Setting
The Three Horseshoes, Keeping Voltaire Indoors, Australia Dream With Izzy, Canary Wharf London Professional Swimmer, Svalbard Glacial Research, Sao Paulo Brazil: Labyrinths, Animal Shelter Job, Vineyard in Santa Cruz California, Happy Family in Cambridge with Ash and Molly.
Real Life
Bedfordshire- Nora Seeds hometown.
Nora's flat, The String Theory, Newsagents Shop.
POST MIDNIGHT LIBRARY: Mr. Banjeree's front door, the hospital, Nora's flat
The Midnight Library
Relationships
Hugo is a person who is in the same situation as Nora. His root life is also endangered and he is in a state between life and death. He meets Nora when she is living a life where she becomes a glaciogist and is working on glaciers in Svalbard. Hugo and Nora have some enjoyable conversations together and discuss their theories on the multi-verses of the Midnight Library. He informs Nora about the high number of lives he has tried out and inspires her to not settle for one life.
In her root life, Nora and her brother are not on speaking terms, since Nora decided not to continue with their band, The Labyrinths. This affects Nora greatly, causing her to struggle after she loses her mother and has no family left to reach out to. The Labyrinths is Joe's dream and he is devastated when Nora does not follow it. She desires to repair their relationship and enjoys the bond they had.
Izzy is Nora's former best friend throughout her life. The two were very close and planned their lives together. Izzy always dreams of travelling to Australia and living there for part of her life. Nora claims that she will join her on this journey, however, backs out when the time actually comes. Izzy travels to Australia without Nora and their friendship falls short. When Nora decides to end her life, she contacts Izzy, texting her that she misses her and hopes she's doing well, but Izzy reads the messages without responding.
Dan is a character Nora participates in a romantic relationship with, which is expected to result in marriage. After years of dating and engagement, Nora leaves him and lives an independent lifestyle. In her root life, Nora is fully cut off from Dan, however, he still sends her messages begging to see her again. Dan and Nora's relationship is troublesome. He does not treat Nora like a person he loves and wants to spend the rest of his life with. When Nora visits the life which she helps him make his dream a reality, owning a pub in a small town, he still lacks the necessary respect and appreciation for Nora.
In Nora's childhood, Mrs. Elm is a librarian who works at Nora's elementary school. Nora experiences difficulty making friends with other students and often turns to Mrs. Elm for companionship. When the news about her fathers passing reaches Nora, she seeks comfort in Mrs. Elm and views her as a loving parental figure in this situation. After Nora attempts to take her life in her mid thirties, she reunites with Mrs. Elm in her imaginative Midnight Library. Although Nora is only communicating with Mrs. Elm through her own perception, she still has a comforting, kind nature.
Characters
Ash
- Simple
- Hardworking
- Charming
Hugo
- Discontent
- Adventurous
Ravi
- Scapegoat
- Bland
- Persuadable
Joe
- Compassionate
- Stubborn
- Impulsive
Izzy
- Advantageous
- Confident
- Independent
Dan
- Desperate
- Selfish
Mrs. Elm
- Wise
-Nurturing
- Kind
Nora Seed
- Optimistic
- Depressed
- Unsatasfied
Themes
Other people's dreams and goals are
not your responsibility.
Nora begins her journey in the Midnight Library by visiting the lives in which she pursues her biggest regrets. When placing herself inside these situations, she realizes that she only regrets the choices she made previously in her life because they displeased somebody else. In the lives of which she takes a different route to gain approval, she learns that giving up her life for someone else will not make them appreciate you more or make you happier.
One different choice can change the entire
course of your life.
The lives Nora visits tend to be regrets she held in her root life and choices she wishes she made differently. In some lives, there are obvious differences, such as becoming a professional swimmer, however in other lives the changes appear more slight.
In any potential life, there will always
be regret and disappointment
When Nora visits the different lives in the Midnight Library, the only way she is able to escape them and return to the library is when she experiences a feeling of disappointment. In every life Nora visits, she always ends up feeling disappointment and returning to the library.
