You need to pick the life you'd be most happy inside.

[shootingstar]

I read the sentence

"You need to pick the life you'd be most happy inside" (The Midnigt Library by Matt Haig, episode God and Other Librarians)
as
"You need to pick the life that you'd be most happy inside"

Is that correct, or am I wrong? What part of speech is "inside" in this sentence? If I'm wrong, have I to read this sentence as "You need to pick the life in which you'd be most happy inside". Then, do I have to add "in which" to comlete this sentence or don't I have to?

 

[5jj]

I read the sentence

"You need to pick the life you'd be most happy inside"
as
"You need to pick the life that you'd be most happy inside"

Is that correct, or am I wrong?

Correct.

What part of speech is "inside" in this sentence?

Preposition.

If I'm wrong, have I to read this sentence as "You need to pick the life in which you'd be most happy inside".

No. Try:

"You need to pick the life inside which you'd be most happy."

 

[shootingstar]

"You need to pick the life inside which you'd be most happy."

Thank you.
Can I also say "You need to pick the life in which you'd be most happy"? Is there a difference in meaning between "inside" and "in" in this context?

 

[jutfrank]

Different prepositions have different meanings. The author has chosen 'inside' presumably for a good reason, as it brings meaning that 'in' doesn't bring.

 

[shootingstar]

OK -. You say . . .

as it brings meaning that 'in' doesn't bring.

Can you tell me the meaning "inside" brings that "in" doesn't? But I don't want to stir up a hornets' nest - I mean no harm. However, I for one don't see any difference here. You needn't answer this query, though.

 

[Annabel Lee]

Can you tell me the meaning "inside" brings that "in" doesn't? But I don't want to stir up a hornets' nest - I mean no harm. However, I for one don't see any difference here.

"You need to pick the life you'd be most happy inside"

In my opinion, what makes "inside" superior to "in" here is not so much that "inside" conveys a different meaning from "in" as that "in" might easily be thought of as a typo for "with" ("Pick the life you'd be most happy with"), and the version with "with" does have a different sense from the version with "inside" or "in." "Inside" looks like a deliberate choice, not a typo for "with."

 

[jutfrank]

Yes, we have to give the writer the credit of having carefully selected 'inside' over 'in' or 'with'.

 

[emsr2d2]

In the context of this specific book's plot, "inside" makes a lot of sense. She's in a library and inside each book is another possible version of Nora's life. In order to experience that life, Nora effectively goes inside the book.

 

[shootingstar]

In the context of this specific book's plot, "inside" makes a lot of sense. She's in a library and inside each book is another possible version of Nora's life. In order to experience that life, Nora effectively goes inside the book.

Thank you very much. Now I see: "Inside" has a particular connotation here, referring to the books providing several possible lives. It seems to me you are an "insider" of the cited book yourself.

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you very much. Now I see: "Inside" has a particular connotation here, referring to the books providing several possible lives. It seems to me you are an "insider" of the cited book yourself.

It was the first Matt Haig book I read. I spotted it in a charity shop and thought it sounded intriguing. I bought it, started reading it that evening and finished it the next day. It's a beautiful book!