Alison’s review of The Midnight Library (The Midnight World, #1) > Likes and Comments
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Quietly and appropriately brutal
Thanks, Steve. I gather you’re no fan of scented candles.
Fionnuala, To be fair, I think most people who reach for it know what they're getting and will enjoy it, and most people who wouldn't can predict that they won't (as you did). I'm not sure how I missed the cues.
(I erased your comment by mistake when trying to post this one! Sorry about that!)
Alison, a young co-worker tipped this book to me. Your sardonic and entertaining review made me laugh and sigh with relief I can happily skip it. And guess what, I've just made a reservation on the DVD of 'It's a wonderful life' in the local library because they didn't have the Frank Capra film I was looking for ('It happened one life').
Ilse, Enjoy the film! It’s the perfect season for it!
Great review Alison. Brutal, but very well put. My favorite by this author thus far has been The Humans which I enjoyed very much. And I confess, I do watch the Christmas reruns of It's a Wonderful life every year. Some traditions are hard to give up.
Ilse wrote: "Alison, a young co-worker tipped this book to me. Your sardonic and entertaining review made me laugh and sigh with relief I can happily skip it. And guess what, I've just made a reservation on the..."
Ilse, you can find both movies on YouTube for free, and there's no waiting time.
Very interesting review! My spidey-senses have always steered me away from this author with no concrete reason why.
Alison, I am laughing. So glad to share an opinion here.
Though I can be nostalgic and sentimental. I do have an annual viewing of "It's a Wonderful Life;" it has been a tradition since childhood. That and "Miracle on 34th Street." Oh, and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." 😂
Lisa wrote: " I do have an annual viewing of "It's a Wonderful Life;" it has been a tradition since childhood...."
"It's a Wonderful Life" is a December tradition for me, too. I knew as soon as I saw your review that we agreed on this one ;)
Gopal wrote: "Great review Alison. Brutal, but very well put. My favorite by this author thus far has been The Humans which I enjoyed very much. And I confess, I do watch the Christmas reruns of It's a Wonder..."
Your review of The Humans was lovely and made it seem like a better opportunity to appreciate Haig's evident gifts!
DianneDS wrote: "Very interesting review! My spidey-senses have always steered me away from this author with no concrete reason why."
I can't speak to Haig in general, Dianne, since this is the only book of his that I've read. If you look at Gopal's review of The Humans, you'll see a very appreciate perspective from someone whose reviews I've come to trust.
I liked the way you describe that feeling of already knowing where the story is heading. When a book builds itself around lessons like 'the importance of small things', it can either feel comforting or a little too familiar depending on the reader. Your comparison with scented candles and pumpkin spice lattes made me smile because it captures that perfectly - something warm and recognizable, but not necessarily surprising. And I have to admit, I love It’s a Wonderful Life, so that reference at the end really resonated with me. Sometimes that film says everything this kind of story wants to say, but with a kind of sincerity that still feels timeless.
Pia G. wrote: "I liked the way you describe that feeling of already knowing where the story is heading. When a book builds itself around lessons like 'the importance of small things', it can either feel comfortin..."
Pia, I think you got exactly what I was trying to say -- the same thing that can be comfortable and reassuring for one person can feel predictable or even saccharine to another. I love the film. For me it is sincere and timeless, just as you say!
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Stephen
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Nov 25, 2025 07:14PM
Quietly and appropriately brutal
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Thanks, Steve. I gather you’re no fan of scented candles.
Fionnuala, To be fair, I think most people who reach for it know what they're getting and will enjoy it, and most people who wouldn't can predict that they won't (as you did). I'm not sure how I missed the cues.(I erased your comment by mistake when trying to post this one! Sorry about that!)
Alison, a young co-worker tipped this book to me. Your sardonic and entertaining review made me laugh and sigh with relief I can happily skip it. And guess what, I've just made a reservation on the DVD of 'It's a wonderful life' in the local library because they didn't have the Frank Capra film I was looking for ('It happened one life').
Ilse, Enjoy the film! It’s the perfect season for it!
Great review Alison. Brutal, but very well put. My favorite by this author thus far has been The Humans which I enjoyed very much. And I confess, I do watch the Christmas reruns of It's a Wonderful life every year. Some traditions are hard to give up.
Ilse wrote: "Alison, a young co-worker tipped this book to me. Your sardonic and entertaining review made me laugh and sigh with relief I can happily skip it. And guess what, I've just made a reservation on the..."Ilse, you can find both movies on YouTube for free, and there's no waiting time.
Very interesting review! My spidey-senses have always steered me away from this author with no concrete reason why.
Alison, I am laughing. So glad to share an opinion here.Though I can be nostalgic and sentimental. I do have an annual viewing of "It's a Wonderful Life;" it has been a tradition since childhood. That and "Miracle on 34th Street." Oh, and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." 😂
Lisa wrote: " I do have an annual viewing of "It's a Wonderful Life;" it has been a tradition since childhood....""It's a Wonderful Life" is a December tradition for me, too. I knew as soon as I saw your review that we agreed on this one ;)
Gopal wrote: "Great review Alison. Brutal, but very well put. My favorite by this author thus far has been The Humans which I enjoyed very much. And I confess, I do watch the Christmas reruns of It's a Wonder..."Your review of The Humans was lovely and made it seem like a better opportunity to appreciate Haig's evident gifts!
DianneDS wrote: "Very interesting review! My spidey-senses have always steered me away from this author with no concrete reason why."I can't speak to Haig in general, Dianne, since this is the only book of his that I've read. If you look at Gopal's review of The Humans, you'll see a very appreciate perspective from someone whose reviews I've come to trust.
I liked the way you describe that feeling of already knowing where the story is heading. When a book builds itself around lessons like 'the importance of small things', it can either feel comforting or a little too familiar depending on the reader. Your comparison with scented candles and pumpkin spice lattes made me smile because it captures that perfectly - something warm and recognizable, but not necessarily surprising. And I have to admit, I love It’s a Wonderful Life, so that reference at the end really resonated with me. Sometimes that film says everything this kind of story wants to say, but with a kind of sincerity that still feels timeless.
Pia G. wrote: "I liked the way you describe that feeling of already knowing where the story is heading. When a book builds itself around lessons like 'the importance of small things', it can either feel comfortin..."Pia, I think you got exactly what I was trying to say -- the same thing that can be comfortable and reassuring for one person can feel predictable or even saccharine to another. I love the film. For me it is sincere and timeless, just as you say!
