, fuck” (130). On the other hand, the narrator often uses lofty terms
when describing Nora’s philosophical inner debates. This dichotomy between slang and
refined language characterizes the novel as a philosophical exploration for young
people.

In spite of some of the more sophisticated language used, this novel is easy for young
adults understand. It is clear that Haig keeps his audience in mind when he tells the
story through short, straightforward sentences. All paragraphs follow a coherent, logical
structure; flashbacks are used sparingly and are always included in a separate chapter.
The novel is easy to follow, despite the frequent jumps between dream-lives and the
midnight library. These switches of settings are always clearly marked, either through
dialogue with Mrs Elm or with a description of the new setting.

Structure
The Midnight Library is divided into 68 chapters. The chapters preceding Nora’s
discovery of the midnight library each describe approximately an hour of the day leading
up to her life-altering decision to kill herself. The rest of the novel alternates between a
chapter or two describing one of Nora’s dream-lives, followed by a chapter in which
Nora discusses her findings with Mrs Elm in the library. Each chapter is given a creative
title that alludes to the content or theme of the chapter.

The novel has one main plot line and that is Nora’s quest for happiness and belonging.
However, each one of her dream-lives acts as its own individual subplot; some of them
even intertwine. For instance, Nora’s desire to rekindle her relationship with her brother
is a subplot which follows her throughout her dream-lives and even enters into her root-
life. Similarly, Nora’s wish to resume her friendship with Izzy is present throughout the
novel.

The novel’s pacing is easy and gradual, up until its climax: Nora’s dream-life with Ash
and Molly in Cambridge. Nora’s frustration at her stagnant emotional growth raises the
stakes of the novel, as her will to live is crucial to her surviving the midnight library. This
urgency prompts Mrs Elm to suggest Nora tries out what is to be Nora’s final and most
significant dream-life. Nora’s knowledge that she cannot remain forever in her
Cambridge-life forces her to make decisions rapidly, speeding up the pace of the novel.
She discovers the most about herself in the final third of the novel, in which she learns
plenty of valuable lessons about life and love. The majority of Nora’s character
development is condensed into the last section of the novel, in which she is able to
apply all the lessons she has learned from her dream-lives into her root-life, at last.

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Quotes
The only way to learn is to live.
-- Nora (The Tree That Is Our Life)

Importance: This quote perfectly captures the moral of this novel: you have to stick
around for life to get good. When the reader first meets Nora, she is a depressed,
suicidal, lonely woman. Nora would give anything to feel needed, to feel as though her
life has a purpose. Her adventure in the midnight library teaches her that life is worth
living. Nora learns that by simply taking risks and shifting your perspective, you can be
truly happy in whatever life you choose. At the start of her adventure, Nora is reluctant
to even try and experience her dream-lives. But as the novel progresses, Nora realizes
that she does not wish to die; more than anything, she wants to live.

A person was like a city. You couldn’t let a few less desirable parts put you off the
whole.”
-- Narrator (The Three Horseshoes)

Importance: Haig includes the simile of cities being like people in order to show how
Nora desperately seeks to justify her relationship with Dan. This mentality proves
harmful in her dream-life with Dan, in which she marries him in spite of his flaws. This is
due to the fact that Dan’s negative traits --such as spitefulness, alcoholism, and
jealousy-- are amplified in their marriage. Nora’s desperate attempt to cling to Dan in
spite of these red flags reveals her need of validation to the reader. Evidently, Nora
would rather be with Dan than alone. It is only in her dream-life that she comes to
realize that she deserves better than a man who does not wish the best for her. In short,
she acknowledges that his “less desirable parts” are too dangerous to ignore (48).

Never underestimate the importance of small things. You must always remember that.
-- Mrs Elm (An Incident With the Police)

Importance: Towards the end of the novel, in Nora’s final dream-life, she finally
understands the meaning behind Mrs Elm’s words. Visiting Bedford, from the
perspective of someone who no longer lives there, is life-altering for Nora. She
discovers the ways, both big and small, that her presence in her root-life changed the
lives of the inhabitants of Bedford. For one, String Theory closes down without her there
to support the business. Next, Mr Banjeree is put in a care home because there is no
one left in Bedford to look after him, like Nora did. Lastly, Leo, her piano student, ends
up as a ruffian. Because Leo never had Nora as a role model, he falls into the wrong
crowd and consistently engages in crime-related activities. These things make Nora
realize the importance of small actions on other people’s lives. Never before did she
understand the impact she had on those around her; she was so used to putting herself
down and feeling useless.

Nora had always had a problem accepting herself. From as far back as she could
remember, she’d had the sense that she wasn’t enough.”

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-- Nora (Expectation)

Importance: Nora’s near-death experience in Svalbard leaves her with a clearer state
of mind. She realizes that her parents suffered from their own insecurities which, in turn,
they passed on to her; Nora sees that she is not to blame for this. Nora vows to accept
herself completely, in spite -- or perhaps, because-- of her flaws. This moment marks a
monumental shift in Nora’s mindset. Her apparent clarity is also due, in part, to her
highly-anticipated conversation with Hugo Lefèvre. Hugo helps Nora understand the
immensity of the world of the midnight library, which makes her petty worries and
insecurities seem insignificant.

Nora had always had the sense that she came from a long line of regrets and crushed
hopes that seemed to echo in every generation.
-- Narrator (Permafrost)

Importance: When Nora details her family’s troubled past, it is no wonder that her
worldview is a depressing one. Nora has witnessed generations of sorrow on both sides
of her family, and was never encouraged to believe that her life could be anything. From
her immigrant grandparents’ crushed hopes, to her mother’s nervous breakdown, to her
father’s childhood poverty, Nora’s family history is certainly not a happy one.
Unfortunately, these stories served to shape her own life story: a sorry tale of stress,
fatigue, and perceived failure. But in Svalbard, Nora sees that while sorrow is inevitable,
life is about finding the beauty in little things. In this moment, she comes to forgive her
parents and discovers that she loved them more than she ever knew.

It is easy to mourn the lives we aren't living.

-- Nora (The Many Lives of Nora Seed)

Importance: In getting to experience countless dream-lives, Nora discovers the true

meaning of life: that one must be happy and grateful for the life they live. The more lives
that Nora tries out, the more difficult it becomes for her to feel at home anywhere. She
finds herself feeling lost, as though she loses key parts of her personality with every
new life. Nora learns that trying to erase your regrets is pointless, because they are part
of being human and do not define you. And Nora should know; her Book of Regrets was
once filled with countless items. While she manages to erase some of these regrets,
new ones constantly pop up; she finds that trying to rid yourself of regret is a useless
and draining task.

I think your problem was life fright.

-- Ravi (Doors)

Importance: When Ravi accuses Nora of having life fright, he touches a nerve with
Nora. Nora knows she displayed cowardly tendencies in the past, especially when it
came to The Labyrinths or her wedding with Dan. Nora tends to quit things before she
can ever really get started. Her life fright is a coping mechanism for her anxiety. But
rather than shield Nora from whatever vague harm she fears, it only serves to push
those closest away from her. But Nora’s life fright is not altogether harmful. As the novel

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progresses, Nora discovers that the major life plans she shied away from were really
never meant for her. In her root life, Nora constantly went along with other peoples’
dreams. She always accused herself, much like Ravi does with this quote, of cowardice.
But really, Nora’s life fright was just her intuition telling her that those decisions were not
right for her. It is only at the end of the novel that she comes to realize this.

To be part of nature is to be part of the will to live.

-- Narrator (Island)

Importance: In Svalbard, Nora discovers the power nature has on one’s psyche. Her
time amidst glaciers and polar bears humbles her in a way she never expected. When
faced with the vastness of the world, Nora comes to embrace her insignificance. She
realizes that it is a privilege to get to experience this beautiful, though at times cruel,
world. For what appears to be the first time in her life, Nora develops a connection
between herself and the world. Her regrets seem minute in the grand scheme of things;
this is both a humbling and gratifying experience.

And though she’d studied enough of existential philosophy to believe loneliness was a
fundamental part of being a human being in an essentially meaningless universe, it was
still good to see him.”
-- Narrator (The Man at the Door)

Importance: At the start of the novel, Nora is a deeply depressed and lonely individual.
This is evident in the quote and how she uses existential philosophy as a justification for
her feelings and mental state. On the other hand, this quote implies that Nora is not
wholly satisfied with using philosophy as a means of comfort. At the end of the day,
Nora is human; like all humans, she craves human interaction and affection. It is the
isolation from this human connection that drives her to suicide.

Her despair growing like a weight she couldn’t carry.

-- Narrator (Doors)

Importance: Haig uses powerful visual imagery in order to illustrate the growing weight
of Nora’s depression. This provides the reader with a sense of the seriousness of Nora’s
mental illness and the impact of the day’s events on her. What some might view as
simply a bad day, filled with unfortunate coincidences, proves fatal to Nora’s mental
health. This quote provides a sense that while Nora’s despair at the universe may have
been triggered by the day’s events, it is really the result of many years’ worth of regrets
and unfulfilled expectations.

It made her feel sad, the way it relaxed into hers, as natural as a pearl in a shell.
-- Narrator (A Pearl in the Shell)

Importance: When Nora wakes to discover she has a daughter in her dream-life with
Ash, she is saddened by the maternal feelings her daughter, Molly, arouses in her.
Nora’s sadness is one of the many side effects of being a slider. By sliding in and out of
infinite dream-lives, Nora has lost her ability to feel at home anywhere. She also feels

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like an imposter in her own life. Nora mourns the loss of Molly’s real mother, and
subconsciously hopes to be able to fill her place effectively, without rousing any
suspicion on her daughter’s behalf.

Because a pawn is never just a pawn. A pawn is a queen-in-waiting.”

-- Mrs Elm (Love and Pain)

Importance: Mrs Elm uses the metaphor of life being a chessboard to illustrate how
one can move up through the ranks of happiness as long as they keep living. Mrs Elm is
trying to explain to Nora that she must keep playing the game if she wants to find
happiness; she must keep moving forward, and she must take each day as it comes.
This, of course, contrasts with Nora’s desire to put an end to her misery by killing
herself. Mrs Elm is also trying to explain that sometimes the most ordinary things prove
to be the most valuable. This message proves to be highly influential in Nora’s future
choices and outlook on life; essentially, it serves to inspire Nora to live out her root-life.

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