Mitch Albom’s international bestseller ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ is a must-read book for anyone who is hungry for life’s wisdom. I remember when I started to read this book I could not stop. Tuesdays with Morrie portrays the true meaning of life in such clarity that I read it as if it was the most important thing I would ever read.
I like the book for a very brave character called Morrie. He is an old man that has been diagnosed with ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a terminal disease that affects the neurological system. As time passes by, he starts losing control over his body. First he can't move his feet. Than his legs and it slowly works it's way up. Morrie is in lot of pain, but he is trying to give his life a sense of purpose anyway, by teaching and loving.
There is another important main character in the book:
Mitch, a former student of Morrie and now a fairly well known sports writer. He heard about Morrie's disease and decided to pay him a visit. At first he feels a bit uncomfortable, because he hasn't visited his old professor in so many years and he didn't know what to expect and how to deal with this 'sad' situation. This soon turned into regular meetings on Tuesdays. Every Tuesday Mitch visited Morrie and Morrie taught him about life. Mitch decided he would become a student again: Going back to school and listen to what the teacher had to say. But only a little different this time: This time Morrie's house was the classroom and there where no books and there was no final exam given. However, Mitch was expected to produce one long paper on what was learned. And the most beautiful thing is that Mitch is actually the author himself (Mitch Albom ay). This book is Mitch's 'final paper'! It's all based on true events and his experiences, which makes this book so.. very.. special.
The events in the book and the emotions are described very clearly. So clearly, that it feels like you are making and watching a movie in your head as you read it. There is actually a movie of 'Tuesday's with Morrie'. I watched the movie and it's ok/not bad. But if you read the book, I'm sure you'll prefer the movie you created in your imagination. I laughed, I cried and I learned from Morrie.
Some Quotes
"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it".
"You have to find what's good and true and beautiful in your life as it is now. Looking back makes you competitive. And, age is not a competitive issue."
"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 creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."
The Tenth Tuesday- We Talk About Marriage
' I've learned this much about marriage,' he said now. 'You get tested. You find out who you are, who the other person is and how you accommodate or don't.'
Is there some kind of rule to know if a marriage is going to work?
Morrie smiled. 'Things are not that simple Mitch'.
I know.
'Still,' he said, 'there are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don't respect the other person, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don't know how to compromise, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can't talk openly about what goes on between you, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don't have a common set of values in life, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike'.
