The Midnight Train by Matt Haig Audiobook Review – A Cosy, Feelgood Journey?

Matt Haig’s latest offering, part memoir and part exploration of mortality, is an uncomfortable probing into the nature of regret. Critics might label it a “cosy, feelgood journey,” but I’d argue that The Midnight Train (or at least its audiobook version) is something more profound.

The story centers around Wilbur Budd, a man in his twilight years on a train with the ghost of Agnes, whose life was intertwined with his own. As they travel through the decades, revisiting pivotal moments from Wilbur’s past, we see time bearing down upon him. His mind is consumed by what could have been – “what ifs” that now seem insurmountable.

The novel isn’t just about one man’s life; it’s an allegory for our collective relationship with mortality. We’re all on this train, hurtling towards the inevitable, and yet we spend so much time looking backward. Regret perpetuates itself as we strive to make sense of it. This is evident in Wilbur’s character – a man who built his life around material success only to see it crumble beneath him.

Haig critiques our societal obsession with youth and vitality. We’re taught that success is defined by productivity, but in Haig’s world, it’s not the young who are free; they’re trapped by their own expectations. Wilbur’s children, for example, are caught up in a whirlwind of family obligations and professional pressure.

As Agnes guides Wilbur through his life story, we see glimpses of what could have been – moments that serve as cautionary tales about the choices we make or don’t make. We’re reminded that it’s never too late to change course, but at what cost? And what does this mean for those left behind?

Throughout the novel, Haig raises fundamental questions about our understanding of time and its relationship with human experience. He challenges us to rethink our priorities – to consider what truly matters in the face of mortality. This is a deeply unsettling exploration into the depths of our own humanity.

In the end, Wilbur’s story becomes less about his personal struggles and more about the search for meaning itself. The Midnight Train ultimately reveals that our lives are a complex interplay of moments, choices, and consequences. We can’t change the past, but we can learn from it – if only we take the time to look.

As I finished listening to this audiobook, I couldn’t help but think about those around me: friends who’ve lost loved ones too soon, colleagues consumed by daily life. They’re all on that train with Wilbur, hurtling towards an uncertain future and grappling with what it means to truly live.

The Midnight Train may not offer easy answers or solutions, but it forces us to confront our own mortality head-on – and perhaps we’ll find a glimmer of purpose amidst the darkness.