My rating: 3 out of 5
Book review:
Tuesdays with Morrie is a short read, so even if you may avoid this book because it is a Coelho-soapy-easy kind of thing, it is worth the time reading it. The truths revealed here are not new or mind-blowing truths, they won't throw you in a state of deep thinking and wondering, but they are a nice reminder of some simple realities we don't think about so much anymore, because we are too busy to pursue our own happiness.
I liked that such an emphasis was put on love, as I believe it's true us humans have become more and more egotist and self-centered. We want to be happy and we want our lives to have a meaning, so we hope to acquire these through various objects and persons. We take and take but we forget to give. I truly believe we could be happier if we would be more compassionate, loving and caring towards people around us. It's what my mother tells me all the time: "You must always find love in your heart for the people around you". But it's damn hard sometimes...
I am still young at 31, so all that talk about death didn't bother me, but I suppose it was not such a fun read for elderly people. I may be mistaken, actually I'm quite interested to hear honest opinions from older readers. As for me, I sometimes think about death and try not to be scared of it, I try not to care, but I'm still young, so I can't have a realistic approach towards it. I am aware that, if I knew I would die in a couple of months, my life would take a different turn - for one thing, I would stop worrying so much about making money. So yes, I totally agree that we often don't lead our lives the way we want to, so it's a good thing to ask ourselves from time to time if there's something we want to change.
The other thing I liked being reminded of is to think for oneself, to make one's own culture with your one's guidelines. Morrie says young people are ignorant, but he doesn't mention that ignorance can be a bliss for many, as they are not compelled to think about the truths of this world and to search beyond the guidelines imposed by our society.
What I didn't like about the book was the overall building of the plot and the details about Morrie's suffering, which sometimes were too specific (like describing his phlegm). There was also too much emphasis on his need of "touching and handling" and all those accounts of their physical contact, which made me feel somehow uncomfortable.
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