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The Life Impossible
The remarkable next novel from Matt Haig, the author of #1 New York Times bestseller The Midnight Library, with more than nine million copies sold worldwide
“What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don’t understand yet…”
When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan.
Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past.
Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.
“What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don’t understand yet…”
When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan.
Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past.
Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.
324 pages, Hardcover
First published August 29, 2024
22178 people are currently reading
234604 people want to read
About the author
Matt Haig
124 books47.1k followersMatt Haig is the author of novels such as The Midnight Library, How to Stop Time, The Humans, The Radleys, and the forthcoming The Life Impossible. He has also written books for children, such as A Boy Called Christmas, and the memoir Reasons to Stay Alive.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 16,372 reviews
September 18, 2024
Okay, so you know when you're in a one-sided conversation and you're just humoring the other person? Like, they are very sweet and their message is a good one... but it's all a bit wordy, a bit convoluted, a bit weird but in a side-eye way rather than in a diverting way. You respect this person so you nod along, you smile and try to act interested, understanding, or shocked in all the right places. But MOSTLY you are bored out of your gourd.
That was this book.
That was this book.
May 19, 2024
Like the other Matt Haig books I’ve read, I’ll be thinking about The Impossible Life for a while. Probably enjoyed this one the most. It’s one of those books that when you pause after twenty minutes to see how many pages are in the book, it’s not because you’re debating giving up on it, it’s to see how much more entertainment you’ve got left and whether you should reschedule your afternoon.
September 14, 2024
I so wanted to love this, but unfortunately it didn’t feel as magical as his other books and it all became a bit too strange.
August 29, 2024
For millions of masked readers wringing their Purelled hands during the covid summer of 2020, Matt Haig’s novel “The Midnight Library” was an answer to a prayer. Dolly Parton kept it on her nightstand next to the Bible. Goodreads users voted it the year’s best work of fiction.
The appeal was obvious: Haig’s story describes a fantastical library that offers a suicidal young woman the chance to experience an infinite number of alternative lives. If Clarence, the second-class angel from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” had pursued a library degree instead of a pair of wings, he might have whipped up this carousel of possibilities.
Now, four years later, Haig is back with another therapeutic fantasy that tastes like a medicated cherry Popsicle. The heroine of “The Life Impossible” is a 72-year-old retired math teacher stuck brandishing the allegorical name Grace Winters. When the novel opens in England, Grace receives a letter from a depressed college kid who used to be one of her high school students. Things have not been going well: His girlfriend dumped him. His mother died. He lost his faith. He’s drinking too much. He’s overwhelmed with anxiety, hopelessness and self-hatred. “At times,” he writes, “I have found it very hard to carry on.”
Instead of encouraging this young man to talk or to find the professional care he so clearly needs, Grace describes her own salvation from a similar bout of depression in a 300-page email message. If she were still employed as a teacher, someone would be obliged to report her for psychological negligence.
“What I am about to tell you,” Grace begins, “is a story even I find hard to believe,” which makes two of us....
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
The appeal was obvious: Haig’s story describes a fantastical library that offers a suicidal young woman the chance to experience an infinite number of alternative lives. If Clarence, the second-class angel from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” had pursued a library degree instead of a pair of wings, he might have whipped up this carousel of possibilities.
Now, four years later, Haig is back with another therapeutic fantasy that tastes like a medicated cherry Popsicle. The heroine of “The Life Impossible” is a 72-year-old retired math teacher stuck brandishing the allegorical name Grace Winters. When the novel opens in England, Grace receives a letter from a depressed college kid who used to be one of her high school students. Things have not been going well: His girlfriend dumped him. His mother died. He lost his faith. He’s drinking too much. He’s overwhelmed with anxiety, hopelessness and self-hatred. “At times,” he writes, “I have found it very hard to carry on.”
Instead of encouraging this young man to talk or to find the professional care he so clearly needs, Grace describes her own salvation from a similar bout of depression in a 300-page email message. If she were still employed as a teacher, someone would be obliged to report her for psychological negligence.
“What I am about to tell you,” Grace begins, “is a story even I find hard to believe,” which makes two of us....
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
September 3, 2025
Who forced the author to write this book?!
This is TOO BORING. Expectations aside, just tell the fking story and not try to give the meaning of every moment in every possible sentence on every single page.
Who forced the author to write this book?! Yes I REPEAT WHO?!
This is TOO BORING. Expectations aside, just tell the fking story and not try to give the meaning of every moment in every possible sentence on every single page.
Who forced the author to write this book?! Yes I REPEAT WHO?!
August 29, 2024
I imagine authors don't read GoodReads reviews but I hope the publishers do, because I don't often write reviews but I needed to write this.
This book has profoundly impacted me, I needed it. By far my favourite of Matt's books, and a book I will hold very closely forever. I tried to read it slowly, but I couldn't, I tried not to fold pages over, but I had to.
Page 44, 303, 312 will be kept folded, for when I need it. Page 226 might be the best page of any book I've ever read.
Since being diagnosed with Crohns, I didn't realize quite how it altered my own thoughts about what life meant, and how numb it made me feel to things going on. This book was cathartic, I learned more and processed more than I think I would have in hours of counselling. Most importantly, I didn't realize how much I needed to read something that made me want to love life more. I didn't even thing that was something I wasn't doing.
Also I really want to see the glowy seagrass.
I've never felt like I needed to thank someone more than Matt Haig right now.
Wholeheartedly recommend this book, but not lending it to a soul.
This book has profoundly impacted me, I needed it. By far my favourite of Matt's books, and a book I will hold very closely forever. I tried to read it slowly, but I couldn't, I tried not to fold pages over, but I had to.
Page 44, 303, 312 will be kept folded, for when I need it. Page 226 might be the best page of any book I've ever read.
Since being diagnosed with Crohns, I didn't realize quite how it altered my own thoughts about what life meant, and how numb it made me feel to things going on. This book was cathartic, I learned more and processed more than I think I would have in hours of counselling. Most importantly, I didn't realize how much I needed to read something that made me want to love life more. I didn't even thing that was something I wasn't doing.
Also I really want to see the glowy seagrass.
I've never felt like I needed to thank someone more than Matt Haig right now.
Wholeheartedly recommend this book, but not lending it to a soul.
Want to read
November 3, 2023Well well well, look at what 2024 will bring 👀
July 5, 2024
This one started off with such promise! And then it got unrecoverable weird. I love how Haig writes but this one was one magical element too much for me.
October 8, 2024
When an author writes a five star, favorite book of mine (in this case, The Midnight Library), I automatically go into their next books with super high expectations. So for this book unfortunately, the expectations didn’t quite measure up. I pretty much struggled through this book, and when I finally finished reading it I wasn’t left feeling uplifted or inspired… (which is another thing to expect after reading a Matt Haig novel).
In this story we have 72 year old Grace Winters, who is writing a very lengthy email back to one of her former students who is struggling in life. Grace proceeds to tell this student how she had been struggling through her life, and how a house that was left to her in Ibiza, Spain changed her life.
It’s through this time in Ibiza, that we learn how Grace changed her life for the better. Grace met some wonderful new friends, she was able to preserve nature, the ecosystem, and even inherit some psychic capabilities.
Although this book for me was drawn out and did lose me from time to time, I still found some of the messages brilliant and I did get teary-eyed a time or two.
This may not be my favorite by Matt Haig, but this will not stop me from reading anything that he produces. The storyline may not have worked for me, but once again his messages always do.
“Everyone is a flawed person. That’s what being a person is.”
In this story we have 72 year old Grace Winters, who is writing a very lengthy email back to one of her former students who is struggling in life. Grace proceeds to tell this student how she had been struggling through her life, and how a house that was left to her in Ibiza, Spain changed her life.
It’s through this time in Ibiza, that we learn how Grace changed her life for the better. Grace met some wonderful new friends, she was able to preserve nature, the ecosystem, and even inherit some psychic capabilities.
Although this book for me was drawn out and did lose me from time to time, I still found some of the messages brilliant and I did get teary-eyed a time or two.
This may not be my favorite by Matt Haig, but this will not stop me from reading anything that he produces. The storyline may not have worked for me, but once again his messages always do.
“Everyone is a flawed person. That’s what being a person is.”
August 21, 2024
Incredibly disappointing. This reads like a first draft. The structure and phrasing in the novel was like slogging through mud. There was an occasional insightful beautiful turn of phrase but it would quickly be overrun by nonsense. After loving The Midnight Library I was shocked by how much I disliked this.
May 22, 2025
1.5 😩
Matt Haig nie jest dla mnie. Rozumiem wartości, jakie próbuje przekazywać w swoich książkach, ale robi to w sposób który jakoś tak… drażni mnie xd Mam wrażenie, że nie docenia inteligencji czytelnika i tworzy historie pełne infantylności
Chyba muszę przestać dawać mu kolejne szanse
Matt Haig nie jest dla mnie. Rozumiem wartości, jakie próbuje przekazywać w swoich książkach, ale robi to w sposób który jakoś tak… drażni mnie xd Mam wrażenie, że nie docenia inteligencji czytelnika i tworzy historie pełne infantylności
Chyba muszę przestać dawać mu kolejne szanse
March 17, 2025
In The Life Impossible, Matt Haig takes readers on a journey of second chances and self-reflection as Grace Winters, a retired math teacher, unexpectedly inherits a house in Ibiza from a long-lost friend. Trading the familiar comforts of home for the mysteries of the Mediterranean, Grace’s arrival with only a one-way ticket and an open heart sets the stage for her transformation.
The picturesque descriptions of the island’s rugged beauty and the enigmatic encounters she experiences are undeniably captivating, but for me, the pacing felt a bit too meandering. Haig introduces intriguing themes about facing one's past, appreciating life’s mysteries, and the sometimes unexplainable beauty of the world around us. However, the magical realism elements sometimes drifted into territory that felt too abstract, distancing me from Grace’s emotional journey.
While the story has its high points and moments of deep insight, they’re dispersed between lengthy, descriptive passages that slow the narrative. Grace’s internal monologue, though thoughtful, sometimes felt weighed down by the story’s introspective tone, leaving me with mixed feelings about her evolution. Fans of Haig’s previous work, The Midnight Library, may appreciate his reflections on life's purpose here, though this novel didn’t carry quite the same impact for me.
Still, Haig’s writing remains beautiful and lyrical, and he continues to tackle profound questions about hope, reinvention, and healing in a way that resonates. This was a memorable story but didn’t fully achieve the level of engagement and inspiration I’d hoped for.
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The picturesque descriptions of the island’s rugged beauty and the enigmatic encounters she experiences are undeniably captivating, but for me, the pacing felt a bit too meandering. Haig introduces intriguing themes about facing one's past, appreciating life’s mysteries, and the sometimes unexplainable beauty of the world around us. However, the magical realism elements sometimes drifted into territory that felt too abstract, distancing me from Grace’s emotional journey.
While the story has its high points and moments of deep insight, they’re dispersed between lengthy, descriptive passages that slow the narrative. Grace’s internal monologue, though thoughtful, sometimes felt weighed down by the story’s introspective tone, leaving me with mixed feelings about her evolution. Fans of Haig’s previous work, The Midnight Library, may appreciate his reflections on life's purpose here, though this novel didn’t carry quite the same impact for me.
Still, Haig’s writing remains beautiful and lyrical, and he continues to tackle profound questions about hope, reinvention, and healing in a way that resonates. This was a memorable story but didn’t fully achieve the level of engagement and inspiration I’d hoped for.
medium.com
August 21, 2024
Meh… WEIRD AF! Slow. TW for animal harm, among others. Disappointed
October 11, 2024
If you're trying to choose one of his books, go for The Midnight Library instead.
March 27, 2025
Everything I expect from Matt Haig. Fantastical storyline, life affirming, and hopeful characters. As cliché as it sounds- every time I read his books, my heart feels a tiny bit healed, and he makes me see the world in a more beautiful light.
September 5, 2024
Wtf?? This started out so good and about halfway thru went off the rails until I didn’t even want to finish. I see ratings for 1 star and other reviews with 5 stars so maybe this is a love it or hate it.
August 18, 2024
I’m fully confident this will be an outlier opinion.
Septuagenarian Grace Winters needs Ibiza more than she realizes. Grief has burrowed deep, regret has set in, she’s lost her feeling of self-worth, and she’s almost become numb to the possibility of happiness. She heads to Ibiza and a home she’s inherited, trying to make sense of her friend’s death. Suddenly, she’s forced to step outside her comfort zone and befriend the eccentrics of Ibiza who expose her to their bizarre ideas. It’s making room for possibilities in her life that allows Grace to change her trajectory and outlook, and positively impact her new island community.
I always feel inadequate and frustrated when I read a Matt Haig book. I know that it’s certainly not his aim. As I reached for The Life Impossible, I did so with hope and an open mind, but the same feelings returned and I am finally convinced that I am not his target audience.
I’ve tried many times to appreciate or harness the energy in Haig’s writing, but I always feel like I’m a cowboy on a wild horse trying to lasso without a rope. For me, navigating the random epistolary narrative stuffed with paranormal events and mindfulness over-saturation set off a barrage of avoidance techniques and I had to force myself to finish.
I appreciated where Haig was going with this speculative fiction. Despite having a STEM teacher’s brain that operates best on organization and planning, I could see the appeal of a hedonistic lifestyle and I could see Grace’s transition - maybe even laugh with her as she tried to harness her new power - but it was all just ‘too much’ for this reader who relishes believability and reality. I couldn’t wrap my linear brain around the shapeshifters and portals as a way to start afresh. I’ll stick to pivoting within the confines of reality in order to experience ‘the life impossible.’
Despite not enjoying this book as it was intended, I’ll say that Haig and I do agree on one thing - you’re never too old for a fresh start!
I was gifted this copy by Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Septuagenarian Grace Winters needs Ibiza more than she realizes. Grief has burrowed deep, regret has set in, she’s lost her feeling of self-worth, and she’s almost become numb to the possibility of happiness. She heads to Ibiza and a home she’s inherited, trying to make sense of her friend’s death. Suddenly, she’s forced to step outside her comfort zone and befriend the eccentrics of Ibiza who expose her to their bizarre ideas. It’s making room for possibilities in her life that allows Grace to change her trajectory and outlook, and positively impact her new island community.
I always feel inadequate and frustrated when I read a Matt Haig book. I know that it’s certainly not his aim. As I reached for The Life Impossible, I did so with hope and an open mind, but the same feelings returned and I am finally convinced that I am not his target audience.
I’ve tried many times to appreciate or harness the energy in Haig’s writing, but I always feel like I’m a cowboy on a wild horse trying to lasso without a rope. For me, navigating the random epistolary narrative stuffed with paranormal events and mindfulness over-saturation set off a barrage of avoidance techniques and I had to force myself to finish.
I appreciated where Haig was going with this speculative fiction. Despite having a STEM teacher’s brain that operates best on organization and planning, I could see the appeal of a hedonistic lifestyle and I could see Grace’s transition - maybe even laugh with her as she tried to harness her new power - but it was all just ‘too much’ for this reader who relishes believability and reality. I couldn’t wrap my linear brain around the shapeshifters and portals as a way to start afresh. I’ll stick to pivoting within the confines of reality in order to experience ‘the life impossible.’
Despite not enjoying this book as it was intended, I’ll say that Haig and I do agree on one thing - you’re never too old for a fresh start!
I was gifted this copy by Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
February 13, 2025
I was excited to see a new book by Matt Haig. Midnight Library was a favorite, however, this fell short. It is a story about a 72-year-old retired math teacher, Grace Winters, who is dealing with intense grief. The sudden loss of her young son and, years later, her husband has Grace feeling lost and alone.
The story is told in the form of an email. Grace replies to an email from one of her former students. Trying to help with grief and worthlessness, she writes about her life experience. The email turns out to be 300 pages long, which is wild. I can't imagine the student reading her email, turning the manuscript over, and hoping for advice in a time of crisis.
Grace is gifted a run-down house in Ibiza by her friend with no plan in sight. Her friend's death is a mystery, and Grace wants to uncover the truth.
The first half of the book was wonderful, relatable, and interesting. Suddenly, without warning, it fell, literally, into a parallel world of aliens, magic, and the uncanny ability to read minds. The book took on an overzealous, self-actualizing tone. I knew it was coming, but it became too fantastical to enjoy. I also found the quotes to be preachy and wasn’t overwhelmed—sort of like a self-help book.
Matt Haig's attempt at being the voice of a woman in her 70s missed the mark. Some of her behaviors were out of character, and try too hard.
The book addressed a wide range of issues, including helping to save mental health, the environment, and society. It was difficult to follow and digest.
My three stars are devoted to the story's beginning, well-written and moving.
3 stars .
The story is told in the form of an email. Grace replies to an email from one of her former students. Trying to help with grief and worthlessness, she writes about her life experience. The email turns out to be 300 pages long, which is wild. I can't imagine the student reading her email, turning the manuscript over, and hoping for advice in a time of crisis.
Grace is gifted a run-down house in Ibiza by her friend with no plan in sight. Her friend's death is a mystery, and Grace wants to uncover the truth.
The first half of the book was wonderful, relatable, and interesting. Suddenly, without warning, it fell, literally, into a parallel world of aliens, magic, and the uncanny ability to read minds. The book took on an overzealous, self-actualizing tone. I knew it was coming, but it became too fantastical to enjoy. I also found the quotes to be preachy and wasn’t overwhelmed—sort of like a self-help book.
Matt Haig's attempt at being the voice of a woman in her 70s missed the mark. Some of her behaviors were out of character, and try too hard.
The book addressed a wide range of issues, including helping to save mental health, the environment, and society. It was difficult to follow and digest.
My three stars are devoted to the story's beginning, well-written and moving.
3 stars .
December 14, 2024
Captivated from the first page! I had read The Midnight Library and loved it. The Life Impossible is Tough. To. Put. Down.
Imagine inheriting a home in Ibiza, Spain when you are in your seventies. Life changes significantly for Grace, the main protagonist, in ways she can’t imagine.
Highly recommend!
Imagine inheriting a home in Ibiza, Spain when you are in your seventies. Life changes significantly for Grace, the main protagonist, in ways she can’t imagine.
Highly recommend!
September 5, 2024
I can’t believe I’m rating a Matt Haig book this low but this isn’t more than 3 stars for me. I was bored and unengaged the whole time. The characters didn’t make me feel anything, the plot was meh and the themes were so in my face I felt like I was getting a lecture (and sometimes I was).
Grace is in her 70s and is in a rut. When an old friend leaves her a house in Ibiza she leaves England and moves to Spain. However she quickly finds out that there’s more to the island than she expected and it takes her on a journey to find herself again.
Aliens. This book is about extra terrestrial creatures. She meets them, it makes her feel things again so much so that she can’t bear to see any living creature be hurt and fights developers so save this island. The thing is that it felt strange to me that Haig decided to rely on pure “magic” to get Grace to feel again instead of having her do the work to connect. Instead of any kind of self reflection, the alien forces her to confront her guilt and after one scene she’s “better”. This struck me as very trite. I wasn’t a fan unfortunately.
Grace is in her 70s and is in a rut. When an old friend leaves her a house in Ibiza she leaves England and moves to Spain. However she quickly finds out that there’s more to the island than she expected and it takes her on a journey to find herself again.
Aliens. This book is about extra terrestrial creatures. She meets them, it makes her feel things again so much so that she can’t bear to see any living creature be hurt and fights developers so save this island. The thing is that it felt strange to me that Haig decided to rely on pure “magic” to get Grace to feel again instead of having her do the work to connect. Instead of any kind of self reflection, the alien forces her to confront her guilt and after one scene she’s “better”. This struck me as very trite. I wasn’t a fan unfortunately.
wtr-i-own-it
September 7, 2023Eeeeee!! "The Midnight Library" was one of my absolute favorites. Super excited to read Matt Haig's next book!
October 5, 2024
A Spanglish novel about a 70 year old solving a murder mystery with aliens and superpowers that crams the “lesson” into the last five pages of the book. also a goat is there.
October 29, 2024
I’m not a big fan of magical realism, but I had enjoyed The Midnight Library. So, I was willing to give The Life Impossible a chance. But the issues I had with The Midnight Library, philosophical ideas that were too simplistic and obvious, are magnified here. Haig tries to cover it all up with a lot of over complicated magical nonsense and mathematical equations.
Grace Williams is a 72 year old retired teacher who inherits a house in Ibiza from a woman she barely knew. The woman had died under mysterious circumstances. Grace can’t help but try to investigate what happened to this woman. But the book isn’t primarily a mystery. It veers from magical realism into the realms of fantasy. The longer it went on, the less I liked it. You have to have a real tolerance for the woowoo aspect to enjoy this. I don’t.
The story is told in the form of an email she sends to a former student, who is depressed over the loss of his mother. I struggled with the format as it came across as disjointed and lacking a sense of focus.
There’s also a decided lack of tension or energy to the book. It just sort of plods along until the very end. I was listening to this and I found myself speeding it up just to get it over with.
I can’t fault Joanna Lumley, she does an admirable job as the narrator.
Grace Williams is a 72 year old retired teacher who inherits a house in Ibiza from a woman she barely knew. The woman had died under mysterious circumstances. Grace can’t help but try to investigate what happened to this woman. But the book isn’t primarily a mystery. It veers from magical realism into the realms of fantasy. The longer it went on, the less I liked it. You have to have a real tolerance for the woowoo aspect to enjoy this. I don’t.
The story is told in the form of an email she sends to a former student, who is depressed over the loss of his mother. I struggled with the format as it came across as disjointed and lacking a sense of focus.
There’s also a decided lack of tension or energy to the book. It just sort of plods along until the very end. I was listening to this and I found myself speeding it up just to get it over with.
I can’t fault Joanna Lumley, she does an admirable job as the narrator.
September 24, 2024
“I suppose that is one of the purposes of all reading. It helps you live lives beyond the one you are inside.”
I will say one thing for this book, it had a lot of quotable moments. Like this one above. How can you not be taken in by that quote? Is that one of the reasons we love reading so much?
Moving on to the story…
So, who is Grace our protagonist? She is a 72-year-old retired math teacher who has just been gifted a shabby house on a Mediterranean island from a long-ago colleague who has passed away. How did this come to be?
Grace provided this same former colleague she barely knew, the opportunity to spend Christmas Day with her years earlier. Now decades later, this same person, has vanished, presumed dead, and leaves Grace her house and clues about her fate.
Considering that Grace leads a rather boring life, she decides to go to this place, with no real plan in front of her. Why not? So much about her present life is about grief, perhaps this might be something more interesting.
And, thus we have her story, one that she decided to tell after receiving a cry-for-help email from a former student, Maurice, who believes that “everything feels impossible.” This story is her response to him. What she considers a story about “a person who felt there was no point left in her existence, and then found the greatest purpose she had ever known.”
What would that purpose entail for Grace?
“People say that love is rare. I am not so sure. What is rare is something even more desirable. Understanding. There is no point in being loved if you are not understood. They are simply loving an idea of you they have in their mind. They are in love with love. They are in love with their loving. To be understood. And not only that, but to be understood and appreciated once understood. That is what matters.”
Will Grace’s adventure be compelling? Will Grace’s own self-discovery be thought-inspiring? And, what oddities will Haig throw in for readers to speculate about that can lead any of us to believe that no matter what age we are – life is still possible? Certainly, this philosophy can be considered beautiful. But in the telling of this story, it is hard to fully appreciate the author’s message. (For me to share why or more, would be to give away spoilers.)
If nothing else, this book had many inspiring quotes…
“Life sings and blazes. Even when we are numb to it, when we hide from it, when it is too loud and painful to experience, when we aren’t equipped to feel it – it is there, waiting, to be cherished and protected, ready to give us at least one more blast of beauty before the night.”
Perhaps Grace’s story will inspire Maurice? For those who are not intimidated by strange, this story may work for you. I truly wanted to like it more.
3.5 stars rounded down.
I will say one thing for this book, it had a lot of quotable moments. Like this one above. How can you not be taken in by that quote? Is that one of the reasons we love reading so much?
Moving on to the story…
So, who is Grace our protagonist? She is a 72-year-old retired math teacher who has just been gifted a shabby house on a Mediterranean island from a long-ago colleague who has passed away. How did this come to be?
Grace provided this same former colleague she barely knew, the opportunity to spend Christmas Day with her years earlier. Now decades later, this same person, has vanished, presumed dead, and leaves Grace her house and clues about her fate.
Considering that Grace leads a rather boring life, she decides to go to this place, with no real plan in front of her. Why not? So much about her present life is about grief, perhaps this might be something more interesting.
And, thus we have her story, one that she decided to tell after receiving a cry-for-help email from a former student, Maurice, who believes that “everything feels impossible.” This story is her response to him. What she considers a story about “a person who felt there was no point left in her existence, and then found the greatest purpose she had ever known.”
What would that purpose entail for Grace?
“People say that love is rare. I am not so sure. What is rare is something even more desirable. Understanding. There is no point in being loved if you are not understood. They are simply loving an idea of you they have in their mind. They are in love with love. They are in love with their loving. To be understood. And not only that, but to be understood and appreciated once understood. That is what matters.”
Will Grace’s adventure be compelling? Will Grace’s own self-discovery be thought-inspiring? And, what oddities will Haig throw in for readers to speculate about that can lead any of us to believe that no matter what age we are – life is still possible? Certainly, this philosophy can be considered beautiful. But in the telling of this story, it is hard to fully appreciate the author’s message. (For me to share why or more, would be to give away spoilers.)
If nothing else, this book had many inspiring quotes…
“Life sings and blazes. Even when we are numb to it, when we hide from it, when it is too loud and painful to experience, when we aren’t equipped to feel it – it is there, waiting, to be cherished and protected, ready to give us at least one more blast of beauty before the night.”
Perhaps Grace’s story will inspire Maurice? For those who are not intimidated by strange, this story may work for you. I truly wanted to like it more.
3.5 stars rounded down.
April 18, 2025
Probably my least favorite read from this author 😬
November 3, 2024
Another captivating, highly entertaining, profoundly moving novel by Matt Haig!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
I thought incessantly about it.
I didn't want to put it down!
There are so many messages in this novel that it is hard to unpack them. Grace Winters is a retired maths teacher who has suffered much loss in her life - and she fully blames herself for much of that loss and unhappiness.
One of Grace's former students has reached out to her via a despairing email, seeking some advice. His life is a shambles and his sister needs special medical care which he can't afford to give her.
Grace responds by recounting the events of the last few years, which led her to relocate to Ibiza. No magic wand was waved to erase her unhappy past, but - if we are to believe her - some form of extraterrestrial power DID change Grace's life.
I was a tad worried that Haig kept referring to higher math and verbally dissecting equations - something I was NEVER good at! But I need not have feared: he made it all sound interesting and his conclusions had me thinking very deep thoughts, indeed!
We all have a bit of Grace Winters in us. We've all made mistakes, held on to the past for too long, deeply regretted that one decision or action that changed the course of our lives, etc., etc. Grace, like so many of us, was marking time. Our adventures were over: let the younger folk save the world, or blast it to bits. Nothing to do with her, she thought. She'd done enough harm in her own little corner of the world.
When a letter arrived, out of the blue, advising her that she had been left a house on the island of Ibiza by an old acquaintance, Grace started off an adventure that would have challenged much younger folk.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel: it had a bit of everything in it. Magical Realism, in the hands of an expert like Matt Haig, is always a pleasure to read. I highly recommend this heart soothing book: we can't change the past, but we can learn to truly forgive ourselves and shape a better future for our remaining days. Grace left me feeling so..... hmm, hard to describe this.... hopeful?!?!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
I thought incessantly about it.
I didn't want to put it down!
There are so many messages in this novel that it is hard to unpack them. Grace Winters is a retired maths teacher who has suffered much loss in her life - and she fully blames herself for much of that loss and unhappiness.
One of Grace's former students has reached out to her via a despairing email, seeking some advice. His life is a shambles and his sister needs special medical care which he can't afford to give her.
Grace responds by recounting the events of the last few years, which led her to relocate to Ibiza. No magic wand was waved to erase her unhappy past, but - if we are to believe her - some form of extraterrestrial power DID change Grace's life.
I was a tad worried that Haig kept referring to higher math and verbally dissecting equations - something I was NEVER good at! But I need not have feared: he made it all sound interesting and his conclusions had me thinking very deep thoughts, indeed!
We all have a bit of Grace Winters in us. We've all made mistakes, held on to the past for too long, deeply regretted that one decision or action that changed the course of our lives, etc., etc. Grace, like so many of us, was marking time. Our adventures were over: let the younger folk save the world, or blast it to bits. Nothing to do with her, she thought. She'd done enough harm in her own little corner of the world.
When a letter arrived, out of the blue, advising her that she had been left a house on the island of Ibiza by an old acquaintance, Grace started off an adventure that would have challenged much younger folk.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel: it had a bit of everything in it. Magical Realism, in the hands of an expert like Matt Haig, is always a pleasure to read. I highly recommend this heart soothing book: we can't change the past, but we can learn to truly forgive ourselves and shape a better future for our remaining days. Grace left me feeling so..... hmm, hard to describe this.... hopeful?!?!
January 19, 2025
I am very sad that this book and I just did not get along well. Sad because I am a big fan of this author and I have never given his books anything less than four star reviews before - in fact usually five. For this one the magic was not there and I found myself skipping pages of Grace's endless explanations of life. The actual events in between were good though!
This will not in any way stop me from reading his next book as soon as it is published!!!
This will not in any way stop me from reading his next book as soon as it is published!!!
September 16, 2024
An environmental activist is threatened and disappears…and it takes 321 pages to discover that the perpetrator was the businessperson whom she tried to stop from building a hotel. Worse mystery ever.
The language is loose and the story too forced. The Midnight Library was great, but this one is not. It is a quick read that leaves little of an aftertaste or afterthought.
There are some beautiful phrases hidden in the middle of a mediocre text. And the book admittedly moved me with its references to how capitalism is destroying nature. But many better eco-thrillers exist. Still, if a popular writer can raise awareness about the environmental crises, even with sloppy writing, that deserves two stars.
As Julia Halperin said about new art: “it’s devoid of nutritional value and provides no lasting satisfaction - but it looks really good on Instagram.”
The language is loose and the story too forced. The Midnight Library was great, but this one is not. It is a quick read that leaves little of an aftertaste or afterthought.
There are some beautiful phrases hidden in the middle of a mediocre text. And the book admittedly moved me with its references to how capitalism is destroying nature. But many better eco-thrillers exist. Still, if a popular writer can raise awareness about the environmental crises, even with sloppy writing, that deserves two stars.
As Julia Halperin said about new art: “it’s devoid of nutritional value and provides no lasting satisfaction - but it looks really good on Instagram.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2024
3.5⭐
This whimsical book is not my usual fare. I loved Grace, retired mathematics teacher and her amazing journey. Particularly the aspect of her telling this story in letter form, to a former student that needed help, someone to talk to. They both loved math, so witnessing this being threaded into the narrative, as decisions needed to be made, the scientific thinker does break things down a certain way. I loved this!
The lessons she imparts in this way, while describing her journey, was heartwarming. Grace is retired, so again, it's always a nice touch having a female protagonist of a certain age. Grace was a lovely woman, her character fully formed in the readers mind, from memories of times gone by, to those currently.
The first quarter or so was mild, although emotive reading, then we change gears and head into another realm, another country as Grace heads to Ibiza, to fulfil the wish of a former and mostly forgotten colleague. Her interaction with Christina as young women had a lasting impact on this friend, enough so that a property has been left to Grace on her death.
Thus begins a journey covering many issues, mostly to rise above grief with help from newfound friends but not at all diminishing the theme of our perilous climate, fighting against corruption and greed and following a previously unknown destiny.
It is a complex storyline, steeped in magic realism which I was not expecting. Very well written and a story with a sharp vision. This is an excellent book, only for me not a genre of choice. Others will LOVE.
Thanks to @betterreading for my physical copy to read and review as part of the #brpreview campaign, I have fallen behind on my reviews.
This whimsical book is not my usual fare. I loved Grace, retired mathematics teacher and her amazing journey. Particularly the aspect of her telling this story in letter form, to a former student that needed help, someone to talk to. They both loved math, so witnessing this being threaded into the narrative, as decisions needed to be made, the scientific thinker does break things down a certain way. I loved this!
The lessons she imparts in this way, while describing her journey, was heartwarming. Grace is retired, so again, it's always a nice touch having a female protagonist of a certain age. Grace was a lovely woman, her character fully formed in the readers mind, from memories of times gone by, to those currently.
The first quarter or so was mild, although emotive reading, then we change gears and head into another realm, another country as Grace heads to Ibiza, to fulfil the wish of a former and mostly forgotten colleague. Her interaction with Christina as young women had a lasting impact on this friend, enough so that a property has been left to Grace on her death.
Thus begins a journey covering many issues, mostly to rise above grief with help from newfound friends but not at all diminishing the theme of our perilous climate, fighting against corruption and greed and following a previously unknown destiny.
It is a complex storyline, steeped in magic realism which I was not expecting. Very well written and a story with a sharp vision. This is an excellent book, only for me not a genre of choice. Others will LOVE.
Thanks to @betterreading for my physical copy to read and review as part of the #brpreview campaign, I have fallen behind on my reviews.
April 24, 2024
Thanks to Canongate for this early proof. I love reading Matt's book except one.
This may be his best yet, it's a little odd but after'Midnight Library 'not so much. Centred on Ibiza, a retired Maths teacher Grace her old friend Cristina, the beauty of the island, extra terrestrial, goats, lizards and Christina's family. I did say it was odd.
As its a proof that's really all I can say.
I really liked this. May not be for everybody.
This may be his best yet, it's a little odd but after'Midnight Library 'not so much. Centred on Ibiza, a retired Maths teacher Grace her old friend Cristina, the beauty of the island, extra terrestrial, goats, lizards and Christina's family. I did say it was odd.
As its a proof that's really all I can say.
I really liked this. May not be for everybody.
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