Reading: Tuesdays with Morrie

Author:Mitch Albom

Plot: This novel is conversation between a dying professor and his student. Morrie Schwartz, a professor is suffering from a serious illness which has no available cure. He is sure to die. But instead of losing hope and dying as a defeated person, he decides to use remaining life helping others and himself and thus dying a satisfying death. Here he gives Mitch, an old student from college, lessons on life,death,family,etc.

My Views: A well written novel with a very good setting. Author has tried hard to extract emotions out of reader, with vivid description of Morrie's deteriorating condition, childhood flashbacks,etc., but sadly enough fails. Most of what is written comes out as "philosophical" and hence cliche. But then this is what philosophy is all about,it always seems cliche till the point one day one of those off-heard "philosophical dialogues" becomes an epiphany and then your world changes. All these self-help and motivational books, catharsis classes, etc start making sense and the general gyaan about life and death becomes part of your daily dose. You start empathising with a dying soul appearing on a talk show, cry as he/she tells the story of his/her life, laugh at his so-called-jokes and so on.

But i guess i am far from that stage as of now.Morrie tried and succeeded in getting tears out of Mitch,but Mitch couldn't get one out of my eye.

My learning from this book was the realisation of my teacher, someone who teaches you a lesson in life that you never forget or never want to forget. Right from the start of this novel, i knew who the real teacher in my life is. In case you haven't realised till date who your teacher is, may be while reading this book you will.