A review by cicisbeism
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I appreciated being inspired to think at length about the ideas put forward by the book more than I was necessarily bowled over by the book itself, but I think for a book like this at a moment in time like the cultural moment that we were all experiencing, that is exactly what it feels like the author set out to do. That's all it's asking of you. 

I liked that the vignettes were short and sweet, bite sized experiences like dipping your head into one of the pools in the in-between place from The Magician's Nephew. It made the experience of reading it much more deliberately pace-able and I was able to take it around with me, reading while traveling, ruminating on the discoveries the character makes in each new life she visits and reflecting on my own life. There really was a lot of value in the conclusions I drew from those reflections and the conversations I had with loved ones that grew out of those lines of inquiry. 

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