L.A., City Hall, Across the Street Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
I recently saw Clue at the Ahmanson Theater and laughed at its crazy speed, similar to a screwball comedy. It wasn’t what I call “brain material,” so I supplemented what it lacked by going to the Griffith Observatory the following day.
This happened when there was a cosmic connection between us earthlings and the cosmos, or the Super-moon of August 21. Vast and continuously changing, did you know that the universe has been growing larger for nearly 14 billion years?
You can’t digest a figure like that without contemplating other life being out there and questions such as, how much will we be a part of in our lifetimes?
Griffith Park Observatory
And, there have been other excursions such as a full moon meditation, an event at the Goethe Institute, and a trip to Newport Beach but what I will share today is my top favorite read for the summer.
Midnight Library by British writer Matthew Haig is a novel that dances to the beat of sci-fi and fantasy mixed with a philosophical rhythm.
The main character Nora Seed is trapped in a life that she sees as a failure, a disposable waste, who has nothing to achieve and will never be missed by anyone. It’s about regrets, unfinished plans, what ifs, seeking approval, mistakes, giving up, realizing other people’s dreams, feeling melancholy, insecurities, love, passion, and hate.
When Nora tries to end her life, she opens her eyes in a library filled with books that contain different versions of her life story. Not only does this begin the sojourn into multi-universes but if she can find the right book she can live fulfilled and happy, her quest for perfection complete and she will be saved!
The librarian Mrs. Elm serves as her guide.
Nora could be a swimmer, a rock star, a philosopher, a wife, a traveler, a glaciologist, a mother, a winery, or a local pub owner. She can say “yes” to her ex and accept his offer to live in a small town and own a local pub. Or she can say “yes” to a coffee offer that will have her become the mate of a doctor.
She can pursue happiness and love. She can win Olympic medals or taste the tempting charm of fame with the songs she writes and performs worldwide. She can be everything or anything. But after experiencing so many lives- will she find which is best for her and which life form will catch real happiness? Can she live without family members and handle losing friends to death? What does she want? And most importantly will she learn to accept her biggest regrets?
She’s ready to start a new life, but the clutches of regret always pull her back and prevent her from seeing what she’s truly looking for. Not knowing who she is, she becomes increasingly careful and strategic in her movement like a deliberate pawn in the game of life.
Through the underlying current of sadness, this literature transcends us to a library between universes with a librarian who is a metaphor (the Hermit in Tarot) that can be fathomed only by a few.
“Aisles and aisles of bookshelves, reaching up to the ceiling and branching off from the broad open corridor. Books were everywhere. The shelves really did seem to go on forever, straight and long to the far off horizon. There were no title and names adorning the spines of the books.”
The library between life and death with a vagabond who was given an open invitation to death now can’t decide how she wants to live.“You don’t go to death, but the death comes to you”
The fact that the day never ends due to the never-ending light is like living one terminal day. She comes to understand she never leaves herself behind, she travels with what she knows – solitude.
Her loneliness is in part a result of a society so immersed in detachment due to the extreme attachment to social media.
Does life seem more attractive in the face of death? Is death what makes life beautiful? Or is death a parasite that wants to change the relationship to a symbiotic one with life? Is the simplification of the three-dimensional worlds by humans making it more complicated?
“This is the wrong life. It is really, really, really wrong. Take me back. I do want to avenge. Take me back to the library.
In the cosmic order of things, there is no rejection only redirection.”
Does a person feel the depth in the heart at sad truths, smile at the colors of a rainbow, and be surprised to find philosophical brilliance at the same time. The reading experience of this book gives us that unique experience.
“The thing that looks the most ordinary might end up being the thing that leads you to victory.”
Haig’s writing is strong; clever, clean, and without distractions. The book is full of great observations and insights.
“A person was like a city. You couldn't let a few less desirable parts put you off the whole. There may be bits you don't like, a few dodgy side streets and suburbs, but the good stuff makes it worthwhile.”
We get deep into Nora’s character and she felt genuine in her struggles to me. She didn’t live up to her potential and that was gnawing at her the whole time.
I think this book is a treasure and certainly one that many will identify with. I thought about it afterward and felt like I was parting with a friend. It’s been a long time since I’ve been captivated that way.
Hello Linda,
I really enjoyed the explanations of the book that I have not read. Your insights were very valuable and I think it will help all who read this post will benefit from your words. Thank you for sharing. As always, enjoy reading your offerings to the world. It allows each of us to know you better, and to appreciate your skill as a writer, and your capabilities as grand philosophical thinker. Take good care, and have a lovely weekend. A.