Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Harper Perennial (2007), Edition: (Reissue), Paperback, 176 pages
Description
In January 1952, two young men from Buenos Aires set out to explore South America on "La Poderosa", the Powerful One: a 500cc Norton. One of them was the 23-year-old Che Guevara. Written eight years before the Cuban Revolution, these are Che's diaries - full of disasters and discoveries, high drama, low comedy and laddish improvisations. During his travels through Argentina, Chile, Peru and Venezuela, Che's main concerns are where the next drink is coming from, where the next bed is to be found, and who might be around to share it. Che becomes a stowaway, a fireman and a football coach; he sometimes falls in love and frequently falls off the motorbike. Within a decade the whole world would know his name. His trip might have been an adventure of a lifetime - had his lifetime not turned into a much greater adventure.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member PJMazumdar
It is inevitable that anyone who reads this book would have vivid images of Che Guevra intruding into his or her mind. Who doesn't remember the stunning photo image of Guevra, said to be the most copied image in the world? Then the image of Guevra fighting through the marshes to capture Cuba, and
But it is not Guevra as a revolutionary who wrote this book. Instead, it is a young Guevra, a loveable, fun guy who sets out to discover his homeland, losing his motorcycle into page 30 but continuing his travels, bluffing, scamming, working, stowing away, and doing whatever it takes to go on his way. He and his friend come across as two delightful guys with their humor, pranks and various adventures. We see the young Guevra without any false ego or pride, curious and sympathetic to his fellow men, moved by their sufferings, amused at the vanity of others who should have been more sympathetic, and yet always preserving his own humility and ability to laugh at himself.
It is said that when you love a book, you want to be friends with the author. After reading this book you are sure to want Che to have been your friend, to have taken you along for the ride...
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then when Castro and the others set about rebuilding the country, taking his gun again to fight his lonely battles for liberation in other countries. And the last flashing image, a tired, defeated Guevra tied down in a shack in the jungles of Bolivia, shouting his famous last words to the drunk captain sent to shoot him and who lost his nerve in his presence, "Shoot, you fool, you are only shooting a man!"But it is not Guevra as a revolutionary who wrote this book. Instead, it is a young Guevra, a loveable, fun guy who sets out to discover his homeland, losing his motorcycle into page 30 but continuing his travels, bluffing, scamming, working, stowing away, and doing whatever it takes to go on his way. He and his friend come across as two delightful guys with their humor, pranks and various adventures. We see the young Guevra without any false ego or pride, curious and sympathetic to his fellow men, moved by their sufferings, amused at the vanity of others who should have been more sympathetic, and yet always preserving his own humility and ability to laugh at himself.
It is said that when you love a book, you want to be friends with the author. After reading this book you are sure to want Che to have been your friend, to have taken you along for the ride...
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LibraryThing member edgeworth
I'm currently riding through Vietnam on a rickety 1980 Minsk motorcycle, so I felt like a bit of topical reading, and was lucky enough to find this in a second-hand bookstore in Hoi An. It's a non-fiction memoir detailing the travels of famous revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevera, as he and his
Firstly, I need to clarify something: this title of this book is a goddamn lie. It should just be called The Diaries, because they total their bike within the first 50 pages and spend the rest of the book hitchhiking.
It's a moot point anyway, because I wouldn't have enjoyed this book either way. Maybe it's the translation, or maybe there's just something about Latin people, but Guevera's writing style drove me nuts. It's far too lyrical, too vague, too swept up in itself. It reminded me of the only other Latin writer I've sampled, Garbiel Garcia Marquez, whom I found equally unreadable.
If you don't mind that sort of thing, or if you're interested in Che Guevera, go for it. Otherwise avoid. Excuse the brief review, I've just picked up my fortnightly bout of TD and feel like crap. God I miss the first world.
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friend Alberto travel across South America.Firstly, I need to clarify something: this title of this book is a goddamn lie. It should just be called The Diaries, because they total their bike within the first 50 pages and spend the rest of the book hitchhiking.
It's a moot point anyway, because I wouldn't have enjoyed this book either way. Maybe it's the translation, or maybe there's just something about Latin people, but Guevera's writing style drove me nuts. It's far too lyrical, too vague, too swept up in itself. It reminded me of the only other Latin writer I've sampled, Garbiel Garcia Marquez, whom I found equally unreadable.
If you don't mind that sort of thing, or if you're interested in Che Guevera, go for it. Otherwise avoid. Excuse the brief review, I've just picked up my fortnightly bout of TD and feel like crap. God I miss the first world.
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LibraryThing member mflowers
The book in read was “Motorcycle Diaries” by Ernesto “Che” Guevara. The book was good, but could have overall been better. In some parts of the book, I could not put down the book. In other parts of the book, I felt as though I just wanted to return it to the library.
The story tells how
Throughout the book they are faced with many problems. Most of the problems that they faced involved their motorcycle. Whether it was breaking down, or had trouble getting through the rough terrain. Some of their other problems included food and shelter. Often, their motorcycle would break down, and they would have to find a place to stay right then, and if they didn’t they had to sleep on the road. Along with food and shelter, they had deep money problem, which they were very often low on.
I would recommend this book for an older audience, or one with a lot of patience. I would recommend this book for an audience with a lot of patience because this is not the most entertaining book, so it takes someone with a lot of patience to read through the whole thing. I recommended this for an older audience because this is not the easiest book to understand, it had many parts were I did not I understand what they were talking about.
The story tells how
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to Argentinean men, Ernesto Guevara and his friend Alberto traveled through South America on their motorcycle; they named La Poderosa II. Through the book they are visiting many countries, sometimes looking for different places to stay and eat. They often found places to eat, and drink a lot. They often were invited to parties, where they were kicked out most of the time.Throughout the book they are faced with many problems. Most of the problems that they faced involved their motorcycle. Whether it was breaking down, or had trouble getting through the rough terrain. Some of their other problems included food and shelter. Often, their motorcycle would break down, and they would have to find a place to stay right then, and if they didn’t they had to sleep on the road. Along with food and shelter, they had deep money problem, which they were very often low on.
I would recommend this book for an older audience, or one with a lot of patience. I would recommend this book for an audience with a lot of patience because this is not the most entertaining book, so it takes someone with a lot of patience to read through the whole thing. I recommended this for an older audience because this is not the easiest book to understand, it had many parts were I did not I understand what they were talking about.
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LibraryThing member Adonis72
I found this quite interesting to read from a content point of view and how the things he saw and experienced shaped him, but in terms of writing style it was quite dry and hard going.
I read the book before I saw the film, and this is one of the few occasions where I enjoyed the film more. As
Definately woth reading if you're interested in Che though.
I read the book before I saw the film, and this is one of the few occasions where I enjoyed the film more. As
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someone who has travelled around South America, I thought it captured the essence of the continent much better. Definately woth reading if you're interested in Che though.
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LibraryThing member cestovatela
An interesting peek at a young revolutionary in development. Guevara's prose is spare and captivating, but his view on native people leaves a bit to be desired. Still, this work makes humanizes Guevara after he's become so much of an icon.
LibraryThing member chriscapoccia
The Motorcycle Diaries show Che before he was the Marxist revolutionary; when he was just an ordinary guy on a road trip through South America; when his conscience was being awakened by poverty and inequality. Each journal entry is a compelling self-contained story, but the entries are somewhat
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disjointed from each other. Anyway, it makes for good bathroom reading as the chapters are short. There really isn't any ending, so the editor closed the book with a speech given eight years later, after Che had become a key figure in the Cuban revolution. Show Less
LibraryThing member shehasreadtoomany
Ernesto Che Guevara as a revolutionary has become iconic, but this diary of his travels with his friend Alberto Grenada that begin on a motorcycle trip across South America introduces readers to a young man who is an eye witness to the social conditions of the poor and suffering. These are the
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thoughts of a young man with one year of medical school to finish before he becomes a doctor. Show Less
LibraryThing member tronella
I am impressed by how much of this I understood! It was pretty fun to read, too. But whoever made the film of this book focused on really minor parts of it. Hm.
LibraryThing member neiljohnford
God damn LibraryThing just swallowed my last review so have to start over again...
This is a cool book. I've always been reluctant to jump on the whole Che Guevara as a "anti-establishment poster-boy" bandwagon (does anyone else see the irony in Che merchandise?). Read this book though - it explains
Anyway - highly recomend this and I'll be looking for Guevara's notes from the Cuban revolution. 5 stars!
This is a cool book. I've always been reluctant to jump on the whole Che Guevara as a "anti-establishment poster-boy" bandwagon (does anyone else see the irony in Che merchandise?). Read this book though - it explains
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the man behind the icon. This was written when he was still a kid really (in a way it's a rite of passage diary) and describes a road trip through the american continent starting in Argentina then up the Andes through Chile and Peru to North America (miami). I like this because it's very human. You can see the evolution of Guevara's politics in his observations (he is very articulate about the way indigenous americans are treated by the latin americans and the social divide between them). Think George Orwell's best non-fiction (Down and Out..., Homage to Catalonia etc.) - this tells the experiences that shaped Guevara's thinking. It's actually really well written as well. In addition to being a medical doctor, commander of guerillas and international politician, Guevara had a bit of knack with the written word. It's funny too. It's not often that a book makes me laugh out loud but an anecdote about a stay with some Germans, an open first floor window, a bout of the squits and an unfortunately placed tray of drying peaches had me (I read this on a plane - if you ever want to make Easy Jet cabin crew nervous try sitting on your own at the back and laughing. Maybe that's why I got stopped at customs, or am I being paranoid...hmmm).Anyway - highly recomend this and I'll be looking for Guevara's notes from the Cuban revolution. 5 stars!
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LibraryThing member xiuhcoatl
Possibly one of my favorite books of all time. While it can be a little slow at times, I feel it encompasses the feelings of life- that is happiness, boredom, failure, and triumph...
LibraryThing member andreablythe
As a young man, Che Guevara and friend Alberto Granado decided to travel by motor cycle from Buenos Aires, Argentina, up through Chile to the United States. They manage on the bike for a while, then on foot and hitching, all the while surviving on the good will of others for sustenance. They work a
Che's travel diary if this trips shows his young man's point of view. It's honest and frank and often quite funny. It also hints at the beginnings of his revolutionary spirit, which would eventually lead him to joining the revolution with Fidel Castro in Cuba and would eventually make him a worldwide symbol of that same revolutionary spirit.
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bit, visit several leprosy clinics, and witness quite a bit of poverty along the way.Che's travel diary if this trips shows his young man's point of view. It's honest and frank and often quite funny. It also hints at the beginnings of his revolutionary spirit, which would eventually lead him to joining the revolution with Fidel Castro in Cuba and would eventually make him a worldwide symbol of that same revolutionary spirit.
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LibraryThing member carterchristian1
It is the book my husband should have read before or even after he rebuilt a BMW and took off across the US.I am only sorry he did not write about it. Now, would I have the nerve to send this to my estranged grandson who has been involved with motorcycles since his teens and say....hey let's go. I
A great, terrific book about possibilites. Probably a Nike book with the message "just do it."
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have the cash, you need the expand your horizons. Well,probably not. A great, terrific book about possibilites. Probably a Nike book with the message "just do it."
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
Che Guevara became an iconic figure because of his work as a revolutionary in Cuba, but long before that he wrote this memoir about his travels as a young man. When he was 23-years-old, he and his friend Alberto left Argentina in the 1950s to travel through South America.
He chronicles his thoughts
This was one of the few examples of a book that I thought was better as a film. There’s something about the stilted nature of Guevara’s narration that didn’t work well for me. The 2004 film allows that to drop off and shows the audience the beauty and pain of what he sees instead of trying to describe it.
He chronicles his thoughts
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and feelings about the things they see and the people they met along the way. It’s impossible not to spend much of the book wondering which events helped plant the seeds that made him into the man he became. For example, his work in the leper colonies showed him a completely different side of humanity.This was one of the few examples of a book that I thought was better as a film. There’s something about the stilted nature of Guevara’s narration that didn’t work well for me. The 2004 film allows that to drop off and shows the audience the beauty and pain of what he sees instead of trying to describe it.
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LibraryThing member TimBazzett
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES: NOTES ON A LATIN AMERICAN JOURNEY, by Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
Guevara's journal of his "off to see the world" trip with his older pal, Alberto Granado, was fairly interesting, if not compelling, reading. I have only the usual vague knowledge of Guevara, Castro's important
This book is vastly different. It's in Guevara's own words, the words of a very young man (he turned 24 in these pages, in 1952) "off to see the world" with a pal, Alberto Granado. His friend was already a doctor who specialized in leprosy, but Che was taking a break from his last years of med school to make this trip. He had not yet become the "revolutionary." He was just a young guy off on an adventure. And they had plenty, enduring multiple wipeouts and mechanical problems on the rough roads of South America. Granado's old Norton cycle, reduced to a badly broken machine held together with odd bits of wire, tires and inner tubes with multiple improvised patches, was finally abandoned before the trip was half over. The pair's status as "motorized bums" then entered a new stage as "bums without wheels." They were also plagued by various illnesses, mosquitoes and road injuries, and Guevara himself suffered numerous attacks of asthma, a chronic condition that stayed with him throughout his life.
They made numerous stops in cities, towns and villages as their trip took them from Argentina through Chile, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and beyond. They visited a leper colony along the way, as well as tiny villages with primitive native inhabitants where clothing was sometimes optional, a feature our young narrator appreciated. In one visit to a tribe of "Yaguas, the Indians of the red straw," he commented, "The women had abandoned traditional costume for ordinary clothes, so you couldn't admire their jugs." And later, during their stay in Caracas, he makes this comment about blacks and white Portuguese workers -
"Discrimination and poverty unite them in the daily fight for survival, but their different ways of approaching life separate them completely: the black is indolent and a dreamer; spending his meager wage on frivolity or drink; the European has a tradition of work and saving ..."
Not exactly politically correct, but these are the observations of a still-young man, not the legendary revolutionary that Guevara would later become. THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES is a pretty detailed look at the early opinions of the young Guevara who is often moved by the social inequities and abject poverty he sees on his journey. The book also contains a detailed introduction by Cintio Vitier placing the narrative in historical context, as well as timelines of both the journey and Guevara's life. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Latin America, its history and revolutions. Oh, and P.S. - I learned that "Che" is simply an Argentinian interjection that can mean simply "hey," or is a conversational 'filler' word. It was a nickname given him by his Cuban compatriots because of the way he used the word constantly in his conversation, an oddity to the Cubans. In our own language, it might manifest itself as the ubiquitous "like" or maybe, "dude." And no, it's not in this book. I had to look it up.
Guevara's journal of his "off to see the world" trip with his older pal, Alberto Granado, was fairly interesting, if not compelling, reading. I have only the usual vague knowledge of Guevara, Castro's important
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compadre in overthrowing the Batista regime in Cuba's 1959 revolution. Several years ago I read Chuck Pfarrer's excellent novel, KILLING CHE (2008), a fictional look at Che's final months in the jungles of Bolivia, where his life ended under shrouded circumstances, after his capture by government troops in 1967.This book is vastly different. It's in Guevara's own words, the words of a very young man (he turned 24 in these pages, in 1952) "off to see the world" with a pal, Alberto Granado. His friend was already a doctor who specialized in leprosy, but Che was taking a break from his last years of med school to make this trip. He had not yet become the "revolutionary." He was just a young guy off on an adventure. And they had plenty, enduring multiple wipeouts and mechanical problems on the rough roads of South America. Granado's old Norton cycle, reduced to a badly broken machine held together with odd bits of wire, tires and inner tubes with multiple improvised patches, was finally abandoned before the trip was half over. The pair's status as "motorized bums" then entered a new stage as "bums without wheels." They were also plagued by various illnesses, mosquitoes and road injuries, and Guevara himself suffered numerous attacks of asthma, a chronic condition that stayed with him throughout his life.
They made numerous stops in cities, towns and villages as their trip took them from Argentina through Chile, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and beyond. They visited a leper colony along the way, as well as tiny villages with primitive native inhabitants where clothing was sometimes optional, a feature our young narrator appreciated. In one visit to a tribe of "Yaguas, the Indians of the red straw," he commented, "The women had abandoned traditional costume for ordinary clothes, so you couldn't admire their jugs." And later, during their stay in Caracas, he makes this comment about blacks and white Portuguese workers -
"Discrimination and poverty unite them in the daily fight for survival, but their different ways of approaching life separate them completely: the black is indolent and a dreamer; spending his meager wage on frivolity or drink; the European has a tradition of work and saving ..."
Not exactly politically correct, but these are the observations of a still-young man, not the legendary revolutionary that Guevara would later become. THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES is a pretty detailed look at the early opinions of the young Guevara who is often moved by the social inequities and abject poverty he sees on his journey. The book also contains a detailed introduction by Cintio Vitier placing the narrative in historical context, as well as timelines of both the journey and Guevara's life. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Latin America, its history and revolutions. Oh, and P.S. - I learned that "Che" is simply an Argentinian interjection that can mean simply "hey," or is a conversational 'filler' word. It was a nickname given him by his Cuban compatriots because of the way he used the word constantly in his conversation, an oddity to the Cubans. In our own language, it might manifest itself as the ubiquitous "like" or maybe, "dude." And no, it's not in this book. I had to look it up.
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LibraryThing member mahallett
a good story of being young, travelling rough
LibraryThing member reganrule
Honestly I expected to see a little more revolutionary spirit, and fewer complaints about modes of transport and his self-inflicted poverty.
LibraryThing member PDCRead
This is the first of the diaries that Che Guevara wrote when he first set of on a journey around South America. It starts as two lads having a bit of a laugh on a motorbike, and as het meets more people he starts to seethe with the injustice that they suffer.
Well written and well translated.
Well written and well translated.
LibraryThing member Paul_S
More of a historical document, because when judged as a book it's not really worthwhile. The young author recounts his journey across Southern America, written in a humorous tone as he and his friend scrounge, steal, scam and abuse the generosity of the people they meet along the way. Including
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trying to have sex with a wife of a man who helps them along the way. This is interspersed with passages about the noble savages and imperialist west. It's so banal it's hard to take any of it seriously. Show Less
LibraryThing member blake.rosser
Much more interesting than the movie, and predictably with much less of a revolutionary feel. This is just a spoiled young kid without any idea of who he is, trying to rough it in order to get a glimpse of real life. The movie was lame.
LibraryThing member bung
I read this after a return from Cuba. It was an interesting story of a great revolutionary.
LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco
“ This is not a story of heroic feats, or merely the narrative of a cynic. It is a glimpse of two lives running parallel for a time, with similar hopes and convergent dreams.
Nine months. On the motorbike La Poderosa II - The Mighty One, with Alberto Granado. Until it breaks down, and then
Learning more about leprosy. Ernesto’s asthma. That river dolphin story! Those poor peaches under the window! Begging for money, food and lodging. It's a good travel story, and I learned a great deal, flipping back to the map many a time to orient myself as to their whereabouts. The pictures in the middle are pretty dang good too! The book made me want to follow their journey, and see what they saw. I'm sure plenty has changed, but the plight of the people, especially the indigenous people, is almost assuredly the same. Easy to see why a revolutionary was born!
"The future belongs to the people, and gradually, or in one strike, they will take power. here and in every country. The terrible thing is the people need to be educated, and this they cannot do before taking power, only after."
Nine months. On the motorbike La Poderosa II - The Mighty One, with Alberto Granado. Until it breaks down, and then
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“…just two hitchhikers with backpacks, and with all the grime of the road stuck to our overalls, shadows of our former aristocratic selves.” Subsisting mostly on bread, cheese, and mate. Two hungry doctors, on the road!Learning more about leprosy. Ernesto’s asthma. That river dolphin story! Those poor peaches under the window! Begging for money, food and lodging. It's a good travel story, and I learned a great deal, flipping back to the map many a time to orient myself as to their whereabouts. The pictures in the middle are pretty dang good too! The book made me want to follow their journey, and see what they saw. I'm sure plenty has changed, but the plight of the people, especially the indigenous people, is almost assuredly the same. Easy to see why a revolutionary was born!
"The future belongs to the people, and gradually, or in one strike, they will take power. here and in every country. The terrible thing is the people need to be educated, and this they cannot do before taking power, only after."
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Language
Physical description
176 p.; 7.56 inches
ISBN
0007241712 / 9780007241712
Other editions
The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Guevara (Paperback)