Submitted by duckshapedpotato t3_z840ff in books
So... After some enthusiastic recommendations I bought a copy of The Midnight Library. I am 30 pages in now and I have to admit that I don't get it... The start is sooo superficial! Nora decides after a unlucky 24-hour period that life isn't worth it and just, whoop, decides that the best thing to do is to end it. In 22 pages Matt Haig crams in such a shaky exposition, which leaves me feeling no sympathy for the MC at all! It really falls short of the hellish experience that is an actual depression, what surprises me because Haig said he based the book om his own depressive episodes. The prose is mostly "tell, dont show" and I feel like that contributes to the superficial start of the book. I have the feeling that it is really overhyped and that I will not be able to finish it if it continues like this (which is really rare for me).
Please please tell me it gets better! Or rip the bandaid off and tell me I should just give up.
English is not my first language. I'm sorry for any mistakes.
Neat-Hunt-2076 t1_iy9oqb1 wrote
I hate to say that this book was a disappointment for me. I was so excited to read it based on all the glowing reviews but it did NOT live up to the hype.