Tuesdays with Morrie

 

Abstract

This review of the book, ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ discusses the author and his achievements in the field of literature. The review consists of critical analysis of the theme, setting, and characters of the book. It also reflects the reviewer’s personal interpretation and meanings of the events depicted in the book. It highlights significant features of unique narrative style adopted by the author in the book.

 

Key words: Narrative, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Personal-transcendence, Foreshadow. 

Author of the Book

Mitch Albom is an international renowned and best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have collectively sold more than 35 million copies worldwide. He had published in 49 territories and 49 languages around the world. He is also the author of the international bestsellers The Five People You Meet in Heaven and For One More Day, as well as eight other books. His works like The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Have a Little Faith, For One More Day, and Tuesdays with Morrie have been adapted into critically-acclaimed movies. He lives with his wife, Janine, in Michigan, USA.

 Introduction

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom was first published in 1997. The story was later recreated by Thomas Rickman into a television movie of the same name by Mick Jackson, which aired on December 5, 1999, and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria. The book examines the interaction and phenomena between the human experience of living and dying. A theme of personal transcendence appears for both the characters, Morrie and Albom.

The book lets the readers to get in touch with the softer side of their lives as it narrates about the final lesson between a college professor, Morrie, and one of his long lost students who is the author of the book, Mitch Albom. It compels the reader to stop and reflect on what is important in life. It provides new insight into how one actually figure out what is important in life. In addition, it also gives message how to strike a balance between living as if there is a tomorrow and realizing (that, at least for some of us,) there won’t be tomorrow.

This book will be most relatable to those who, like Morrie, are coming to an immediate term with ones’ own mortality and find inspiration from his personal story.

Mitch, a student accidently learns that his favorite professor Morrie is dying from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) after sixteen years of graduating college ALS is a group of rare neurological diseases that mainly involves the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. The disease is progressive and will get worse over time. Getting to know this tragic fact, Morrie gets to philosophize about life and Mitch finds himself taking a role of student once again. Along with Mitch, the readers also become Morrie’s students though this time.

 Summary

Tuesdays with Morrie is the final lesson between a college professor Morrie, and one of his long lost students and the author of the book. After seeing his professor in an interview on the show "Nightline," the author is reminded of a promise he made sixteen years ago to keep in touch with him. Now stricken with ALS, Morrie does not have much time left and Mitch knows this fact. He travels from Michigan to Massachusetts to meet him. This meeting goes well and affects Mitch and Morrie so much that they meet for the next fourteen consecutive Tuesdays until Morrie passes away. During each of these meetings, they discuss on different topics like death, love, culture, marriage, regret and the world. They talk about almost everything under the sun. While reading readers will experience variety of emotions, ranging from happiness to sadness and most likely wiping away tears at the end. It will make the readers think about their own lives and ponder on related issues like aging, forgiveness, family, compassion, and mentors in life, just as Mitch Albom does throughout the book.

Commentary

I love how the concept of foreshadowing has been adopted by the author to let the readers mentally prepare for upcoming events in the book. The style of writing is anecdotal/narrative. Mitch Albom did justice in writing one of the best narratives as readers could easily visualize every event in detail.

The best part of the book is that,it forces the readers to take a break from reading a few pages to let the words sink in thereby impacting the readers’ heart. With no jargons, the language used is simple.

The setting, theme, and characters of the books are easy to follow. The setting is relatable to our own experiences of graduation during which we also cherish our beloved teachers. If we reflect on our own we hardly get time to reconnect with our high school and university friends and teachers after graduation. It is very difficult to find time from our busy schedule as life gets busier with world of work. Each and every one of us have a teacher or teachers who has or have a great impact on our lives just as the author had it with his university professor, Morrie. He spends every Tuesday of the week with his professor thus the title of the book, ‘Tuesdays with Morrie.’ The theme of the book revolves about things which we tend to take for granted. Those taken-for-granted things in life are discussed and covered eloquently between the conversations between Mitch and Morrie.  It condenses all the key messages of life in a truly beautiful and heartwarming way. The characters are inspiringly depicted as a dying old professor and a young man who wants to learn life lessons from the former during his last few months. Though both of them are aware of death lurking around yet not even a tinge of fear and regret are displayed by either of them.

Recommendations

This book is for everyone. It is amazing from start to finish. The old readers will be able to relate with Morrie and might also help to accept death with grace. The young readers will find themes discussed in the book helpful to view life from entirely new or with different perspective. Every reader would definitely try to reach to their teacher to thank them for all the lessons taught upon the completion of reading this book. Every learner needs to read this to empathize teachers and view them as a mere human being and every teacher should read this to realize that even the smallest things or events can bring positive change in student’s lives. Since Samtse College of Education is a teacher training institute, I would urge the student-teachers and faculty to read this book as it is one of the must-read book.

It is a life-changing book or even an attitude-changing one as reflected in the following lines from the book:

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”