Tuesdays With Morrie is a non-fiction memoir where the author, Mitch Albom, recounts his friendship with his old college professor, Morrie. Morrie was his favorite professor back at Brandeis University; however, after losing contact for a few decades, Albom returns when he learns Morrie is diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a progressive and fatal disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. They meet every Tuesday, talking about how to live life until Morrie’s very last moment.
Tuesdays With Morrie is written in very simple prose, with a clear premise and structure. Yet, the people and the tidbits of courage and insight are deeply heartwarming. Morrie himself is such a likeable character. In essence, he is an old man with a seemingly endless amount of love and joy who wishes to spread it to anyone and everyone. He truly listens to others by giving them his whole attention and sees right to the core of what is important to them. Through his conversations with Mitch, it’s clear he takes his time to stop and think, to encourage others to do the same, and to view life from a different perspective.
“To know you’re going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time. That’s better. That way you can actually be more involved in your life while you’re living.”
Mitch, on the other hand, reflects many of us. We get swept up in unrelenting, ruthless tides of capitalism, shunning our true values and our most important relationships, or so Morrie says. Albom’s life after college is spent trying to stay afloat in an unstable economy as he drifts away from what he loves. Many readers may see themselves in Mitch and connect with his relentless drive for more work and more success. Thus, Morrie’s lessons on how to really live, not just survive, sharply contrast with our daily actions.
Morrie is more than just another old man who likes to advise younger generations, though. Many of his messages are timeless, even for a middle-aged Mitch.
“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.”
Nevertheless, this is not a self-help book, nor is it a book with particularly accomplished language. In general, it does little to demystify the “meaning of life” and, as such, can be a bit saccharine sometimes with lessons like “love conquers all.” The book doesn’t account for the harsh realities of life and how it is much more nuanced than merely giving and receiving love. However, it forces readers to stop and contemplate how to better construct their mindsets—the book's purpose. While the messages themselves are rather straightforward and occasionally cliché, it is up to the reader to apply Morrie’s convictions and optimism. Even though the undercurrent of the book is the inevitability of death, its theme revolves much more around the celebration of life than the laments of an old man.
If you want a feel-good book that you can pick up and put down after each chapter, this is for you. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5. Through its wholesome storytelling, it is sure to be a memorable read.