The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

This book was everywhere for a while. I saw so many copies of it on a recent (almost recent) jaunt to second-hand stores. It focuses on a topic that everyone indulges in from time to time. I have luckily never been of the type to think too long or hard at the concept of ‘What if I had done this/that instead of that/this’ – the essence of the book. I say lucky because I feel it is the personality of people that triggers the thought process. I harbour scenes from my life, things that I have said or done which were embarrassing or rude, and try as I might, the cringe level does not ease. Even then, I never really think about what I could have done instead. I am taking so long about what I personally do or take away from the book because this is that sort of narrative. Although the book is about one woman who decides to end her life and arrives at the in-between, where she gets to live her what-ifs. Each hidden wish or life choice she worked towards or once harboured is set in front of her, and she walks into that life to see the pros and cons of each of it. I was not as fond of the meeting of another ‘traveller’, which brought me out of the narrative a little bit. The overall content of the book is prime for introspection and discussions. I can see why it made the buzz it did. I liked my read of it and would recommend it to people who want to think about their approach to the concept of what they think of the life they lead.