Bookseller Reviews
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A Manual for the Living
This book is why people should read! If ever there was a message on how to live in the present, this is it. It’s Matt Haig, so I knew it was going to be go... READ MORE
I know customers will love this book and take it to their hearts. as they did with The Midnight Library.
In his Acknowledgements Haig states that this "isn't a sequel to The Midnight Library. But "conceptually, it follows on "
Once again its a book about l... READ MORE
Full of life, love, and hope
This was a very beautiful story about missed opportunities and redemption from life after death. The second novel of the Midnight Library world did not dis... READ MORE
Another beautiful and magical story that takes you on a journey
Such a beautiful story that takes you through life after death. You felt the connection from The Midnight Library but this has its own theme and feel which... READ MORE
Matt Haig has done it again!
The Midnight Train is a story about regret and what we would do differently if we ever got the chance. In this book, we follow Wilbur, who after he dies, f... READ MORE
A Train Through Life after Death
As Matt says in his acknowledgements “Obviously this isn’t a sequel to The Midnight Library, in any traditional sense. But conceptually, it follows on. The... READ MORE
A tonic for the soul
Oh boy. Matt Haig has done it again. Put my heart through a blender and then put it back together, atom by atom, cell by cell. Another novel full of heart,... READ MORE
Synopsis
When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop?
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.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Canongate Books
- ISBN: 9781837262137
- Number of pages: 304
- Dimensions: 220 x 159 x 27 mm
- Weight: 463g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
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New Fav of Mine
The Midnight Train by Matt Haig published by Canongate Books is the second book in the Midnight World. The previous book is The Midnight Library. I read an... READ MORE
An emotional roller coaster
I loved this emotional roller coaster of a story. After having read The Midnight Library I was excited to see this was available to request, and it certain... READ MORE
A wonderful Timeslip novel about one man’s life and the consequences of his actions
I loved this book. In the acknowledgments Haig says " this isn't a sequel to The Midnight Library… but conceptually, it follows on". TML was a library bet... READ MORE
And just like that, Matt Haig has made me sob uncontrollably all over again.
I was intrigued by the idea of another book in this world and whether it could feel unique and spark the same emotion, but I dare say this book is better. ... READ MORE
LOVED IT!
I had read The Midnight Library (and loved it) so was really looking forward to this one!
As Wilbur passes on, he finds himself aboard a mysterious midn... READ MORE
Thought provoking read
As I started reading this book, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get into it, it seemed too deep for me. But as I carried on, it made me start to th... READ MORE
Matt Haig does it again
Matt Haig has always had a gift for distilling the human condition into sentences that feel both simple and devastatingly true, but The Midnight Train migh... READ MORE
Exceptionally Good
Review of ‘The Midnight Train’ by Matt Haig, due to be published on 21 May 2026 by Canongate Books.
A follow on book to The Midnight Library, in the se... READ MORE
Brilliant
The Midnight Train is a compelling read that will warm your heart, break your heart and at the same time is inspirational.
Wilbur Budd is an 81 year old... READ MORE
The book about the future set in the past
The book is only as Matt Haig could write it. The Midnight Train is the vehicle that the protagonist, Wilbur, boards when he dies. He had led a full life b... READ MORE
A thoughtful and lovely read
The Midnight Train is a reflective and quietly gripping story about life, love, and the choices we make without always realising their weight. The novel ce... READ MORE
Beautiful, an absolute must read
As soon as I recieved this ARC I had to binge it and did so in a few hours, I was a massive fan of The Midnight Library, but this is definitely my favourit... READ MORE
Fantastic, I loved it!
Oh, this book! After the first chapter, I just knew I was going to love it. I’ve been a Matt Haig fan for a long time and was very pleased to receive this ... READ MORE
The Midnight Train
This book is billed to be the second in a series, but it's not really a series in the traditional way so, although The Midnight Library is a cracking book ... READ MORE
Like reading a symphony for my soul
What can I say that no one else has said about Matt Haig? I don’t know. But I will say that I have read his books and always learned something new about my... READ MORE
A heartfelt read
The Midnight Train is clearly in the same world as The Midnight Library, but seen from a different angle. Wilbur Budd is now in his eighties, and unfortuna... READ MORE
Cliched and predictable do-over story
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate for this ARC.
Wilbur Budd dies at 81 and lands on the afterlife Midnight Train with former bookshop owner Agnes as ... READ MORE
Right book right time...
This book is so beautifully written and made me cry. I found the ending a tiny bit lack luster and feel it could of gone to the final day and make it a hap... READ MORE
An unforgettable story
A love letter to books, bookshops and the joy of reading, this is the perfect read for any bibliophile. And this highly anticipated follow-up to The Midnig... READ MORE
A Beautiful Reminder to Treasure What Truly Matters
Fans of The Midnight Library will feel right at home with The Midnight Train, though this story very much stands on its own two feet. This time we follow W... READ MORE
Gorgeous Read
Having loved The Midnight Library this for me was an automatic buy at publication time.
The Midnight Train is simply a gorgeous read and I absolutely love... READ MORE
Amazing
“a book can contain infinite emotion but when you have finished you close it and put it back on the shelf … What choice do we have except to, well, accept?... READ MORE
A journey through life
One of the things that I absolutely adore about Matt’s writing is his ability to make you FEEL. The Midnight Train was no exception to this. A follow on of... READ MORE
If you enjoyed The Midnight Library
The Midnight Train is a companion piece, but not a sequel, to the author’s hugely successful 2020 novel, The Midnight Library.
Wilbur Budd, an elderly m... READ MORE
A perfect life
Wilbur Budd is eighty-one, a millionaire and dead. However before he can process this he is invited on board the midnight train, a journey that shows him ... READ MORE
As good as his previous one
I was a bit apprehensive about reading this book as just the title alone makes it sound like a repeat of the Midnight Library and it is and it isn’t the sa... READ MORE
A tender romantic read
After reading The Midnight Library three or four years ago, when I saw Matt Haig was re-entering the Midnight world, well I had to pick this up. Where our ... READ MORE
“If you loved The Midnight Library, this one belongs on your TBR.”
From the author:
“We are either on the right track or off the rails. We follow a train of thought & go full steam ahead with our one track mind until we r... READ MORE
A Wonderful Life via The Polar Express
A lovely gentle & poignant story; A Wonderful Life meets A Polar Express
Absolutely lived up to the anticipation!
This book was one of my most anticipated reads this year, mainly because of how much I absolutely loved The Midnight Library. Sometimes that can lead to an... READ MORE
Both sad and uplifting
I do like a time travel tale – by my reckoning, this is my twenty-first. I’m always intrigued by how the trip into the past is engineered: sometimes it is ... READ MORE
inspirational
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, challenging, thought provoking and who knows could even be life changing .
Verified Purchase
A train everyone should ride on!
Who we are is comprised of memories, history, and connections. Change one and who might we become? And would we chose to do so if given the chance? This w... READ MORE
Delightful and profound
This was my first read from Matt Haig (although I have a couple more books waiting to be read). I was entranced by the beautifully drawn characters, with r... READ MORE
Love Matt Haig’s writing
4.5 stars another interesting read from Matt Haig, different from the Midnight Library but captivating all the same.
Verified Purchase
Brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant writing. It’s a story that would make a fabulous film also.
Verified Purchase
I LOVED IT!!!!
I had read The Midnight Library (and loved it) so was really looking forward to this one! As Wilbur passes on, he finds himself aboard a mysterious midnigh... READ MORE
Great book
Loved this book. Wilbur has spent his life escaping the poverty he grew up in, so much that when he dies and gets aboard the train that shows him his life ... READ MORE
Delightful read
I loved the Midnight Library so I couldn’t wait to read The Midnight train by Matt Haig. Although it is the second book in the Midnight series you can read... READ MORE
Another insightful novel
The Midnight Train is a beautifully written story about loss and priorities. The moral of the story is not unique, but the way it is told definitely is. Wh... READ MORE
An emotional roller coaster
I loved this emotional roller coaster of a story. After having read The Midnight Library I was excited to see this was available to request, and it certain... READ MORE
Reflective
The second book in the Midnight World and just as captivating. A really great book. I was invested in the main character and his life throughout. Very thou... READ MORE
A thought-provoking journey of self-reflection
81 year old, workaholic Wilbur, dies lonely, sad and alone. He has lived a successful but not a happy life in so many ways. His biggest regret being losing... READ MORE
Matt Haig at his best
Within 3 pages I was fully invested in Wilbur and his story. I simultaneously wanted to devour it in one go and savour every page. I didn't want it to end!... READ MORE
Captivating
The second book in the Midnight World and just as captivating. A really great book. I was invested in the main character and his life throughout. Very thou... READ MORE
Thought provoking
I had high hopes for this book as I loved the midnight library. I was a little disappointed when I first started reading the midnight train as it wasn’t w... READ MORE
Well worth a read
The midnight library was a good read, but I think this one is even better. I enjoyed not being sure where this was going. I wonder what comes next?
Verified Purchase
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