Tuesdays with Morrie is a non-fiction novel by American writer Mitch Albom. Mitch Albom is an author and a journalist. The book is a true story based on the life of sociologist Morrie Schwartz and his relationship with his students, especially with Mitch Albom. It is about life and how to live it. More importantly how not to live it.
It is poignant tale told from Mitch Albom’s point of view. Mitch is a regular hard working professional, an average person you can find on the street. He lives life on the fast track, caught up in the whirlwind of money and luxury; that is until he meets his college professor Morrie after nearly 2 decades. Morrie, a strong willed man of great imagination, is in his seventies and suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) “an unforgiving illness of the neurological system.” However he does not let death get the better of him. Even in his deathbed Morrie meets with Mitch every Tuesday for class, “the subject was The Meaning of Life. It was taught from experience.”
These classes change Mitch’s very perspective of life and living, the readers‘ perspective it altered just as drastically. The book deals with all aspects of life from money, to human values and living itself. As the book progresses so does Morrie’s illness, but the classes continue. The essence of the book is aptly summed up by Mitch Albom in the end – “If Professor Morrie taught me anything at all, it was this: There is no such thing as “too late” in life. He was changing until the day he said goodbye.”
The book is philosophical without sounding preachy – laced with a sense of humor it keeps the reader hooked till the end. The English is simple and elegant – you are not left reaching for the dictionary at any point of time. The characterization of the two main people in the story is close to flawless. In spite of the looming death of the professor at no point in the book are you left feeling sorry for him – it is only admiration and respect which struggle for dominance in your mind. You are left with a smile and a mildly (if not greatly) altered view of the world by the end of it.