I came to ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ by Mitch Albom when I was searching for a book with deeper philosophical connotations. This autobiographical book based on Mitch Albom’s visits to his terminally ill Professor has been popular in the self-help genre since its publication in 1997. But I was yet to read!
On the cover, just below the title it says, ‘an old man, a young man and life’s greatest lesson.’ Yes, ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ is a philosophical discourse between a teacher and his student from a decade and a half back. Life’s greatest lessons imply the teacher’s knowledge on life and death as he awaits his end.
The beauty of the book lies in the fact that Mitch isn’t actively seeking solutions to a mid-life crisis. He is living the exact expected way, fulfilling the societal and professional perquisites. And then just happens to see his professor’s interview on television.
Professor Morrie Schwartz had been a guide and mentor to Mitch Albom in his college days. On the graduation day, as he parted from his professor, he made promises of keeping in touch. And like most of us, he too got lost in ‘making’ a life.
Mitch Albom is a columnist for the sports section in Detroit Free Press in 1995. After watching Professor Morrie Schwartz’s interview on TV, Albom calls him, and his old Professor is glad to reconnect. A coincidental newspaper strikes around the same time lets Albom plan a visit to Professor’s home. After a period of 16 years, Mitch Albom meets his professor Morrie.
This book recounts the fourteen visits that Albom makes to his Professor every week on Tuesdays. During these visits, Morrie Schwartz talks about life and his experiences and there is a perspective given through Mitch on how life when suffers from terminal illness. These meetings are recorded by Albom as a sort of thesis, in line with the college days, for a final course by Morrie but one where grades don’t matter. There is neither self-pity on Morrie’s part nor agonizing emotional confrontation from Albom. The visits remain real, not getting overtly melodramatic hence connecting so well.
And it isn’t only Mitch Albom who visits Morrie, there are many people who come to visit Morrie. Though Morrie Schwartz had a difficult childhood, being an immigrant, losing his mother, and having an insensitive father, these difficulties only shaped Morrie into a more giving and kind person.
Even during these last few months, Morrie is rather lively, easily accepting fate. Knowing that the end would be dreadful, Morrie has made peace with the present. Morrie can make people around him feel happy and contented. The reason he gives time to people visit him and gain insights from him.
The Tuesday meetings are life coaching sessions. Every Tuesday, you confront questions on existential crisis. Like, ‘What happened to me?’ Most of the time, you get a feeling that Mitch Albom is showing you a mirror through his life and life’s dilemmas.
‘What happened to me?’ The eighties happened. The nineties happened. Death and sickness and getting fat and going bald happened.
Is the book melancholic? Yes, and yet there is a sense of warmth in each sentence. Morrie’s last few months teach you that it isn’t about the gradual decay of physical abilities or mobility, life has so much more to it. The perspective shift from what one needs to be happy in life is a crucial moment of the book.
Wherever I went in my life, I met people wanting to gobble up something new. Gobble up a new car. Gobble up a new piece of property. Gobble up the latest toy. And then they wanted to tell you about it.
Then something similar to ‘The Last Leaf’ by O.Henry you see a pink hibiscus plant by Morrie’s bedside. This plant withers and deteriorates as does Morrie’s health. A normal life cycle that has a beginning and an end. Along with ‘Aging’. We sigh for the bygone days, search for the past, and want an elixir of youth to continue. But will it have any meaning for one to continue to be twenty-year-old without gaining knowledge or perspective on life?
Readers talk so much about ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ because it has a personal connect without becoming text-heavy and compels you to think about life and death long after you have closed the book.
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Thanks for the lovely book recommendation. Looks like a engrossing read. #MyFriendAlexa #TinasPicks
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Indeed it is. Thanks for stopping by!
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This is one of my favourite books by this author.
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Thanks for stopping by.
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Sounds interesting. Is it preachy?
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It is an interesting read…though it does tread a very delicate line in terms of becoming preachy.
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Such a detailed review helped in selecting the options to add the numbers in TBR. The depressing plot is resisting me to pick it.
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Haha…yeah, I understand. Please do not read it if you are not in the zone for this one. Thank you so much for stopping by…probably in the upcoming posts I will write about happier books to read.
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Thanks for taking time to review the books, book reviews have been a area that made me start appreciating reading books oflate…
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Thank you so much and I am glad that book blogs are having this impact.
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This Reading really helping me to pick the best books as per the reviews shared by you and other bloggers.
Thanks for the review
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Thank you so much for stopping by.
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Yours’s second recommendation about this book. I am definitely taking this one up soon.
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Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy reading it.
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I read this book years ago. Your review has refreshed the whole philosophy of it. Very nicely reviewed.
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I am glad you liked the post. Thank you so much!
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I loved your review and surely would want to read it but I guess I am not in the right frame of mind to pick up this genre and the sadness in the book would not be right for me as of now. But surely it’s on my TBR and that’s because of your clear, honest review.
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You are absolutely right, you will never enjoy a book if you are not in the space for it. And thank you much for your words of appreciation.
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I had read this book when I was in my collage and had loved it so much. one of my friend borrowed it and never returned it again. one reason why I stopped lending books.
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Oh, that’s an interesting anecdote and I didn’t know they taught this book in college! I wish I had taken English in college!! Thank you so much for stopping by.
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Yes I’ve read The Last Leaf and seems like this story is also something around those lines with another ending. Would love to read it.
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Oh, I wouldn’t want a spoiler here so not revealing the end. But the comparison with The Last Leaf was on a metaphorical level to one aspect in the story. Thank you so much for stopping by.
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Lovely review. Very detailed and helpful
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Thank you so much 😊
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Lucid review
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Thank you 😊
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I have not read any book by this author but tour review is quite balance and would look upto it.
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Thank you so much 😊
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Your review was balanced and very gentle for a book i found too be too depressing. I personally would not recommend it to anyone seeking help there are more joyous books out there
Deepika Sharma
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I read this book while I was struggling with grief. I wasn’t seeking help, I was trying to understand life and death and it helped.
I was sceptical while writing this review but I am glad you found it balanced. Thank you so much for stopping by.
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Good review. Yes, I remember this book was a best seller in those days. I read another book by this author and liked it too.
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I have not read any other book by Mitch Albom but would look up now. Thank you so much for stopping by.
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A gentle review of a heartwarming book! Thank you for this review.
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Thank you so much 😊
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Very thorough n nice review…I have added the book in my reading list… will order it soon.
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Thank you so much and hope you would love reading it.
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The book must reveal life lessons to the self and if it is like the last leaf, I would surely read through.
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Hope you like reading this book…thank you so much for stopping by.
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A gentle and beautiful review for a book that was the same. Your love for the book is so apparent in your review, Ninu. I have read Tuesdays with Morrie more than once, and I learn something new each time I do.
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Yes, it is indeed such a beautiful book. Thank you so much for stopping by.
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I remember reading this book few years ago but the life lessons I’ve learned here always remains with me. Thanks for posting this! I’ll revisit it once again.
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I am glad this post brought back those memories. Thank you so much for stopping by.
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thanks for the review i’ll certainly add it to my tbr list
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Thank you so much!
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This book really looks nice, will surely get my copy!!
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Hope you like reading it and thank you so much for stopping by!
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