Happiness, a perennial human pursuit, finds varied and often complex representation in contemporary literature. Far from a singular, easily attainable state, its depiction often reflects the anxieties, aspirations, and unique challenges of the 21st century. Examining works such as Matt Haig's The Midnight Library (2020) and Sally Rooney's Normal People (2018) reveals a spectrum of approaches to defining and achieving happiness. Haig explores the idea of happiness through infinite possibilities and the reevaluation of past choices, suggesting that contentment arises from appreciating one's existing life. Rooney, conversely, grounds happiness in the messier realities of human connection, flawed relationships, and the slow, often painful work of self-understanding. Together, these novels illustrate that contemporary literature grapples with happiness not as a destination, but as an ongoing, often uncertain, process.
Matt Haig's The Midnight Library presents a compelling, albeit fantastical, exploration of happiness rooted in the concept of regret and second chances. Protagonist Nora Seed, overwhelmed by despair, finds herself in a library between life and death, where each book represents a different life she could have lived. Her journey through these alternate realities—a famous rock star, a glaciologist, a loving wife and mother—is driven by the hope that one of these lives will finally yield happiness. However, Haig masterfully subverts this expectation. Nora discovers that each seemingly perfect life carries its own set of problems and disappointments. The glaciologist faces isolation, the rock star grapples with the superficiality of fame, and the wife and mother experiences the crushing weight of responsibility and conflict. This narrative arc suggests that happiness isn't found in achieving an ideal external scenario, but in the internal shift of perspective. Nora's eventual return to her "root" life, with a newfound appreciation for its ordinary moments and a willingness to face its imperfections, signifies her realization that happiness lies in acceptance and the courage to live authentically, even with its inherent difficulties.
Sally Rooney's Normal People, in contrast, locates happiness within the turbulent currents of human relationships, particularly romantic ones, and the personal growth that accompanies them. The novel chronicles the on-again, off-again relationship between Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron, from their high school days through their university years. Their connection is fraught with miscommunication, social anxieties, class differences, and individual insecurities. Rooney portrays moments of intense joy and profound connection between them, but these are often fleeting, shadowed by the fear of loss or the inability to articulate their needs. Connell's struggles with depression and Marianne's experiences with emotional abuse highlight the fragility of well-being when external circumstances and internal turmoil intersect. Happiness, in Rooney's world, is not a constant state but an emergent quality that arises from vulnerability, empathy, and the difficult, sustained effort to understand oneself and the other. The novel's conclusion, while not offering a definitive "happily ever after," suggests a mature acceptance of their shared history and the potential for a more stable, albeit still complex, bond, implying that a realistic form of happiness can be built on shared understanding and resilience.
Comparing these two distinct approaches reveals key tensions in contemporary literary understandings of happiness. Haig's narrative offers a more philosophical and metaphorical framework, where happiness is a consequence of internal reconciliation with one's present reality. It appeals to a desire for control and the satisfaction of "what ifs." Rooney, however, presents a more grounded, psychologically nuanced portrayal. For her characters, happiness is not a matter of discovering the right "book" but of navigating the messy, often painful, process of intimacy and self-discovery. The prevalence of mental health struggles in both novels—Nora's suicidal ideation and Connell's depression—further underscores a contemporary literary trend: happiness is often depicted as a fragile commodity, constantly threatened by internal and external pressures. This contrasts with older literary traditions that might have presented happiness as a more readily achievable reward for virtue or destiny. Ultimately, both Haig and Rooney, in their unique ways, suggest that contemporary happiness is less about grand pronouncements and more about the quiet, persistent effort to find meaning and connection in a world that often feels overwhelming.