audiobook The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey by Ernesto Che Guevara; Cintio Vitier; Aleida Guevara in History

Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. The Motorcycle DiariesBy G. BranchBefore he was a revolutionary Ernesto Guevarra was a young man from a privileged back ground; and a medical student. He and a friend decided to travel; to see the world. Sounds very much like many if not most young men even today. He kept a diary of the adventures; escapades; and mishaps along the way. He saw a world that was new and disturbing in some places to him. Through that trip he would become the eloquent speaker; military planner; doctor; and a crusader for the downtrodden. He became Che Guevarra. But that last part is for another volume. This book introduced me to the idealistic and maybe even naive young man that he was at that point in his life.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Strongly RecommendBy chandra greerI 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.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Journey with this poetic young doctor Che as his ventures lead him to greater activism.By MarciaCareyThe packaging; speed of arrival and book's condition were excellent. Che's writing and experiences are a great read. For example; "Cold efficiency and impotent resentment go hand in hand in the big mine...Maybe one day; some miner will joyfully take up his pick and go and poison his lungs with a smile. They say that's what it's like over there; where the red blaze dazzling the world comes from. So they say. I don't know. " He's a poetic radical and the reading is inspiring.