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663 reviews for:
The Motorcycle Diaries: A Journey Around South America
Ernesto Che Guevara, Ernesto Che Guevara
3.67 AVERAGE
663 reviews for:
The Motorcycle Diaries: A Journey Around South America
Ernesto Che Guevara, Ernesto Che Guevara
3.67 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
An edited version of this article was first published as Book Review: The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara on Blogcritics.org.
I rarely pick up non-fiction. And whenever I do, it's usually a hit-or-miss, I either like it or hate it. I have this idea that most of the non-fiction I have read, especially memoirs, are books that didn't sit well with me. However, I decided to give the genre another chance, and after reading this book, I am glad that I did.
So what is this book about?
This is the diary of the Argentine doctor and revolutionary, Ernesto Guevara, more known by his nickname of 'Che', as he traveled around South America with his friend Alberto Granado, using a motorcycle. The travel was done in 1951-52, leaving from Argentina, crossing the Andes to the other side in Chile, then heading up to Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. Along the way, Che experiences several facets of life in South America that later on shapes his revolutionary outlook in life.
As I was reading this, I cannot help but make comparisons to another travelogue that I have read recently, and that was Jack Kerouac's On The Road. I have read this travelogue a few months ago, when I was in Mexico. And at that time, I wasn't impressed. This time, I loved what I read. And perhaps the only way I can review this book properly is by comparing it to something else.
First, it helped that I was quite familiar with the places that were mentioned in the book. Reading about Che's impressions of Cuzco made me nostalgic about the place. And judging from what he wrote, it seems that little has changed in that corner of Peru. The fact that I have been to Saqsayhuaman, Tambomachay, and other places that he has mentioned while traveling in the Sacred Valley definitely helped in appreciating this work. Perhaps that is one factor why I liked this travelogue better than On The Road, in that this one focused a lot more on the scenery and the local culture.
Second, I appreciated the gradual mental change that was reflected in Che's writing. He has a middle-class rather affluent background, and here he was, faced with the grim realities of South America. He encounters indigenous peoples such as the Aymara, the Quechua, and the Yagua who live in the interior, and witnesses the poor realities that these people face. He also encounters a leper colony and sees the unlucky situation that they are in. This gradually molds his thinking into Marxism, as evident in his prose. The final sentence especially illustrates this, when he proclaims that he is sacrificing himself to the authentic revolution, bracing his body, ready for combat, as the bestial howl of the victorious proletariat resounds with new vigor and hope. It was quite an idealistic ending.
Personally, I am not sold to the idea of Marxism and Communism, as I feel that humans are inherently selfish. This I think is the one general flaw which makes the idea of Communism a failure. Looking back at history, we see how several Communist states became corrupt; it was never a utopian state where everything is equal. However, I can also see Che's point of view. If you're on the bottom end of the social spectrum, you would wish that life were a little bit easier, hoping that the the riches those bourgeoisie enjoy would trickle down to your own plate. That's the hope. Alas, it is easier said than done.
Perhaps, it is because this is more than just a travelogue, that I personally liked it more than On The Road. As much as I love travel, this book gave me more; it gave me access to the mind of one significant character in history. It may have been a short book (it is just around 150 pages long), but it packs a very mean and voluminous punch. 5 out of 5 stars.
See my other book reviews here.
I rarely pick up non-fiction. And whenever I do, it's usually a hit-or-miss, I either like it or hate it. I have this idea that most of the non-fiction I have read, especially memoirs, are books that didn't sit well with me. However, I decided to give the genre another chance, and after reading this book, I am glad that I did.
So what is this book about?
This is the diary of the Argentine doctor and revolutionary, Ernesto Guevara, more known by his nickname of 'Che', as he traveled around South America with his friend Alberto Granado, using a motorcycle. The travel was done in 1951-52, leaving from Argentina, crossing the Andes to the other side in Chile, then heading up to Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. Along the way, Che experiences several facets of life in South America that later on shapes his revolutionary outlook in life.
As I was reading this, I cannot help but make comparisons to another travelogue that I have read recently, and that was Jack Kerouac's On The Road. I have read this travelogue a few months ago, when I was in Mexico. And at that time, I wasn't impressed. This time, I loved what I read. And perhaps the only way I can review this book properly is by comparing it to something else.
First, it helped that I was quite familiar with the places that were mentioned in the book. Reading about Che's impressions of Cuzco made me nostalgic about the place. And judging from what he wrote, it seems that little has changed in that corner of Peru. The fact that I have been to Saqsayhuaman, Tambomachay, and other places that he has mentioned while traveling in the Sacred Valley definitely helped in appreciating this work. Perhaps that is one factor why I liked this travelogue better than On The Road, in that this one focused a lot more on the scenery and the local culture.
Second, I appreciated the gradual mental change that was reflected in Che's writing. He has a middle-class rather affluent background, and here he was, faced with the grim realities of South America. He encounters indigenous peoples such as the Aymara, the Quechua, and the Yagua who live in the interior, and witnesses the poor realities that these people face. He also encounters a leper colony and sees the unlucky situation that they are in. This gradually molds his thinking into Marxism, as evident in his prose. The final sentence especially illustrates this, when he proclaims that he is sacrificing himself to the authentic revolution, bracing his body, ready for combat, as the bestial howl of the victorious proletariat resounds with new vigor and hope. It was quite an idealistic ending.
Personally, I am not sold to the idea of Marxism and Communism, as I feel that humans are inherently selfish. This I think is the one general flaw which makes the idea of Communism a failure. Looking back at history, we see how several Communist states became corrupt; it was never a utopian state where everything is equal. However, I can also see Che's point of view. If you're on the bottom end of the social spectrum, you would wish that life were a little bit easier, hoping that the the riches those bourgeoisie enjoy would trickle down to your own plate. That's the hope. Alas, it is easier said than done.
Perhaps, it is because this is more than just a travelogue, that I personally liked it more than On The Road. As much as I love travel, this book gave me more; it gave me access to the mind of one significant character in history. It may have been a short book (it is just around 150 pages long), but it packs a very mean and voluminous punch. 5 out of 5 stars.
See my other book reviews here.
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I borrowed this one from my Uruguayan socialist friend, a big panamericanist. They are not so different from Che, in many ways. I enjoyed this as a (para)social interaction.
Too many boring pseudo-historical descriptions, not enough youthful delinquicy.
3.5
It's a good read. One of the best travelogues of South America.
It's a good read. One of the best travelogues of South America.
Como el mismo Guevara admite, no queda tan claro si estas notas constan de descripciones objetivas de momentos vividos, o de reconstrucciones idealizadas de los mismos. Lo que sí es evidente es que estos son diarios personales cuyo autor no los escribió con la intención de que fueran recopiladas y editadas. Por ejemplo, Guevara y su compañero Granado se van de Perú y de golpe llegan a Venezuela. O no escribió nada Guevara cuando estaba en Colombia, o las notas de esa etapa del viaje se han extraviado. Sea lo que sea la explicación por la falta de estos trechos de la travesía en esta edición de las notas, sufre la narrativa. Sin embargo, es muy evidente—tal vez demasiado—la conversión del joven Ernesto en "el Che". El último capítulo de estas notas, titulado "Acotación al margen", se trata de la lucha gloriosa del proletariado mundial, y a mi parecer tiene más que ver con lo escatológico (en el sentido religioso de la palabra) que lo político.
El Ernesto Guevara de estas notas es un criollo privilegiado, apenas descubriendo las inequidades que existían (y que aún existen) en este continente americano. Es patente que no estaba consciente ni siquiera de sus propios prejuicios; quedan algunos pasajes con un racismo que desazona, particularmente en cuanto a la población afrovenezolana. El machismo también vetea a veces su escritura.
Vale la pena leer estos diarios, teniendo en cuenta lo que son: notas de tan solo un viaje de América Latina, representando tan solo una perspectiva.
El Ernesto Guevara de estas notas es un criollo privilegiado, apenas descubriendo las inequidades que existían (y que aún existen) en este continente americano. Es patente que no estaba consciente ni siquiera de sus propios prejuicios; quedan algunos pasajes con un racismo que desazona, particularmente en cuanto a la población afrovenezolana. El machismo también vetea a veces su escritura.
Vale la pena leer estos diarios, teniendo en cuenta lo que son: notas de tan solo un viaje de América Latina, representando tan solo una perspectiva.
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism
Minor: Homophobia, Torture, Excrement, Antisemitism
Worth the read if you're interested in Che Guevara
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
Cue Guevara is a charming writer but the book is too brief ot feel worth while