Rikke's Reviews > The Midnight Library
The Midnight Library
by
by

As Nikita Gill famosly wrote: Almost is the saddest word in the world. It reeks of unfulfilled potential, of daydreams and wishful thinking that were never able to survive in the cold, harsh reality.
But, if almost is the saddest word, if must be the most dangerous one.
If so often leads to regret. And so often, it's unfounded regret, choices you're unable to change. Decisions you've already made. Doors that won't ever open again. Alternate worlds forever out of reach.
Yet, this book dares to ask: What if?
In an interesting premise, the main character gets the chance to relive her life. Undo her most definite choices. Explore and, ultimately, let go of her regret. Of course, it's fantasy. Of course it's speculation. But it's very human too; the search for purpose, for some sort of validation of our choices. A validation that can only exist in a magic midnight library � and not in the real world, where we make all our choices blindly, on instinct and without ever knowing whether they were right or wrong.
And that's perhaps my only problem with this book; It's too neat. Too easy. Its conclusion to a very complex human struggle is almost too simple; (view spoiler) It's not that I don't agree, but something about seeing it in writing made it seem too obvious. And life never is.
But, if almost is the saddest word, if must be the most dangerous one.
If so often leads to regret. And so often, it's unfounded regret, choices you're unable to change. Decisions you've already made. Doors that won't ever open again. Alternate worlds forever out of reach.
Yet, this book dares to ask: What if?
In an interesting premise, the main character gets the chance to relive her life. Undo her most definite choices. Explore and, ultimately, let go of her regret. Of course, it's fantasy. Of course it's speculation. But it's very human too; the search for purpose, for some sort of validation of our choices. A validation that can only exist in a magic midnight library � and not in the real world, where we make all our choices blindly, on instinct and without ever knowing whether they were right or wrong.
And that's perhaps my only problem with this book; It's too neat. Too easy. Its conclusion to a very complex human struggle is almost too simple; (view spoiler) It's not that I don't agree, but something about seeing it in writing made it seem too obvious. And life never is.
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Reading Progress
July 31, 2021
–
Started Reading
July 31, 2021
– Shelved
August 8, 2021
– Shelved as:
magic-realism
August 8, 2021
– Shelved as:
owned-books
August 8, 2021
–
Finished Reading