The Motorcycle Diaries Book Review
As his journey progresses, Guevara’s voice seems to deepen, to darken, colored by what he witnesses in his travels. He is still poetic, but now he comments on what he sees, though still poetically, with a new awareness of the social and political ramifications of what’s going on around him.
The Synopsis
The Motorcycle Diaries is a posthumous memoir based on the diary entries of Ernesto “Che” Guevara. This autobiography is widely regarded as Guevara’s coming-of-age book.
The plot follows Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado, who embarked on an adventure of a lifetime on a 500cc Norton bike, La Poderosa II. For Che, this would mark the beginning of an epic adventure that would go on to define his legacy.
The duo traveled through Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. Guevara took a nine-month sabbatical from medical school for the ambitious trip.
His journey was far from smooth. Both the journey and the two friends’ relationship underwent several ups and downs along the way. However, it had its fair share of good moments and a lot of interesting individuals, too. Guevara and Granado also spent a considerable amount of time volunteering at a leper colony. By the time the trip came to an end, Che was a changed man. While he had always been politically active, any remaining doubts he harbored were dispelled by the sufferings and plight of the Latin Americans he witnessed along the way. The rest, as they say, is history.
Comeback is both a symbol and a survivor: a symbol of the union demanding my return; a survivor of his own bad luck — two falls from the bike (in one of which he and his bag flew off the back), his persistent diarrhea and even getting trampled by a horse. — A quote from the book.
The Book Review
Book Length — 227 pages
Hardcover Price — $20.68 (Amazon)
Author — Ernesto “Che” Guevara
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 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 had 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 that 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 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, but it packs a very mean and voluminous punch.
What we liked about The Motorcycle Diaries
The Motorcycle Diaries is a fun read. It is the riveting tale of two intrepid young men on an adventure of a lifetime. For Che, however, it was the beginning of another epic adventure.
The narrative is light, but it doesn’t fail to do justice to the questions that bothered and haunted young Che. For people who aren’t familiar with Guevara and his legacy, this is the perfect book to learn about his sensitivity and intelligence.
The Motorcycle Diaries is also a detailed account of the scenic beauty, glorious history, and rich culture of the countries Guevara and his friend traveled through.
That said, the biggest takeaway from this book is how effortlessly it awakens the travel bug in almost every reader, who may want to pack their bags and set out on an adventure of their own.
What could have been better about The Motorcycle Diaries
Honestly, nothing. The book is as perfect as they get.
