Name of Book: Tuesdays with Morrie
Name of Author: Mitch Albom
Year of Publication: 1997
No. of Pages: 200
Cost: Rs. 230
Reveived By: Iesha Javed
“Tuesdays with Morrie” is the story of An Old man, A young Man and Life’s Greatest Lessons. The title may convincingly deceive the beholder to think of it as a fond memoir, wherein the writer sits with a jolly, worldly-wise Morrie over a cup of tea every Tuesday with a group of friends merrily discussing Life and its mysteries; one can almost picture the jolly group sitting at the tea party.

However, to one’s surprise the book is as much filled with tragedy as with humour and pathos. It is an elegantly simple story of a writer getting an inspiration to discover life anew through the death of a friend.

The book begins with the description of an ailing Sociology Professor, lying in his study, surrounded by his books, watching the little Hibiscus plant shed its pink leaves. He had been the most loved professor of all his students and was very attached to his profession. Mitch happens to be one of his dear students and the relation between them is described by the words “Coach” and “Player”.

The student passes out from college, having studied under a man who taught him fair-play, selflessness, unabashed love only to himself fall to materialism and consumerism, chasing target after target in a bid to rise as one of the most sought after Sports Journalists. It is by chance that he catches a glimpse of a dying man on a TV show only to realize it is his favourite Professor Morrie Schwartz.

The book has a very strong message. Instead of shying away the old man bravely faces death and presents himself as an object of study so that humanity may study his gradual death and as they learn to die, they may learn to live and for this he invites his student for a final thesis. It is at this juncture that the last class with Morrie begins. However, there is no black board, no syllabus, no grades and no examination; the graduation is substituted by a funeral. Just the old man, the young Man and Life’s Greatest Lessons! Here they put their last “thesis” together. A session of meetings presented before the reader as Fourteen Tuesdays each discussing an important ingredient of Soulful living. The book, in the process, has one aim- to teach the individual to create their own “sub culture” adorned with time tested ethos and wisdom, and to live naturally, not seeming to bother of what the artificial culture around them has to say.

The book encloses some very beautiful moments when the writer tries to pen down the exchange of emotions between the two so closely bonded, in the process making them reveal their joys, fears, insecurities and regrets as when Morrie expresses regret at a friend whom he never forgave and who silently died of cancer while Mitch discloses how his brother was attacked by cancer but is living far away in Spain and doesn’t want any kind of correspondence with the family and shrugs at the slightest show of sympathy. This book is in fact dedicated to “My Brother Peter, the bravest person I know”

Finally, the teacher dies, after the last Tuesday, on a Saturday Morning when the sky is the colour of milk. His whole family is there for him. Morrie, a man who symbolizes never ending courage and a desire to share wholeheartedly with humanity all his possession in life, chooses for his tombstone the words: A teacher to the  Last.  
                                                                                                       
The book is an invaluable contribution to the literature of death.  It deliberates over topics ranging from regret, death, emotions and family to forgiveness, money, marriage and culture. The book leaves the reader with an afterglow and a treasure of beautiful aphorisms like: Love each other or Perish, When you’re in bedyou’re Dead, When we learn to Die We learn to Live. Mitch Albom’s book is a gift to mankind!  

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