Book Review: Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom

Reading is not just a form of relaxation, a way to exercise our imagination or to build knowledge. It is an excellent way to boost our vocabulary while getting us acquainted with different styles of writing. Reading can also build empathy and open gates as we make our way in the world. A good library can show us that things can be different.

In this book review, we discover the love and friendship between sociology professor Morrie Schwartz and American author, Mitch Albom, in Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson. Published in 1997, this memoir details their final ‘lesson’ spanning 14 Tuesdays before Morrie’s eventual death.

Sixteen years ago, Morrie was Mitch’s favourite professor in college, and Mitch, his favourite student. They would talk every Tuesday, it was their ritual. They were Tuesday people.

But alas, they had to say goodbye at graduation. Mitch, although promising to keep in touch, never does.

Sixteen years later, Morrie is stricken by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Lou Gehrig’s disease, a brutal, unforgiving illness of the neurological system. There was no known cure. ALS is like a lit candle: it melts your nerves and leaves your body a pile of wax.

Mitch took a job as a columnist. In a few years, he was not only penning columns, he was writing sports books, doing radio shows, and appearing regularly on television. He buried himself in accomplishments because with accomplishments, he believed he could control things and squeeze in every last piece of happiness before he got sick and died.

A chance encounter brings Mitch to Morrie’s doorstep. From there, he gets a second chance, rediscovering Morrie in the last months of the older man’s life.

Morrie, despite being inflicted with the debilitating disease, would not wither. He would not be ashamed of dying. Instead, he would make death his final project, the centre point of his days. Morrie would walk that final bridge between life and death, and narrate his trip.

“For all that was happening to him, Morrie’s voice was strong and inviting, and his mind was vibrating with a million thoughts. He was intent on proving that the word ‘dying’ was not synonymous with ‘useless’,” wrote Mitch.

And hence, the final ‘class’ on how to live between an old man and a young man.

Tuesdays with Morrie is more than the rediscovery of a bond between two people, it is a book that reminds us of the things and relationships we so often take for granted. So much so, we lose track of the true meaning of life.

In Morrie’s words, you must “learn how to die and you learn how to live”.

Tuesdays with Morrie has since its publication sold over 14 million copies and has been translated into 45 languages. It was also adapted into a movie for the small screen, becoming the most-watched television movie of 1999 and won four Emmy Awards.

Words and phrases to learn:

boost – help to increase or improve

acquainted – make someone aware of or familiar with

memoir – biography written from personal knowledge

spanning – extend across (a period of time)

ritual – a set of fixed actions performed regularly

alas – unfortunately

stricken – seriously affected

brutal – extremely horrendous, harsh

unforgiving – harsh or hostile

neurological – relating to nerves and the nervous system

chance encounter – unexpected meeting

inflicted – suffering from something unpleasant or painful

debilitating – of a disease making someone very weak and infirm

wither – to decline

narrate – give a spoken or written account of

vibrating with thoughts – thinking is clear, positive and focused

synonymous – closely associated with or suggestive of something

take for granted – fail to properly appreciate

lose track – to stop being aware of how something is changing

adapted – alter a text to make it suitable for filming

small screen – television

Students can easily get on the reading ladder with our ever growing library. At ILTI, we encourage our students to read things they enjoy, to read aloud and to understand. Learn English from the best, learn English from us and see how it can open doors for you to a larger world. Call ILTI today at 010-395 3067 or visit ilti.edu.my.