Book Review: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Title: Tuesdays with Morrie

Author: Mitch Albom

Publisher: Anchor Books

Pages: 192

Format: Paperback

Published: June, 2007

Price: $ 6.99 -> Rp 87,489 (BookDepository)

Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Date started: November 30, 2014 - Date finished: December 16, 2014

Synopsis:

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.

For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?

Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final "class": lessons in how to live.

"Tuesdays with Morrie" is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world.

Review:

This book tells the story of Mitch and his college professor Morrie. Morrie was his sociology professor and he was always fond of him. After graduating from college, Mitch promised to keep in touch with Morrie but he never really reached out to his old professor until sixteen years later when he saw Morrie's interview in TV and found out that Morrie was suffering from amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) a very dangerous disease that attacks the nerve system and has no cure.

This disease actually brought Morrie and Mitch closer as they always were in college. Because of this disease Morrie was predicted to last only two years maximum. Mitch wasn't one of those people who just accepts his fate to just wither and die. He dedicated the time he has left to be used to its fullest, he became a place where people could talk to and share their burdens, feelings. Mitch became a listener and provided solutions and insights to these people's problems. Mitch was one of these people, he re-connected with Morrie where they talked about life, love, careers.

“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.”

Mitch and Morrie met regularly on tuesdays because it was the day where Morrie's lectures were held. And this book was Mitch and Morrie's last project together. Mitch became a student again, and the subject of the course was: Morrie's death.

“Life is a series of pulls back and forth... A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. Most of us live somewhere in the middle. A wrestling match...Which side win? Love wins. Love always wins”

First of all I want to start by saying that this is a non-fiction book, the events in this books actually happened in the author's life. I personally don't really read non-fiction books but at first when I bought this book I didn't know that it was a non-fiction book because I've never heard of this author before (and it was a bargain secondhand book) so what the heck I'll try it and I ended up not really liking it but don't really hate it (it was so-so for me).

“Accept who you are; and revel in it.” 

What I liked about this book was that it was very inspirational, it has a LOT of wonderful and inspirational quotes. This book tells us there's more of life than chasing after careers. But sadly I didn't really cry when I read this book, maybe I wasn't in the mood of this kind of emotional book because on Goodreads the reviews were very good where people give four and five stars to this book.

“Don't cling to things because everything is impermanent.”

Nonetheless, when you're in the mood for an emotional and inspiring book then I suggest you grab this book and read it but only when you're in the mood. The writing style of Mitch Albom is also very good, easy to understand, and attention-grabbing.

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