The Midnight Library

Nora loves Thoreau and quotes from him throughout the novel. List three concepts from Thoreau and explain the philosophical thought behind them. Does Nora agree or disagree with these quotes?

Nora and Hugo discuss the quantum wave function. What is this function, and how does it appear to sliders? Give examples from both Nora’s and Hugo’s lives.

Think about something you regret not doing. This can also be something you eventually did. Once you think about the circumstances surrounding this regret, write a poem like “Fire” about the regret or the regret’s eventual resolution.

Compare Dan, Ash, Dylan, and Eduardo. Why did Nora choose these partners in her various lives? Do you agree with her choices? Do you agree with her choice in leaving them? Why?

Place yourself in Nora’s shoes in the Midnight Library. If you had infinite versions of your life to experience, what one or two lives would you like to try on and why?

Nora learns a valuable lesson about solitude. Explain the scenes in which she learns about solitude. Where is she—in what life? What is she doing and what realization does she come to about solitude?

In Chapter 60, Haig lists a plethora of lives that Nora lived. Pick two of these lives and write mini chapters fleshing out the details. Include why Nora returned to the Midnight Library after each life.

Kindness helps Nora understand what life she wants to live. List several moments when you were kind to others and state what impact this might have had on them. What impact did it have on you? Or can you think of times when someone was kind to you and it made your day? Conversely, was there a time when someone wasn’t kind and it affected your day?