Review of The Midnight Library

Book Link: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08543NK7K

I haven't read much fiction recently but the premise of parallel timelines and alternate realities was intriguing and common in the TV shows and movies I've watched recently so I gave this a try. Ironically, I had strong vibes that this could/should be a movie as I was reading through due to the modern storytelling and potential visual clues and aspects of the story. In the end, this book is sort of a blend between Interstellar, Butterfly Effect, Soul, with a little Westworld thrown in and hit the sweet spot of what I was looking for -- thoroughly enjoyed it! The unexpected aspect of this story was its connection and focus on the planet and being human that are allowed and fortunate enough to live here which also resented with a lot of my current focus. Each life that Nora lived seemed to be a reflection on a component of modern society (example: Climate Change, Fame and Celebrity, physical peak and performance) which when combined together provide a commentary on not only the problems with these things but also touching on some of the good that comes of it. In the end, it is best summed up by one of the final lines in the book: "The prison wasn't the place, but the perspective". Whatever path you find yourself on in this life has good, bad, and everything in between. If you are true to your values, your perspective is what makes the difference.

Some highlights from my reading: 1. "The glacial landscape reminded her that she was, first and foremost, a human living on a planet" 2. "She and all humans were really just one of nine million species" 3. "'Well, it's great. An yes, I just thought I'd send a message that, you know, I am out here living my best life. But I miss home after a while.' 'Which one?' asked Marcelo, with a quietly cheeky smile. 'I mean, do you feel more at home in London, or LA, or on the Amalfi Coast?' It seemed this was the life where her carbon footprint was the highest. 4. As Thoreau wrote, 'It's not what you loat at that matters, it's what you see' 5. The prison wasn't the place, but the perspective.