Book Club Questions for The Midnight Train by Matt Haig

Quick Recap

Agnes, his guide, told him that he could not interfere with the past while on the train. And if he did, it would mean he would not enter eternity.

However, Wilbur is rebellious. Yes, he understands the ramifications of getting involved in the past, but he can’t help himself. Reliving all the key events in his life showed him what a waste it was to lose Maggie. So he takes matters into his own hands and convinces his younger self to take a different path, which he does.

And Wilbur rides the train one more time, thinking of Maggie, and wakes up, back on his honeymoon with Maggie. He gets his second chance.

Thoughts

I knew this was the only way the book would end. While original Wilbur could have met Maggie in eternity, he knows it’s not the same as living life with her. So he chose to forgo eternity to get another opportunity to enjoy the now.

Still, though, I’ve reread the ending a couple of times, and I’m a little confused, so maybe you all can help me connect the dots more. Is the original Wilbur gone, or did he get transported back to his younger self on the honeymoon?

Because when it goes back to the honeymoon, Wilbur thinks back to his ghost. But is he the ghost and his younger self combined? Or is the ghost gone? Am I thinking too much about this? Probably, haha.

BTW, Nora, the protagonist from The Midnight Library, makes a key appearance in the story as Wilbur’s piano teacher when he’s in his 80s. She briefly reflects on her experience, while not revealing it, but gives him advice that will change him forever: “The only way to learn is to live.”

Lovely story all around in my opinion.

Book Club Questions for The Midnight Train

1. What were your initial thoughts about Wilbur? Did that change as the story went on?
2. Did you read The Midnight Library? How does this one compare?
3. Why did Nora go to the library, but Wilbur embarked on the train journey? In what ways were their experiences similar, but in other ways were they different?
4. In this story, everyone embarks on a mode of transportation as their life flashes before their eyes before entering eternity. Why was Wilbur’s the train? What would your mode of transportation be?
5. The train takes Wilbur on the journey of his life. But it focuses more on the bad and painful moments rather than his happy ones. Why didn’t it take him to his happy moments as well? What did he learn from the painful ones?
6. How did Wilbur’s tragic past, from losing his father when he was just a baby, to his brother’s hard path, and eventual death, impact his decision-making for the rest of his life? What lessons did Wilbur learn from this family’s past as a ghost that he wasn’t able to when he was alive?
7. Do you feel Wilbur and Maggie are a good match?
8. Why did Wilbur become so obsessed with success and wealth? How did it push Maggie away?
9. When did ghost Wilbur start to toy with the idea of changing his past? Would you try to change your past if you were Wilbur?
10. Ghost Wilbur shows young, honeymooning Wilbur the impact of his decisions and losing Maggie. And it appears young Wilbur took it to heart and will make different decisions. What do you think life will look like for Wilbur and Maggie in this alternate timeline?
11. What were some of the key takeaways and lessons from the story?
12. What did you think about the appearance of Nora?
13. She tells Wilbur, “The only way to learn is to live.” What does that mean to Wilbur? What does that mean to you?

Additional Recommendations

Hope you enjoyed the book club questions for The Midnight Train! Here are some more recommendations, along with links to book club questions.

Theo is a man who comes to a town called Golden, a small city in the south. He visits the local coffeehouse, where he sees portraits of the people of Golden drawn by a local artist. Theo decides to purchase each one and give the portrait to the rightful owners.

With each meeting, Theo learns more about the person, and they come away inspired by his kindness.

There is no denying that the central message behind the story of kindness and giving back is something that is always appreciated and important. Especially with the technology overload, it was nice to read a rather simple story about doing the right thing. Check out more of my review here.

And my book club questions here.

We get to know Sybil Van Antwerp, a retired lawyer, who is now 73 and spends most of her time writing letters to her family, friends, and even to famous people such as authors and the director George Lucas. However, her most personal letters are to one person, but they are never sent.

When she is forced to relive one of the most painful periods in her life, this self-reflection might also help her finally move forward.

What a truly gem of a novel, that makes you think of so much, and also learn from as well. It’s a quiet story about a normal and average woman, which I found so refreshing. The mixture of the serious with humor was a really great balance. Check out my full review here.

And my book club questions here.

Happy reading!