Book Recommendation: The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

Posted On September 9, 2024

Hi Readers! How are you all doing? The weather these days in Mumbai is unpredictable. Every morning I go for a walk with my hat as sun protection and my windcheater as rain protection. I enjoy the walk whether it rains or shines. If it’s raining, my shoes get muddy, there’s dirty water that gets splashed when cars go by, and I don’t seem to bother at all. It’s like I’m a different person on my morning walks. 😀

Anyway, now that I am the boss lady, I had made my peace of never getting to read or write during the week. But, then last weekend I read The Life Impossible by Matt Haig and it changed my perspective. I just need to get up early so that I can go on my morning walks, read after I come back or write a review like I am doing today on a Monday, of all days! So, yeah, I obviously loved the book!

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~

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.

~~THOUGHTS~~

I think with some authors, you always have an inkling of what to expect in their books. I am not talking about the intricacies of it, but just a vibe, if you will. With Jhumpa Lahiri, you can always expect some kind of solitude. With Taylor Jenkins-Reid, you can always expect stellar character arcs, With Kristin Hannah, you can always expect a long period. With Haruki Murakami, you can always expect some sexism. And, just like that, with Matt Haig, you can always expect FEELINGS.

The Life Impossible is the story where 72-year-old Grace Winters makes an unpredictable move to Ibiza, where her old friend Christina had left her a bungalow after her death. When Grace lands in Ibiza she tries to uncover the mystery of Christina’s death. This leads to meeting new people, exploring new places, doing things she never imagined she’d do. And at the centre of it all is magical realism. The plot was quite straightforward with a lovable but flawed septuagenarian woman going to a different country, uncovering the cause of her long-lost friend’s death, finding the culprits and all to preserve the ecology of the precious place in Ibiza.

I loved how this book has an integral magical realism aspect, but at the core, it talks about how we must protect our planet. I think the irony of rich people wanting to have both nature and commercialization was written brilliantly. Whether it is the oceans, the trees or the wildlife, no aspect of nature can be benefited when humans come near it. No matter what you call it – agrotourism or ecological parks or eco-resorts – it all disrupts the environment. I think that the corporate greed and the way the community came together to protest was written perfectly.

Like I mentioned before, Matt Haig’s books are all about feelings. In this one, we are encouraged to see new paths, new beginnings and new adventures. We are forced to think about how we cannot remember a person who has passed until we let the guilt go. We read about characters who are inherently such good people. If they did one bad deed, it doesn’t make them bad. We see how one small act of compassion can change a person’s life. We read how being kind and open to new experiences can teach us so much about ourselves. We understand how much we need to stop making ourselves fit into boxes, and instead just learn to live freely. And, all of it is so much and yet it doesn’t feel too much when you are reading the book. It all comes at the perfect moment, just when you need it, and that’s the essence of how impossibility can actually be a possibility too.

~~TO READ OR NOT TO READ~~

If you are looking for a wholesome book, you should read this. If you want something with high fantasy or extreme magical realism, then this may not be the right choice. If you are looking for an interesting story, you will get it, but it won’t be something you won’t see coming. If you want a beach read or an airport book, this will work well. But, also, if you are feeling lonely or depressed or purposeless, then you should definitely read this book. I have rated The Life Impossible by Matt Haig at 4/5 stars!

Until next time,