The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey (The Che Guevara Library)

I loved this book for many reasons, and strongly recommend it. It attracted me because I have just traveled to Cuba, and had been to many of the other countries and places listed in this book. The idea of a man getting up one day with a close friend and spontaneously deciding to set off on a continental motorcycle tour was also appealing because of the adventure and travel aspects. This book exceeded all the expectations I had for it. Che Guevara’s writing style is unlike anything i had read before. The artful, beautiful way he describes everything from landscapes to his patients makes the reader feel like they are living the experiences he is, sometimes in a deeper way than the reader may have experienced themselves. Che dives into each topic or picture he sees with great emotion and personal opinion while at the same time leaving some space for the readers opinions and ideas to take form. You get the historical sense of what is being observed, with facts provided (the architechture and stories behind the churches in Lima and Cuzco) while at the same time getting Che's somewhat romanticized take on it. There is a great amount of action- (for example the dog scene, the boat scene, and motorcycle breakdowns), contrasted with the demonstration of the social problems of Latin America (racism, poverty, indecent health care). It is fascinating to see Che develop as a social being, and to see how he transforms from a freshly graduated medical student to an iconic revolutionary, while also seeing the primary discussions evolve from strictly landscapes to issues and people stories much like HONY. I read this book for an english class assignment, and have already found myself recommending it to others multiple times. I think its interesting to have read if you are following USA/Cuba relations right now.

What I really liked about Che Guevara's adventure was the insight into how his political beliefs developed. His voyage took him through some of the poorest areas of South America and you can actually feel his mind working through the injustices he witnessed. Unfortunately, this is what bogged down the book just a bit for me. I went in expecting a fun motorcycle adventure, but found a bit more social and political commentary, and not enough motorcycle. As a matter of fact, the motorcycle itself isn't even present through a lot of the book. Still, it's well written (though not perfectly translated) and was certainly an enjoyable read. I understand a bit more about Guevara after reading this and he was certainly an interesting person. -Ed Caggiani, Translator of Tracks and Horizons: 26 Countries on a Motorcycle

A great interpretation of Che Guevara's adventure in S. American . He was a caring young man!

"Motorcycle Diaries" fashions itself as a road trip buddy comedy. Ernesto Guevara is an Argentinean medical student in 1952. Instead of finishing his last semester at school, he, along with his bio-chemist friend Alberto climb on to a broken down Norton 500 motorcycle and tour South America. The trip is meant to free the human spirit within them, which in young person terms means to find as many women as they can. Only they learn much more about the way of the land than they probably expect too. They come across peasants and poverty stricken farmers muscled off of their land by the rich. They also experience such injustice firsthand as they are turned away for having no money. Seeing the harsh realities; no longer is Ernesto thinking of becoming the doctor his family and he wanted him to be. He is more confused and up in the air about the direction his life should take. As he says at the end of the film, "This story is not about heroic feats. It's about two lives running parallel for a while." One life is becoming a doctor, while the other is becoming a freedom fighter. This book is not about a revolutionary or a doctor; instead it is a coming of age story about a complex young man finding his idealism. You see the seeds of change and the humanitarian good nature and think that maybe this guy could have been more than what he became. This story has a resemblance to the "Epic of Gilgamesh" and "The Odyssey" but it is not a fiction; but a tale of a real journey.

Perfect

This is a sketchy and superficial book overall, at times reading like a travel brochure. Things don’t really come to life, perhaps they do in the movie, but it is mildly interesting. It ends with a revolutionary coda that seems tacked on and incongruous, not to mention rodomontade and somewhat hokey. A book to break up more substantive reading.

Seen the movie long before the book, but this book was very interesting to see how Che's thoughts began to form before he became only known as Che. Pictures in the centre were an added bonus. It's a quick read with concise notes (they are journal notes afterall), and it gave me a greater understanding and feeling of compassion for Ernesto Guevara - someone who I didn't know a lot about and in the USA you hear about how bad he is. Good thing I live in Canada, with an open mind.

Interesting perspective on some of the formative years of Che and life in South American during the early 20th century. Good perspective on some of that idealism that humanity had during the age of modernism. Interesting to see someone attempt to reconcile the mind and feelings into one human experience. This reconciliation stands in stark contrast to the life of feelings worshiped by post modern youth today. A great window into an interesting life!

非常に良心的な対応で助かりました。また機会があれば利用したいです。

More interesting for whom wrote it than the insights of the places he visits or the man himself; other than to note that these life experiences contributed to his later world and specifically Latin American view.

I received the book without plastic wrap and it was used and I had received a same book before and it was cropped and I returned it

Very exalted after watching "The Motorcycle Diaries", I decided to buy the book and read it. For me Che Guevara was an inspirational figure, since, I watched a documentary on him when I was a child. Obviously I am entranced by the book but I will write this review as honestly as possible. It is like a travelogue which is a little vague on the places and a little study of the map of South America would greatly help in admiring the beauty described in the book. But as you will read you will observe that the narrator is drifting, here and there, towards the plight of indigenous people and also providing historical details of place. Sure the marks of future revolutionary can be clearly seen. While you are reading try to live their experiences, imagine them happening to you, dream that you are on a similar adventure, if you live in a post-colonial country then try to understand your people's past, then ask the question - Will you try such a travel again? Compare your answer with future endeavors of Che and you will understand my rating, as you may understand my answer. I am confident that you cannot finish this book without admiring the beautiful phrases in which he share his visions, knowing the future of the writer greatly helps in understanding those lines which, rather subliminal at first, fill you with wonder.

Una narrativa trascendental de la juventud del Che, sus viajes de su natal Argentina hasta Centro América. Las premisas indiscutibles sobre el origen ideológico de su inquietante vida revolucionaria que llegó a redimir.