The Midnight Library Coloring Book – Swedish Review & Buying Guide

Quick Verdict

If you're a fan of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library coloring book, this is a solid way to extend your relationship with the story. The line art is evocative, the paper holds up to most mediums, and the overall vibe is genuinely calming. It's not the most generous page count for the price, and a few designs feel like they were rushed to print, but on balance I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a mindful creative escape tied to a story they already love. Score: 4.3/5.

What Is The Midnight Library Coloring Book?

It arrived on a gray Tuesday, honestly – I wasn't expecting much. I'd read Haig's original novel a few years back and remember feeling oddly moved by its quiet argument about regret, possibility, and the weight of small decisions. Turning that into a coloring book seemed like a stretch. But Viking Drill & Tool pulled it off better than I expected. The book presents a series of intricate illustrations inspired by the novel's core imagery: towering shelves of books, fog-shrouded landscapes, a luminous library that feels somewhere between a dream and a memory.

Each spread is its own little world. Some lean into the fantastical elements – infinite corridors, a golden cat curled on a windowsill, trees with roots that twist like sentences. Others ground you in something quieter: a desk lamp casting a warm circle on a cold night, the spine of a well-loved hardcover. You don't need to have read the novel to enjoy this, but knowing the source material adds a layer of meaning that makes the whole experience feel less like generic hobby work and more like something with intention behind it.

Key Features

• Intricate line art inspired by Matt Haig's bestselling novel
• Thick paper stock – holds colored pencils, gel pens, and light marker use
• Single-sided pages on most editions for bleed-free coloring
• Good variety of design complexity across spreads
• Practical trim size that lays relatively flat when open
• Calming, literary-themed aesthetic suitable for gifting
• Available in multiple international editions including Swedish Amazon listings

Hands-On Review

By day two I had claimed the corner of the couch, a cup of tea going cold beside me, and roughly four hours that I hadn't planned to spend on anything in particular. I grabbed a set of Prismacolor pencils and got to work on the first substantial spread – a view of the library from above, concentric rings of shelves fading into mist. It took me about forty minutes. That surprised me, because I'm not a slow colorist. But the details demanded attention. I wasn't rushing; I didn't want to rush.

What I noticed by the end of the first week was that this wasn't just a coloring book – it was a way to extend the feeling I got from the novel. The book argues that every life contains multitudes, that regret is a form of paralysis, that small kindnesses matter. Working through these pages felt like I was processing that argument on a different channel. Not heavy-handed – no, this isn't preachy – but there's a residue of meaning that sticks if you let it.

Not everything landed. One spread – a nighttime cityscape – felt generic, like clip art that got squeezed into the aesthetic. And the binding, on first opening, was stiff enough that I worried about creasing the first page. That loosened up after a few days of regular use, but it's worth knowing if you're particular about how your books behave. Will I keep using it? Probably – though I'll be more selective about which spreads get the premium colored pencil treatment and which get a quick wash of watercolor. That's the real test of any coloring book: does it earn a permanent spot on the shelf, or does it end up donated by spring?

Who Should Buy It?

Here's who this works for:

• Fans of the novel – if Haig's book meant something to you, this is a natural companion. The art captures the tone without retreading it.
• Mindfulness seekers – this is genuinely calming. The designs are detailed enough to demand focus but not so demanding that they create stress.
• Gift buyers – clean packaging and a recognizable literary tie-in make this a thoughtful present for the right reader.
• Adult colorists who want something story-adjacent – if you want your hobby to have a little more emotional texture, this delivers.

Skip this if you want a beginner-friendly coloring book with only simple designs, or if you're looking for something that tells the story page-by-page. It's not a graphic novel adaptation – it's a thematic art book. And if you've never read the novel and have no interest in doing so, the emotional resonance drops significantly.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If you're weighing options, here are two worth a look:

• Quarto Group's Literary Coloring Series – a broader collection of literary-themed coloring books with typically more generous page counts and a wider range of artist styles. Better if you want variety across multiple books.
• Moonstone Books' Fantasy & Philosophy Line – a comparable thematic approach to moody, introspective line art. Tends to have slightly higher production values on paper stock, though the literary tie-in is less specific.

FAQ

Final Verdict

The Midnight Library coloring book isn't trying to be anything more than what it is: a thoughtful, well-designed creative tool for people who want to spend time with something meaningful. The paper is reliable, the art is evocative, and there's a genuine emotional thread connecting it back to Haig's original work. It's not perfect – the binding needs breaking in, and a few spreads feel undercooked – but the strengths outweigh the flaws for the right buyer. If you're looking for a way to slow down and engage with a story you love in a new way, this is a solid choice. Check current price on Amazon and see if it fits your next rainy afternoon.