Printable Book Club Questions for The Midnight Train by Matt Haig

What were your initial thoughts about Wilbur? Did that change as the story went on?
Did you read The Midnight Library? How does this one compare?
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?
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?
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?
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?
Do you feel Wilbur and Maggie are a good match?
Why did Wilbur become so obsessed with success and wealth? How did it push Maggie away?
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?
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?
What were some of the key takeaways and lessons from the story?
What did you think about the appearance of Nora?
She tells Wilbur, “The only way to learn is to live.” What does that mean to Wilbur? What does that mean to you?