The Life Impossible — review: a tedious story about rediscovery.
What if you could read everyone’s mind, control what people are thinking, and influence their actions, all because you were captured by a weird presence? That’s The Life Impossible, Haig’s 8th novel. Told in epistolary form through an email exchange between a teacher and her old student, it tries to tell the story of Grace Winters, who ended up inheriting an Ibiza house from a colleague she invited over for Christmas many years ago. The story explores the idea of fortune-telling and altering the future for the better, but does this in a highly tedious and repetitive manner. There are just too many resemblances to A Midnight Library to call this something new.
The book starts with a random email written to Grace Winters by one of her former students. He’s struggling in life and seeks reassurance from his old maths teacher. She replies and starts telling him about her life — she had recently lost her husband and, many years ago, their son — and starts recounting her time in Ibiza. She inherited an Ibiza house after her ex-colleague, Christina, had died. She explains that they didn’t have a strong friendship; she invited her over for Christmas once after she found her crying in her classroom. This incident, later described by this colleague as life-saving, resulted in Grace going to Ibiza, and while investigating Christina’s death, Grace got sucked into something called ‘The Presence’ — an extraterrestrial entity that grants selected people certain powers. In the end, Christina and some others save Ibiza from yet another nature-ruining resort built by an evil British investor.
The book is about rediscovering life, a message that it portrays excellently. Through the stiff and old (both in spirit and body) maths teacher, we find recognition in the idea that familiar routines give comfort. Now, Grace is forced (both literally and figuratively) out of her comfort zone and experiences new parts of life. There’s even a moment of self-reflection where she meets her son, who explains that his death was not her fault; it was an accident. Tragic, but an accident. A weight is lifted from her shoulders as she’s finally able to forgive herself and let go of her guilt.
It’s clear that Haig wants to send a message — probably the same as in The Midnight Library. However, this novel lacks the same magic. It’s extremely long-winded and boring and only picks up speed and interest near the end. It feels like you’re listening to your old grandmother telling the same story over and over again without knowing where it will end. Yes, Grace is old. Yes, Grace doesn’t believe in magic or The Presence. Yes, Grace doesn’t like Alberto Ribas.
There are parts where Haig directly explains his message, and these elements are touching and heart-warming. But most of the time, the book is just boring. I might be biased because I really don’t like science fiction, but I’d skip this one if I were you.
Get your copy of The Life Impossible on Amazon.com (affiliate: https://amzn.to/45Cjzab)
