I loved The Midnight Library, and when it was announced that The Midnight Train by Matt Haig would be set in the same world, I knew I had to listen. Narrated by James Norton, Wilbur boards the train to take one last trip to observe memories of his life before moving on. The tale that unfolded held me captive and pondering my life in this time-traveling romance.
by Matt Haig
Series: The Midnight World #2
Narrator: James Norton
Length: 8 hours and 35 minutes
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.45x
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When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop? Return to the world of The Midnight Library with this time-traveling love story read by actor James Norton.
No one can change the past, but the Midnight Train can take you there.
The chance to re-live the moments that meant most.
To see what kind of person you really were.For Wilbur his best days were with Maggie, the love of his life. On his honeymoon in Venice.
Before he gave it all away.
He wishes he could go back and live differently. But to do so risks everything . . .
A magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library.
This story is set in Yorkshire between the 1950s and 1970s. We meet Wilbur at the end of his long life as he boards the Midnight Train. The train will take him to his journey’s end, but along the way, it will stop and revisit some of the best and worst memories of his life. He has a guide, and of course there are rules. He must return to the train when he hears the whistle, and he must not contact himself.
This is a love story, a story of redemption, a modern Scrooge, if you will. It is unnecessary to read The Midnight Library; they are both standalone and simply set in the same world and deal with time and their own themes. This story started off slow as I got acclimated to what was happening, but as the train rolled on and I learned more about Wilbur, his family and the woman who owned his heart, I was all in. I laughed, cried, and saw the cracks begin. There were twists, sacrifices and touching moments.
I loved the world-building and how the story unfolds. The way Haig shared Wibur’s life allowed us to connect, understand his drive, see when he realized he focused on the wrong things, and more. The story allows the listener to reflect on their own life and the people who impact it. It was wonderful and perfect for book club.
The narration by James Norton elevated the story, as he captured the characters’ emotions and the overall tone of the story. I loved listening and highly recommend grabbing your earbuds for this one.
About Matt Haig
Matt Haig is an author for children and adults. His memoir Reasons to Stay Alive was a number one bestseller, staying in the British top ten for 46 weeks. His children’s book A Boy Called Christmas was a runaway hit and is translated in over 40 languages. It is being made into a film starring Maggie Smith, Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent and The Guardian called it an ‘instant classic’. His novels for adults include the award-winning How To Stop Time, The Radleys, The Humans and the number one bestseller The Midnight Library. He has sold over three million books worldwide.
About James Norton
James Norton is a highly acclaimed British actor and audiobook narrator known for his crisp, natural, and grounded voice. He is celebrated both for leading screen roles (such as Happy Valley and King & Conqueror) and for lending his voice to major releases like Matt Haig's novel The Midnight Train
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
I still need to read Midnight Library, and have seen some good reviews for this one. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Sara
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I want to check it out.
hena
Thanks for sharing. I haven’t even read the Midnight Library yet.
Mary Kirkland
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this one.
Katherine
I loved The Midnight Library way more than I even expected so I’m so excited about this one. I’m looking forward to reading this one and I think I’ll definitely have to get the audio version.
ER LeVar
Man, I love train travel. And I liked TML. So I guess we know what’s getting added to my TBR.
Teresa Broderick
I totally agree with you!! I enjoyed The Midnight Library but I loved this one! The way it was done, telling the story in reverse almost, was wonderful.
Have you read his one, How To Stop Time? Another great read.
Kimberly
I have not read How To Stop time, but will add it to my list.
Teresa Broderick
I do hope you enjoy it! That was the first of his books I read.
Sophia Rose
Neat that you got another book in a familiar book world. An interesting spin of revisiting his past.
Steoh
Glad you enjoyed it. I read Midnight Library and didn’t have strong feelings about it so I didn’t pick this one up.