The Kea

I read this book for the read-a-thon and now I am finally getting around to reviewing it. School is done and with only 2 finals left to go I feel like I can spare some time to write a few reviews.

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom is a non-fiction book and is based on experiences in Albom’s life. I was actually unaware of the fact that the book was non-fiction. If you’re going to read it, be prepared. By that I mean, make sure you are ready to shed a few tears, but also be prepared to feel a bit shaken by the whole topic of the book.

The book recounts the time that Albom spends with his old professor, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease and is dying. There’s of course a lot of bits and pieces of wisdom about relationships and that comes mostly from Mitch Albom’s realizations throughout his experience. But there’s also a whole lot in the book about death and dying. And it shook me up a bit. I’m young and Morrie is old, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that anyone is vulnerable, no one is immune. It’s easy to go from day to day and not even stop to think about that. And this book certainly makes you think.
I liked the book because it’s very raw and real and I think Morrie was tremendously courageous and he definitely taught Albom a lot.
But I disliked Albom as narrator and as Morrie’s student/friend. The story isn’t his own. And however much of Morrie shines through the book, it came off to me as being a little bit self-indulgent on Albom’s part.
Although he does redeem himself since he does point out his own flaws throughout the book. I still couldn’t help being bothered by him.
I like reading the book because it was so simple and although I didn’t agree with everything Morrie said and talked about, I believe a lot of what he said has a lot of weight and a lot of importance. Morrie was very down to earth and no doubt everyone could take a little from this book and all of the pearls of wisdom inside of it.
Still, it was very sad, and I really hate being sad and depressed.
And though it was a very inspiring account, I don’t think many people will come away from it really feeling changed, and I disagree with the fact that people do turn to books to change themselves.
I remember a couple who came to our bookstore a while ago and were raving about ‘The Secret’. They went on and on about how they were changed by it. And how now they’re nicer people to everyone. They attributed their kind-ness to a book. I find that kind of sad and disgusting. You should not need a book to become a decent person. You should be able to arrive at that through time and through life experience.
I don’t think that is the aim of Albom’s book at all. But I think some people have taken it like that. Just like the “Last Lecture” was perceived in that way. Albom was simply telling a story, a story that may wake some people up, may affect us in some ways, but reading it shouldn’t be the moment of your life where you decide to be ‘good’ or ‘kind’.
There are things you can take from the book though. But you have to realize that although Morrie’s words are so amazing and the way he acts in the face of death is quite fantastic too, we do see his weaknesses which makes him so much more tangible and real. And I loved that. Albom didn’t paint him as a perfect being. Who would be able to feel connected to a perfect being in any way?
Also, there’s the fact that what he says to Albom and what he tells him with regards to life and basically all the things he says with regards to ’seizing the day’, this is all coming from the mouth of someone who is already dying, who doesn’t have much of an opportunity do to that anymore or at least a very small opportunity. That’s something that also stood out to me, but Albom doesn’t really talk about that fact.

Anyhow, it’s a book worth reading. It’s also a quick read which is nice.

Tuesdays With Morrie
Author: Mitch Albom
1997, 192 pages
rating: 3.5/5