We also witness her confrontation with the library’s rules and limitations, such as the possibility of dying, the impossibility of changing anything, the difficulty of choosing, etc.
Completion
This stage reveals Nora’s final decision and its consequences. We find out whether she chooses to stay in one of the lives she has visited, to return to her original life, or to die.
We also find out how her decision affects herself and others, and what lessons she has learned from her journey.
Character
The main character of The Midnight Library is Nora Seed, a 35-year-old woman who is unhappy with her life and wants to die.
She is a complex and dynamic character who undergoes a significant transformation throughout the novel. She starts as a pessimistic, insecure, lonely, and depressed person who feels like she has no purpose or value.
She blames herself for everything that goes wrong in her life and regrets many of the choices she has made. She also feels like she has disappointed everyone who cares about her and that she has no one to turn to.
However, as she visits different lives in the library, she gradually changes into a more optimistic, confident, sociable, and joyful person who realizes that she has many talents and potentials.
She also learns to forgive herself and others for their mistakes and to appreciate the small things in life. She discovers that happiness is not dependent on external factors but on internal ones, and that every life has its own challenges and joys.
She becomes more aware of her own feelings and desires, and more respectful of other people’s feelings and desires. She also develops a stronger sense of self-worth and self-love, and a deeper understanding of the meaning of her existence.
Some of the supporting characters in The Midnight Library are:
- Mrs. Elm: Nora’s old school librarian who acts as her guide and mentor in the library. She is a kind, wise, patient, and supportive woman who helps Nora navigate through the library and gives her advice and encouragement. She is also a mysterious figure who knows more about Nora than Nora herself.
- Dan: Nora’s ex-fiancé who broke up with her a few days before their wedding. He is a handsome, successful, charming, and adventurous man who works as a travel journalist. He is also a selfish, unfaithful, insensitive, and manipulative man who cheated on Nora with another woman and lied to her about it.
- Ash: Nora’s childhood best friend who formed a band with her when they were teenagers. He is a talented, passionate, loyal, and fun-loving musician who always believed in Nora’s potential as a singer and songwriter. He is also a troubled, rebellious, addicted, and unstable person who struggles with drug abuse and mental health issues.
- Joe: Nora’s estranged brother who cut off contact with her after their father’s death. He is a smart, caring, generous, and humorous man who works as a teacher and volunteers at an animal shelter. He is also a bitter, angry, resentful, and distant person who blames Nora for their father’s death and for abandoning him.
- Izzy: Nora’s former swimming coach who trained her to become an Olympic swimmer. She is a strict, demanding, ambitious, and competitive woman who pushed Nora to excel in swimming and achieve her goals. She is also a supportive, proud, protective, and loving woman who cared for Nora like a daughter.
Theme and Message
The Midnight Library explores various themes that relate to human existence, such as:
- Regret: The novel examines how regret can affect one’s life negatively or positively, depending on how one deals with it. It shows how regret can lead to depression, self-loathing, guilt, resentment, etc., but also how regret can motivate one to change, improve, learn, etc.
- Happiness: The novel investigates what happiness means for different people and how it can be achieved or lost. It shows how happiness can depend on external factors such as career, money, fame, love, etc., but also how happiness can depend on internal factors such as attitude, perspective, gratitude, etc.
- Choice: The novel explores how choice can shape one’s life in various ways and how it can have consequences for oneself and others. It shows how choice can create opportunities or limitations, possibilities or regrets, happiness or sadness, etc.
- Meaning: The novel questions what meaning one can find in one’s life and how it can affect one’s well-being. It shows how meaning can come from different sources such as passion, purpose, connection, etc., but also how meaning can be elusive or subjective.
The main message of The Midnight Library is that every life has value and potential, and that one should appreciate one’s life instead of wishing for another one.
