4.55

1

Nov 16, 2007

Ugh, it was like stapling together eighty greeting cards and reading them straight through. Hate.

1

Dec 16, 2007

I have decided to delete this review. It was not my intention to upset anyone who either suffered from the disorder discussed in this book nor anyone related to such a person (See comment 270).

Nonetheless, I still believe this to be a particularly poorly written book that contains more saccharine than substance.

Still, if it brings you some sense of comfort - more strength to you.

I have chosen not to delete the comments thread as not all of the comments are mine to delete.

4

Oct 19, 2018

4.5 stars

"You know, Mitch, now that I'm dying, I've become much more interesting to people." While he was an undergrad, Mitch absolutely loved Morrie Schwartz's college courses - he took every class that professor taught.

But, like most students, Mitch lost contact with everything and anything to do with his undergraduate years as soon as he graduated.

That is...until he learns that his favorite professor doesn't have long left. ALS is like a lit candle: it melts your nerves and leaves your 4.5 stars

"You know, Mitch, now that I'm dying, I've become much more interesting to people." While he was an undergrad, Mitch absolutely loved Morrie Schwartz's college courses - he took every class that professor taught.

But, like most students, Mitch lost contact with everything and anything to do with his undergraduate years as soon as he graduated.

That is...until he learns that his favorite professor doesn't have long left. ALS is like a lit candle: it melts your nerves and leaves your body a pile of wax. So, Mitch (on an impulse) decides to visit Morrie one last time...and that one last time turned into something else entirely. The class met on Tuesdays. It began after breakfast. The subject was The Meaning of Life. It was taught from experience. Over the course of a couple of months, Mitch reconnects with Morrie and in the process, learns the last great lesson from his college professor. "Everyone knows they're going to die," he said again, "but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently." Wow - what a book.

The slow progression of the disease, combined with Morrie's calm demeanor and Mitch's grief just absolutely cinched this book for me.

How can you argue with lines like this? Do I wither up and disappear, or do I make the best of my time left? or this? His philosophy was that death should not be embarrassing; he was not about to powder her nose. This book was so refreshing, and sweet and beautiful.

The author had such an amazing way with words. I cannot even begin to describe the feelings of peace that flowed through me.

This should be on everyone's list. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I want someone to hear my story. Will you?"
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Snapchat @miranda.reads

Happy Reading! ...more

1

Feb 16, 2012

If I were to die unexpectedly I wouldn’t be ashamed in the least of someone finding my porn stash. And by the way, that video isn’t bestiality, it’s just two guys in a moose suit—big difference. I would be a little ashamed of the fact that I have the first season of 90210 on my iPod, something I downloaded for a friend’s 14 year old daughter (note to self: delete it now!). I’m more worried about someone coming across Tuesdays with Morrie or Eat, Pray, Love in my book collection. I have some If I were to die unexpectedly I wouldn’t be ashamed in the least of someone finding my porn stash. And by the way, that video isn’t bestiality, it’s just two guys in a moose suit—big difference. I would be a little ashamed of the fact that I have the first season of 90210 on my iPod, something I downloaded for a friend’s 14 year old daughter (note to self: delete it now!). I’m more worried about someone coming across Tuesdays with Morrie or Eat, Pray, Love in my book collection. I have some explaining to do.

Like any pseudo-intellectual dipshit, I wouldn’t normally be caught dead with pieces of shit like those two in my library, but I believe that given my current living situation there are extenuating circumstances. I buy books compulsively, especially when they are really inexpensive. I pass by a pawn shop about once a month to buy books for .50€ each. Books in Spain are generally a bit expensive so at this price I will buy almost anything—even the two pieces of shit mentioned above. I give away lots of books to friends and acquaintances, especially when they come this cheaply.

I actually read Tuesdays with Morrie, or at least I speed-read part of it for the purposes of this essay and I had read Eat, Pray, Love some years ago, or at least most of it. Both are best sellers meant for people who almost never read. They are books for people who claim a book is brilliant simply because they were able to finish it. "Look everyone! I'm reading, I'm really reading!" I think anything people read is better than not reading, but that’s all the praise I have for these particular works promising to give the reader the deep meaning of life. Any book claiming to explain life's mysteries should set off the alarms for anyone with half a brain; books like the Bible, the Talmud, or the Koran fall into this category of trash.

I’m sorry folks--there are no “answers” in life. There's only wisdom and wisdom takes time, certainly more than the 192 pages that make up Tuesdays with Morrie. Answers are simply created by people who are terrified that there might not be answers. The problem is when religions or the Mitch Alboms and Elizabeth Gilberts of the world start infringing on the domain of the rational with their moronic explanations of the spiritual or existential. I would say that these institutions (religions and hack writers) constantly violate the airspace of the rational and scientific.

Tuesdays and Eat claim to be instruction manuals for life. They have about as much spiritual depth as a newspaper horoscope or a fortune cookie. In the case of the aphorisms in Tuesdays I’d say they were pretty lousy fortune cookies. A few examples:

Learn to forgive yourself and forgive others.
Accept the past as past and what you are not able to do.
Don’t assume that it’s too late to get involved.

Morrie is a fountain of banalities. "Whenever people ask me about having children or not having children, I never tell them what to do." Why the fuck would he? He was a sociology professor, not Heinrich Himmler.

Wisdom is difficult to define but I think I know it when I see it. I ain't seeing it here.

PS: If I dated a girl who had this book on her bed table I would probably escape by jumping out her third story bathroom window. It would creep me out, like when that girl saw the fingernails on the wall in Silence of the Lambs.

PPS: I wrote this mainly to get a few laughs. If you don't think the review is funny, it may just mean that you are a normal, well-adjusted human being. People who write comedy aren't. Before you crucify me in the comments of this review, I suggest you read one of my reviews of a book that I loved. There are many. I'm not always cynical (skeptical).

Afterword Liz (Goodreads Friend) mentioned that Saint Mitch Albom is actually a full-blown asshole who is completely contemptuous of people with shitty, minimum wage jobs--a more accurate description is the working poor. How dare I have to repeat what I said to you about my coffee order! I don't care if you are distracted because you are worried sick because you don't have health care or a dental plan, and forget about making ends meet. Yes, the poor are to blame for the downfall of our republic, or whatever it is.
https://www.mitchalbom.com/certainly-... ...more

0

Apr 03, 2019

So i didn't realise this book was actually nonfiction until after i'd just finished reading it.. and now my feelings are all over the place!!
This was a beautiful story, I would definitely recommend reading it if you haven't already.

4

Jul 12, 2015

Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom
First Publication date: 1997. The story was later recreated by Thomas Rickman into a TV movie of the same name, directed by Mick Jackson, which aired on December 5, 1999 and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria. Tuesday's With Morrie examines the interactions and phenomena between the human experience of living and dying. A theme of personal transcendence appears for both characters: Morrie and Albom.
عنوانها: سه شنبه ها با موری؛ سه شنبه ها با موری، سه شنبه های به Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom
First Publication date: 1997. The story was later recreated by Thomas Rickman into a TV movie of the same name, directed by Mick Jackson, which aired on December 5, 1999 and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria. Tuesday's With Morrie examines the interactions and phenomena between the human experience of living and dying. A theme of personal transcendence appears for both characters: Morrie and Albom.
عنوانها: سه شنبه‌ ها با موری؛ سه شنبه‌ ها با موری، سه شنبه های به یاد ماندنی؛ سه شنبه‌ ها با موری، مرد پیر، مرد جوان و بزرگترین درس زندگی؛ سه شنبه‌ ها با موری، عاشقانه زیستن تا لحظه ی مرگ؛ نویسنده: میج آلبوم؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز دوازدهم ماه جولای سال 2008 میلادی
عنوان یک: سه شنبه‌ ها با موری؛ نویسنده: میج آلبوم؛ مترجم: مهدی قراچه داغی؛ ویراستار: شهلا ارژنگ؛ تهران، البرز، 1379، در 176 ص، شابک: 9644222554؛ موضوع: سرگذشتنامه، روابط استاد با شاگرد، دانشگاه براندیس، از نویسندگان امریکایی - سده 20 م
عنوان دو: سه شنبه‌ ها با موری، سه شنبه های به یاد ماندنی؛ نویسنده: میج آلبوم؛ مترجم: محمود دانایی؛ تهران، جیحون، 1379، در 191 ص؛ شابک: 9646534228؛
عنوان سه: سه شنبه‌ ها با موری، مرد پیر، مرد جوان و بزرگترین درس زندگی؛ نویسنده: میج آلبوم؛ مترجم: طاهره صدیقیان؛ تهران، نقطه، 1380، در 176 ص، شابک: 9645548810؛
عنوان چهار: سه شنبه‌ ها با موری، عاشقانه زیستن تا لحظه ی مرگ؛ نویسنده: میج آلبوم؛ مترجم: لیلی نوربخش؛ تهران، آیه مهر، 1382، در 207 ص، شابک: 9649375848؛
عنوان پنج: سه شنبه‌ ها با موری، مرد پیر، مرد جوان و بزرگترین درس زندگی؛ نویسنده: میج آلبوم؛ مترجم: ماندانا قهرمانلو؛ تهران، قطره، 1383، در 262 ص
عنوان شش: سه شنبه‌ها با موری، مرد پیر، مرد جوان و بزرگترین درس زندگی؛ نویسنده: میج آلبوم؛ مترجم: بهروز زارع؛ تهران، دانشگران محمود، 1387، در 173 ص، شابک: 9789647992305؛
عنوان هفت: سه شنبه‌ها با موری، عاشقانه زیستن تا لحظه ی مرگ؛ نویسنده: میج آلبوم؛ مترجم: لیلی نوربخش؛ تهران، تالیا، 1389، در 207 ص، شابک: 9786009036073؛
عنوان هشت: سه شنبه‌ها با موری؛ نویسنده: میج آلبوم؛ مترجم: ندا برزویی؛ تهران، نشرگستر، 1389، در 132 ص، شابک: 9789645544957؛
عنوان نهم: سه شنبه‌ها با موری؛ نویسنده: میج آلبوم؛ مترجم: محمود دانایی؛ قم، صبح صادق، 1392، در 191 ص؛ شابک: 9789648403992؛
عنوان دهم: سه شنبه‌ها با موری؛ نویسنده: میج آلبوم؛ مترجم: علیرضا نوری؛ تهران، آوای مکتوب، 1393، در 160 ص؛ شابک: 9786009402069؛
یک استاد پیر دانشگاه پروفسور «موری شوارتس»، در انتظار پیک مرگ، از شاگرد پیشین خویش (نویسنده ی کتاب) میخواهد: سه شنبه ها به دیدار استاد خویش برود، و گفتگوی دو نفره را یادداشت کند، داستان کتاب واقعی است. قهرمان اصلی داستان «موری» بیمار است، بیماری او بتدریج اعضای بدنش را از کار میاندازد، و باعث مرگ سلولی بافت‌ها، و ماهیچه‌ های بدن می‌گردد، «موری» مرگ را پذیرفته؛ او خواهد مرد، اما در واپسین روزهای زندگی می‌خواهد به کمال برسد
جملات برگزیده نقل از متن: درسته، من مربی تو میشم و تو میتونی بازیکن من باشی. تو میتونی تمام قسمتهای دلپذیر زندگی رو که من واسه انجام دادنش پیر هستم رو بازی کنی
وقتی مردن را می‌آموزی، زندگی کردن را یاد می‌گیری
تنها راه معنی دادن به زندگی این است که خودت را وقف دوست داشتن دیگران بکنی
مرگ زندگی را به پایان میرساند نه یک رابطه را
تو موج نیستی بلکه قسمتی از دریا هستی
اگر می‌خواهی برای آدم‌های طبقه بالا پز بدهی زحمت نکش. آن‌ها همیشه به نظر حقارت نگاهت می‌کنند. اگر هم می‌خواهی برای زیر دست‌هایت پز بدهی باز هم زحمت نکش چون فقط حسودی شان را تحریک می‌کنی. این نوع شخصیت کاذب تو را به جایی نمی‌رساند. فقط قلب باز است که به تو اجازه می‌دهد در چشم همه یک جور باشی
بعضی وقتها آدم نمی‌تواند به چشمهایش اعتماد کند. باید به احساساتش اعتماد کند. اگر می‌خواهی دیگران به تو اعتماد داشته باشند باید تو هم به آنها اعتماد داشته باشی. حتی در تاریکی مطلق. حتی وقتی داری می‌افتی
بسیاری از چیزها کشف شده‌ است بجز چگونه زیستن
پایان نقل. ا. شربیانی ...more

5

Feb 14, 2010

I have never written a review like this before but this book truly inspired me.

So I just finished reading "Tuesdays With Morrie". What a wonderful book, I couldn't put it down! I cannot even imagine going through the last stages of my own life and being as brave (for lack of a better word in my head right now) as Morrie. He was filled with such happiness and joy in his own life. He had regrets but realized that it is ok as long as you can reconcile with yourself in the end. I'm not the type of I have never written a review like this before but this book truly inspired me.

So I just finished reading "Tuesdays With Morrie". What a wonderful book, I couldn't put it down! I cannot even imagine going through the last stages of my own life and being as brave (for lack of a better word in my head right now) as Morrie. He was filled with such happiness and joy in his own life. He had regrets but realized that it is ok as long as you can reconcile with yourself in the end. I'm not the type of person to find quotes in the literature I read. However, as I turned page after page through this book and submersed myself into the text I was reading I found myself getting out of bed in the middle of the night to find some post-its only to tag so many different paragraphs and pages that inspired me or had me think about things in my own life.

The idea of detaching oneself from emotions just baffled me. I myself fell in love and was heart broken in the end. I felt, and sometimes still feel, that I never want to experience such pain and heartache again. But Morrie says it best "If you hold back on the emotions - if you don't allow yourself to go through them - you can never get to being detached, you're too busy being afraid. You're afraid of the pain, you're afraid of the grief. You're afraid of the vulnerability that loving entails. But by throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing your self to dive right in, all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely. You know what pain is. You know what love is. You know what grief is. And only then can you say, 'All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. Now I need to detach from that emotion for a moment.'" Who would have thought it is ok to show emotions as long as one does not stay with that emotion for too long.

Another quote that I find so enlightening... "In the beginning of life, when we are infants, we need others to survive, right? And at the end of life, when you get like me, you need others to survive right?... But here's the secret: in between, we need others as well." This line in the book had me stop and think about everything I have in my life rather than anything I am "missing" in life. WHy should we focus on not having that special someone when truly many of us have multiple people in our lives who care for us and will be there for us in the end. Although Morrie does go on to say that everyone should find that love to marry. But why do we need to? I know that there are people who would take care of me later in life. Those that will be there for me always. While I hope to find my "true love" I still am blessed for those I have met in the past to years. I am only ashamed that I never saw them sitting right there in front of me until I read this book. Thank you for being there for me everyone! And, I hope for many more days spent with all of you and even more people to share my life with. ...more

3

Jul 24, 2013

This is one of those books where I find myself agreeing with the five star reviews and the one star reviews with almost equal enthusiasm.

On one hand, it's the sweet story of a man as he reconnects with a former mentor/professor, who is facing a death sentence via ALS. It's obvious that Albom's "Tuesdays with Morrie" provided them both with something substantially satisfying. And that's inspiring and poignant.

Yet on the other hand, Albom's attempts to enlighten us transforms it into a "Hallmark" This is one of those books where I find myself agreeing with the five star reviews and the one star reviews with almost equal enthusiasm.

On one hand, it's the sweet story of a man as he reconnects with a former mentor/professor, who is facing a death sentence via ALS. It's obvious that Albom's "Tuesdays with Morrie" provided them both with something substantially satisfying. And that's inspiring and poignant.

Yet on the other hand, Albom's attempts to enlighten us transforms it into a "Hallmark" card on steroids, a rather dramatic and prolonged one that does little more to demystify the true meaning of life than offer up tired and somewhat ambiguous cliches like "love conquers all." Though an honorable sentiment, it's not markedly more substantive or instructive than the alternative, "life sucks and then you die."

Let's face it. Death scares the *%(^ out of most of us...as it should, especially when you consider that no one really knows what it's like to be dead, if it's like anything at all. Add to that the fact that in the grand scope of things we're all insignificant blimps/statistically insignificant(tens of thousands of people die every day around the world and yet most of their deaths go relatively unnoticed) and the glaring reality that it takes markedly more than "love" to make it through life, and these comforting cliches suddenly lose some of their "comfort."

However, that doesn't mean life has to be or feel meaningless, it simply means it is up to each of us to find and give our lives meaning...whatever that may mean.

Tuesdays with Morrie definitely encourages the reader to stop and think about what is important, yet falls short of providing any new insight into how one actually figures it out for themselves and/or how we reach that balance between living as if there is a tomorrow while simultaneously realizing that, at least for some us, there won't be.

Alas...3 stars. A book worth reading, but not a life-changing or even an attitude-changing one.

I should add that this book might hold more appeal to someone who,like Morrie, is coming to immediate terms with his own mortality as they may find inspiration in his personal story. ...more

2

Feb 03, 2008

Review inspired by Eddie Greenwell

Wisdom grows with age. But the development of wisdom also accelerates when mortality becomes clear. Mortality shined down on Morrie Schwartz, a happy not-quite-old man through a quick diagnosis of ALS – or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Morrie was a professor of sociology at Brandeis University; he dedicated his life to the study of individuals’ actions in their respective societies and together he and Mitch Albom wrote his final paper: a study of his life in his Review inspired by Eddie Greenwell

Wisdom grows with age. But the development of wisdom also accelerates when mortality becomes clear. Mortality shined down on Morrie Schwartz, a happy not-quite-old man through a quick diagnosis of ALS – or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Morrie was a professor of sociology at Brandeis University; he dedicated his life to the study of individuals’ actions in their respective societies and together he and Mitch Albom wrote his final paper: a study of his life in his society.

The framework for Albom and Morrie’s message of love and returning to what’s important is archetypal in world literature. The Bible, Koran and other religious books trumpet the theme that the relationships of familial love end up giving you ultimate joy in the end.

Literary fiction is a wonderful genre, but literary fiction shouldn’t tell the reader outright there is some lesson to be learned. It should be the same with non-fiction as well. In this story, the message is one of those direct, sappy ones: surround yourself with loved ones and know what is important, and don't get caught with money and business. We have heard that a million times! Worse, he doesn’t write it in a more creative way that we have heard it in the past.

The problem is that Tuesdays with Morrie seems like some kind of self help book. Albom needs to learn to give only the story and let the reader make of it what she wants. He shouldn’t preach to the reader, "I traded lots of dreams for a bigger paycheck" (p. 33). That is why his work comes across so sappy – one liners creep into the pages all over.

In comparing Tuesdays to Five People you Meet in Heaven, they make Albom look like a one-trick pony. Much of the content is the same. A character (Eddie in "Five People..." and Mitch in "Teusdays...") has a lesson he needs spelled out for them...and they cry...a lot. They don't just live the story, they take on the empty-headed-learning perspective. His characters don't bring much to the table, but seem naive and ignorant, without common sense. Along these lines, no character in good literature can just be told a lesson and then live it. For example, would A Christmas Carol really have been much of a story if the ghosts would have just sat down and talked to Ebenezer Scrooge—who is highly comparable to Mitch in this novel—and said "Hey, you work too much and you don't really enjoy life," and then Ebenezer just did it. No, Ebenezer had to live through the consequences of his lifestyle and then choose for himself. The best part of a great and lasting character, and the part that Albom severely misses out on, is the growing. A good character doesn't just get told and then accept. Albom's characters are spoon-fed quotes and lessons like children and the reader is supposed to buy it! Well, I don't. I need to learn human development, not be told how to develop.
To jazz Tuesdays up, give us more of Mitch's life as a reporter. Not just glimpses of and a complete summary (a literary no-no) of his life as a business man. Albom needs to take the time out to develop the friction between Mitch's life in Detroit and his life at Brandeis. The true beauty about this inherent conflict that most readers can identify with is that there is an allure to making all that money and living it up as a great sports writer as opposed to living with less money but happier. It is a more dynamic and relevant story and teaches more than Albom’s classroom environment.

Some of Morries lessons are inconsistent, and the reader must forget what Albom heralded at the beginning of the encounter. For example, Morrie was adamant at the beginning of the novel that he was not embarrassed about his humanity; he lived his own life without thinking about his stature, power or wealth. He claimed that one should never worry about what other people thought about him. Later in the book, after his ALS progressed, he complained about being embarrassed about how degenerate his body had become. He stopped letting visitors be with him much and identified that his biggest thorn was that the nurse had to help him with his intimate needs in the bathroom. These inconsistencies make the reader confused as to whether Morrie progressed and realized his humanity or truly lived out of the rat race.

If Albom has grown as an author, it is simply to write in such a sappy dramatic way that the general public eats it up, but does not digest. As he says in Tuesdays: "Yet they gave up days and weeks of their lives, addicted to someone else's drama" (42). Perhaps he should spend some time reading Hemmingway before his next novel, and really dig into the characters and conflicts.

The criticality of this novel stems from Albom’s desire that his audience think about and learn from the piece. It was too sappy to be taken seriously and truly learn from.


...more

5

Nov 02, 2018

‘A wrestling match.’
He laughs, ‘Yes, you could describe life that way.’
So which side wins, I ask?
Morrie smiles at me, the crinkled eyes, the crooked teeth.
‘Love wins. Love always wins.’
***

So who’s winning the wrestling match in YOUR life right now? Is it Love? Or is it his dark twin half-brothers, Anxiety and Hopelessness?

This wrestling match is REAL. I’m not making this up! Ordinary evil wants our soul. But so does LOVE.

As long as we live, our devils will try with all their might to show us ‘A wrestling match.’
He laughs, ‘Yes, you could describe life that way.’
So which side wins, I ask?
Morrie smiles at me, the crinkled eyes, the crooked teeth.
‘Love wins. Love always wins.’
***

So who’s winning the wrestling match in YOUR life right now? Is it Love? Or is it his dark twin half-brothers, Anxiety and Hopelessness?

This wrestling match is REAL. I’m not making this up! Ordinary evil wants our soul. But so does LOVE.

As long as we live, our devils will try with all their might to show us love is an illusion.

But it’s not. It’s real as sliced bread!

And the love of life is so palpable in Morris’s soul he’s determined not to give up an INCH of ground in Love’s fair land to the devils’ threats.

There’s a Spanish Train that runs to old Seville...
That train is right on time
Many souls are on the line -
Oh, Lord - DON’T let him win!

But Morrie says love ALWAYS wins, unlike old Chris de Burgh - though the singer’s got a point - but whatever way you slice it, the Struggle’s Real!

Morrie knows the goodness of love and he’s not going to sacrifice it to empty and vain promises of material gain.

His Faith is that love always wins - but everyday life is chock-a-block FULL of challenges that can set us right back to Square One of this Snakes ‘n Ladders game called Life!

Love always wins but its detours are always painful. You can never go back home right away once you’ve started one.

His life is thus inordinately VALUABLE to him. He KNOWS what a rare and wonderful chance he’s been given!

So he can’t flub his chance...

Have you read Kevin Kuhn’s WONDERFUL new feel-good fantasy Do You Realize?

You must get it!

In it, the urban seer Shiloh - inventor of a Time Machine that PROVES this point - tells the desolate hero George why life is so valuable:

“Have you heard of the Rare Earth hypothesis? ...what you learn is that the conditions of life are so precise that it’s almost impossible. You need the right kind of galaxy, in the right location, with the right orbit in that galaxy...

“...personally, I think we’re lucky to have ONE day here! And for those of us that have a lifetime, it’s like we hit the cosmic LOTTO.”

Kevin, that’s exactly the way Morrie sees it!

Even without Shiloh’s amazing Apple Watch Time Machine...

You know, it’s too bad they don’t make books like Morrie and Do You Realize into movies that’re every bit as good. Just too bad.

Books like this are soft and human. The Films, though, when they come out, are hard and edgy. Thank goodness we have our books!

Morrie is a guy you can wrap your imagination around, with the BOOK in your hand. It’s just like hugging the old guy.

He’s a beautiful old-timer, and our imagination can turn him into our own sentimental grandfather, if we like.

Or Uncle Billy in It’s A Wonderful Life (Frank Capra had no time for angst and edginess, either)!

Why does the modern world think it’s cool to be edgy?

Back in the war years, people were more concerned about being close to loved ones than with looking cool.

And Morrie knew that.

He grew up in those years. Love and decency were the hallmark of that time.

Young Mitch Albom - in his rôle in this novel - was right to give Morrie a slice of his life, and Morrie enjoyed it too. Because ALL old guys like talking to young kids who’ll listen.

Oh sure, my older friends love to tell their stories to me as well - but kids like Mitch can REALLY inspire us old guys, if we see they’re already making the right choices in life.

In spite of all those traps and snares around us!

And if we older readers have also successfully learned - like these kids - that life’s not a game, but a continual battle against malicious intent, then our life will be worthwhile too.

Just as MORRIE’s life was for him -

Because there was such real LOVE in it!

FIVE SURE STARS. ...more

5

Jan 25, 2011

I'd heard raves about "Tuesdays with Morrie," so I was went into this with high hopes due to hype,and this book delivered and enchanted me. It is truly a book about teaching and teachable moments. A book for anyone that is looking for something that can help him or her through life when it gets hard. "Tuesdays with Morrie" starts off as a teacher who watches his student, Mitch Albom, go through college and then later in life Mitch experiences this same teacher (or Coach, Morrie) struggle with a I'd heard raves about "Tuesdays with Morrie," so I was went into this with high hopes due to hype,and this book delivered and enchanted me. It is truly a book about teaching and teachable moments. A book for anyone that is looking for something that can help him or her through life when it gets hard. "Tuesdays with Morrie" starts off as a teacher who watches his student, Mitch Albom, go through college and then later in life Mitch experiences this same teacher (or Coach, Morrie) struggle with a life threatening disease.

After college Mitch Albom was wrapped up in material things and career concerns until he was reunited with his dying professor. Albom's time with Morrie Schwartz, before his death, is chronicled in this charming little book. The lessons might seem cliché or overdone in the hands of another writer; however, because Albom had such a close relationship with Morrie the professor's personality really comes through in the book. What might've been super sappy, and at sometimes it is a little bit, otherwise comes through with heartfelt meaning and the sincerity with which it was so lovingly passed on to Albom as he talked with his friend in his dying days. This book is not all heavy and filled with seriousness though, there's a great deal of humor in Morrie's attitude, lessons, and stories and I found myself laughing every now and then.

I rated this book a five out of five because I think it's a book that every person should read at some point in his or her life. Morrie helps you look at life from a different angle or with a different lens. Morrie makes you realize how good life really is, despite his condition, and how we should value our time on Earth. He speaks on death not being a bad thing, but a good thing especially if you have lived the life that you wanted to. When Morrie was dying he explained that everyone should do what they dream of doing, don't let life get in the way of things. Money, power, etc. All that stuff is a cultural blinder, and that we should make sure we get a chance to do all of the things that we want to before we die.

In addition to the great story, I was also impressed with the layout of the book. Albom intermingles old memories from his college days in Morrie's classes among the short chapters dealing with specific life lessons like aging, love, and death. This method of layout made for an engrossing, and very fast-moving read. I blew through the book in only a few hours and was completely satisfied with its well roundedness. There was laughter as well as tears, and I came away from the book feeling enriched. I had a couple friends say to me that they had to read this book in school, now after reading it I say, I wish I had this assigned to me, it was a great read. Funny that I finished this book on a Tuesday, Morrie would say, "we're Tuesday people."

"In the beginning of life, when we are infants, we need others to survive, right? And at the end of life, when you get like me, you need others to survive right?... But here's the secret: in between, we need others as well." - Morris Schwartz

"Have you ever really had a teacher? One who saw you as a raw but previous thing, a jewel that, with wisdom, could be polished to a proud shine? If you are lucky enough to find your way to such teachers, you will always find a way back. Sometimes it is only in your head. Sometimes it is right alongside their beds." - Mitch Albom
...more

5

Apr 05, 2017

"I looked at him. I saw all the death in the world. I felt helpless."

This book broke me.
It was raw, thought provoking, heart breaking and real.
Such a simple concept, a young man caught up in his busyness and business, competing to be the best in his job finds out that his old college professor is sick. And so begins a tale of regular meetings between Mitch and his old professor - Morrie.
I know this book wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but anything that makes me stop and think for a while "I looked at him. I saw all the death in the world. I felt helpless."

This book broke me.
It was raw, thought provoking, heart breaking and real.
Such a simple concept, a young man caught up in his busyness and business, competing to be the best in his job finds out that his old college professor is sick. And so begins a tale of regular meetings between Mitch and his old professor - Morrie.
I know this book wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but anything that makes me stop and think for a while and even tear up is what I love about reading.
As a memoir, you don't have to agree with everything they discuss, it's just beautiful to hear thoughts from someone facing the end and to be reminded of our own humanity and fleeting lives.
This book touched me, what else can I say? ...more

4

Jan 10, 2019

Morrie holds a dear place in my heart now. He reminds me of so many wonderful teachers I have had the chance to learn from and that have treated me like an adult even when I, myself, did not feel like one. There is so much humanity in this book, and yet I am not sad it is over, because life & love will go on...

4

May 13, 2018

Given the popularity of Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, I'm surprised I only just read it this week. It's been in my queue for years, but I never had a copy and for some reason, I just didn't buy it. Earlier this year, I found a copy on my apartment building's bookshelf, so I snatched it up and included it in my September TBR list. I enjoyed it a lot, but it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. Knowing how much you can take away from the messages, I ended up with 4.5 stars even though Given the popularity of Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, I'm surprised I only just read it this week. It's been in my queue for years, but I never had a copy and for some reason, I just didn't buy it. Earlier this year, I found a copy on my apartment building's bookshelf, so I snatched it up and included it in my September TBR list. I enjoyed it a lot, but it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. Knowing how much you can take away from the messages, I ended up with 4.5 stars even though part of me thought it could have pushed the envelope a bit more. Then again, it is almost 15 years old and this type of literature has only become popular in recent years. For its time (minimal social media or digital blogs!), it was pretty motivating.

Rather than critique the book, I've decided to focus more on the messages within it. Life is short. You should remember the valuable things when you're in the latter stages approaching death. Perhaps if you develop a terminal illness, you've been given an opportunity to squeeze in as much as possible before you do actually pass on. It seems odd to phrase it in such a manner, but rather than just die unexpectedly, you have a rough time period in your head... you can try to achieve a few goals and make whatever changes you can before it's too late. Of course, a terminal illness comes with extraordinarily negative impacts, but I'd prefer to focus on the benefits you can reap from the messages in such a book.

It's not important how clean your house is, tho I often obsess over it. It doesn't matter if you traveled the world and saw amazing things when you don't have anyone you love by your side. And you're not gonna focus on the little things in those last few moments. So make the most of it... find people you care for and share your feelings. That's basically the gist of the autobiographical work on a very cursory level. Albom goes back and forth between his younger days with Morrie and his older days with Morrie, and as readers, we see the change in him across time.

I kinda feel like this was one big way to accomplish a goal, but we can also implement his ideas in smaller form across each day. That's where I found the greatest lessons in his words. I'm on a kick to read a few more of his books this fall, too. ...more

5

May 16, 2014

* Reread

"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 to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."


Whenever someone asks me to tell them my favorite books of all time, I always put this book at * Reread

"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 to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."


Whenever someone asks me to tell them my favorite books of all time, I always put this book at the top of the list. I blame but thank this book for becoming the reader that I am today and even though this book drowned me in a pool of tears...



this is still one of my most inspiring reads. ^^ Reading this book was like taking a complete course on life and living and there is no better life coach than Morrie. This may sound exaggerated but I felt like I became a different person and a better one at that after reading this.

I thank Mitch Albom for sharing not only his special gift in writing, but also his incredible experience as one of Morrie's students. This is honest to goodness the book that literally changed my life and I will be forever grateful. <3 <3 <3 ...more

4

May 18, 2016

Tuesdays with Morrie is about death, but what we learn about is much more than the loss of dying but it is about love and friendship. Mitch Albom met with his dying mentor once a week and rediscovered in his last months a person he had lost contact with. This is a tale of life, even if we have to die.

For those dealing with any kind of loss, I recommend Tuesdays with Morrie, a story of someone that was able to deal relatively well with the devastation of ALS. When I read it, I had just lost my Tuesdays with Morrie is about death, but what we learn about is much more than the loss of dying but it is about love and friendship. Mitch Albom met with his dying mentor once a week and rediscovered in his last months a person he had lost contact with. This is a tale of life, even if we have to die.

For those dealing with any kind of loss, I recommend Tuesdays with Morrie, a story of someone that was able to deal relatively well with the devastation of ALS. When I read it, I had just lost my father from this terrible disease, and reading it was beautiful, comforting, and touching.

“The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”

“Be compassionate," Morrie whispered. And take responsibility for each other. If we only learned those lessons, this world would be so much better a place."
He took a breath, then added his mantra: "Love each other or die.” ...more

5

Oct 05, 2018

Thought provoking and uplifting. The author does a marvelous job of writing as well as reading. Audiobook includes some of his actual sound recordings with Morrie.

4

Sep 16, 2016

Tuesday with Morrie
Well this book is:
Simple yet compelling,
Quick read yet thought-provoking,
Saddening yet heartening,
Short yet long lasting.

Not reviewing this book critically, this is perfect and complete in the style, it's written.
Truly inspirational real life story of Professor Morrie Schwartz albeit carrying a life changing message for all.
Precisely this book has something for everyone.
A must read.

5

Dec 17, 2017

“The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”

I love this book so much.
This is the first time i really want to just go buy a book and give it as a gift to others.
So grateful i finally picked this one up.
Honestly, i didn’t expect it to be this good. Turns out It touches my heart.
While reading, It’s like you’re sitting, listening and learning from Morrie as well.
It’s easy to get into the story and be connected with.
Those are valuable time Mitch (the author) felt spending “The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”

I love this book so much.
This is the first time i really want to just go buy a book and give it as a gift to others.
So grateful i finally picked this one up.
Honestly, i didn’t expect it to be this good. Turns out It touches my heart.
While reading, It’s like you’re sitting, listening and learning from Morrie as well.
It’s easy to get into the story and be connected with.
Those are valuable time Mitch (the author) felt spending with his beloved coach and so i, while reading it, feel just the same.
It’s kinda like a simple story but one that we’re all needed the most.
This book covered all the major thing that matters in life and i’m so grateful for the author for writing and sharing the story with us.
I’d say this book is so meaningful it warms my heart. It teaches me and reminds me of some important stuffs. So beautiful and valuable.
I can’t help but love and want to say thanks to Morrie as well. ❤️ ...more

1

Aug 01, 2007

I'm ashamed to own that I've read this. All I can say is: I did it for a good cause. That is, to promote reading in general (for a library talk).

Mawkishly sentimental (here I am, trying to wipe off the stale stench of yesterday's coffee mornings) and terribly trite.

Any person leaning to the left should, or would, recognise what Mitch is talking about. It isn't that Morrie is talking shit. He isn't. However, I think it's terribly ironic that such a venture (it screams "self-help" and "it will I'm ashamed to own that I've read this. All I can say is: I did it for a good cause. That is, to promote reading in general (for a library talk).

Mawkishly sentimental (here I am, trying to wipe off the stale stench of yesterday's coffee mornings) and terribly trite.

Any person leaning to the left should, or would, recognise what Mitch is talking about. It isn't that Morrie is talking shit. He isn't. However, I think it's terribly ironic that such a venture (it screams "self-help" and "it will touch you!") has been undertaken by Mitch. I bet ol' Morrie is really angry now. It's like encouraging capitalism by using Marx.... The stuff in there, about wanting money etc, it's all in Marx....

Here's my tip: ditch the book and either meet Morrie (impossible) or read Marx or any other Marxist (recommended). Even Morrie's essays presumably, if available, would probably be a good read. It's Mitch that's the problem, the money-grubbing critter that he is.

PS as an aside it's sad to note how things that start off really radical get co-opted in the most tragi-comic ways possible... ...more

5

Jan 20, 2017

I have been hearing about this book for many years and when I came across it at work yesterday I thought I would take a look. Once I started reading I found it very hard to put away.

I finished Tuesday with Morrie tonight and spent a good part of it crying my heart out. This book touch me in away that I never thought possible and will take the lesson away that Morrie told Mitch:
1) Love your family and friend.
2) Don't be afraid to show your emotional side to people.
3) Live your life and never I have been hearing about this book for many years and when I came across it at work yesterday I thought I would take a look. Once I started reading I found it very hard to put away.

I finished Tuesday with Morrie tonight and spent a good part of it crying my heart out. This book touch me in away that I never thought possible and will take the lesson away that Morrie told Mitch:
1) Love your family and friend.
2) Don't be afraid to show your emotional side to people.
3) Live your life and never hold on to hate or pain.
4) Don't get taking in my what's hot know and the need to have the news thing.

I looking forward to reading more books by Mitch Albom and will be buying my own copy of Tuesday with Morrie for my own library collection.
...more

4

Jan 29, 2016

Tuesdays with Morrie is like a reality TV show in that the characters and conversations are biographical; the conversations with Morrie were recorded. In the book, a student accidentally learns that his favorite professor is dying (16 years after graduating college) from ALS. Because dying from ALS is protracted, Morrie gets to philosophize about living, and the student is once again a student. We become Morrie's students too. This time the course is not sociology but life itself.



The book Tuesdays with Morrie is like a reality TV show in that the characters and conversations are biographical; the conversations with Morrie were recorded. In the book, a student accidentally learns that his favorite professor is dying (16 years after graduating college) from ALS. Because dying from ALS is protracted, Morrie gets to philosophize about living, and the student is once again a student. We become Morrie's students too. This time the course is not sociology but life itself.



The book contains Morrie's wisdom as he ponders what's really important in life while at the edge of death. Old people used to be revered for their wisdom. These days, youth is revered and old people are just broken down bodies. This book is about being dazzled by the wisdom of an older man. Many times we are. For example, one of Morrie's gems is, "Death ends a life but not a relationship."

All of us speculate what life is about, what our purpose is in it and what is truly important. This book provides one set of answers. What keeps us reading given we know how the book will end? We're all on a course to death's door and at the end we'd all like to say that we lived a life that was well spent. So, we read in order to benefit from Morrie's wisdom.

There's no plot or drama; just a series of 14 interviews with Morrie before he passes. Each interview covers a different side of life, e.g., money, relationships, and common life mistakes we all tend to make.

Over the course of the book, we fall in love with Morrie's courage and positivism in the face of the horrific, debilitating effects of ALS. Because he is face to face with the certainty of death, each day he's more alive--until his body simply gives out. We grieve with the student over Morrie's passing and feel better having known him. Each reader takes away a different collection of Morrie's gems to use in his/her own life. Morrie wanted to be known and remembered. He and his wisdom are. Death did end Morrie's life but not our relationship with him. ...more

5

Apr 10, 2008

This book was very enlightening. I enjoyed Morrie's perspectives on life and death. I hope that I can take a little bit of his attitude and apply it in my own life. This was a quick read and so worth my time. I was very touched.

3

Jul 29, 2018

The other day I was watching Morrie's interview with Ted on youtube. Of course I was touched. It was overwhelming to witness a man talk about death while on his deathbed himself. But that was that. The things that he said or the ideas that Mitch tried to convey through his writing may seem quite captivating when one is younger but as one nears the mid age, these ideas are imbibed through experience. No book can teach wisdom or humility better than life itself.

2

Apr 21, 2013

Of all the glorious books out there my school could have picked for ninth grade literature class...

In the words of Marcus Aurelius, "Despise not death, but welcome it, for nature wills it like all else." That’s one significant message Mitch Albom tries to convey to us readers in this emotional ride. ‘Tries’ not quite being the key word, but even so, eliciting only limited success. More on that later ahead. Tuesdays With Morrie depicts the moving relationship between the author and his former Of all the glorious books out there my school could have picked for ninth grade literature class...

In the words of Marcus Aurelius, "Despise not death, but welcome it, for nature wills it like all else." That’s one significant message Mitch Albom tries to convey to us readers in this emotional ride. ‘Tries’ not quite being the key word, but even so, eliciting only limited success. More on that later ahead. Tuesdays With Morrie depicts the moving relationship between the author and his former professor, Morrie Schwartz. It delves into the strong bond they begin to develop over time, as Mitch shares Morrie’s lasting gift with the universe…

( ooooooh )

The book circulates around various sentimental themes: love, family, friends, relationships, happiness and death, expressed through Morrie’s personal experience. In terms of language and style of writing, Mitch likes to keep it simplistic and casual, so to say, but maintains that sombre mood surrounding his teacher’s demise. We can see that he’s supportive of him and his ideals, curious to learn more. But it’s hard to forget about the tragedy that is bound to come, is it not? Some readers will become attached to Morrie and mourn over his departure, but the hopes he gives them from his teachings is enough to satisfy and not leave you in an emotional wreck. Notice how I say some and not all— now despite the generally morbid theme concerning Morrie’s impending death, the presence of aphorisms and anecdotes manage to make the situation more acceptable and less heartbreaking. Mr. Albom successfully lightens the mood throughout the book, but unfortunately ends up overdoing it a bit (okay, a lot). At least in my opinion. Now this is where the problems begin to sprout.

The way Morrie finds the best in his sufferings and shares his knowledge of the world should make us experience the urge to adapt that into our own lifestyle. Granted, that impulse might stay there for a couple days, but it utterly fails to leave a permanent mark upon me. The whole plotline is presented in such a drastically sappy manner that it makes you feel like you’re reading a compilation of those cheesy motivational wall decors everyone detests in the form of a 192-paged, overly hyped ‘bestseller.’ In his attempt to avoid a depressing atmosphere, Mitch overflows his novel with excessive words of wisdom imparted through a rare 79-year old; words that I’m sure all of us have heard one too many times, and presented in a rather unoriginal fashion. So why should this spontaneously change our views on living any differently?

I am well aware of the fact that this was published over a decade ago, and not having read many -or any- other similar non-fictional books along this vein, I wouldn’t really know if Tuesdays was a burst of something fresh back in its day. But even if it wasn’t a considered a cliché when it was first released, the fact that we are expected to finally understand the deep meanings of life and have it create an impact is far beyond unrealistic. What I did understand was that the criticality of this novel stems from Albom’s desire for his audience to think about and learn from the piece (like so many others). Alas, his intentions to bestow a load of inspiration upon us only resulted in making you eat it up, but not fully digest it.

In conclusion, I wouldn’t recommend this particular book for anyone facing troubles in their life (aka everyone), but who knows? Maybe I’m just an extremely pessimistic critic over the issue and this jumble of typical, wise quotes might end up inspiring you, if only just a tad bit. Being an avid reader of fantasy books, it is only once in a blue moon that I find myself indulging in a spiritual book such as this one, but it saddens me to say that Tuesdays With Morrie has turned out to be one of the least influential books I’ve read among others.

(Why yes, this is, in fact, my school essay because I'm too lazy to rant over it again Goodreads style :P) ...more