The Midnight Library

The Midnight Library is a 2020 work of fiction by the New York Times bestselling British author Matt Haig. In this novel, Haig addresses weighty topics through a main character, Nora Seed, who attempts suicide and must explore what it means to live while in the gray area between life and death. The book also addresses themes including small acts of kindness that can have large impacts and the power of perception. The Midnight Library won the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction and became a best seller upon publication. Haig is also known for Reasons to Stay Alive (2015), which became a Sunday Times best seller; A Boy Called Christmas (2015), a children’s novel; How to Stop Time (2017); and Notes on a Nervous Planet (2018). This study guide references the 2020 Viking Edition, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Plot Summary

The novel opens with a startling fact: The main character, Nora Seed, will attempt suicide 19 years after the events of the Prologue. The Prologue takes place in the Hazeldene School library, where Nora plays chess with the school librarian,

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