The motorcycle diaries by Ernesto 'Che’ Guevara

Book Summary

The Motorcycle Diaries is a story which revolves around 2 men who embark on a road journey on a 1939 Norton 500cc cylinder motorcycle from Buenos Aires. They are out to discover and explore South America. This book had been written 8 years prior to the Cuban Revolution. The person who wrote the memoirs of this journey was one of those 2 bikers, Ernesto Guevara. He focUsed on the injustices that were prevalent at that time in South America.

These 2 men explored the lengths of Venezuela, Chile, Argentina and Peru being the observers of the discrimination and exploitation. A man who was so carefree, his only concerns in life being; finding a drink, bed and love, is totally transformed after this journey into a person who is ready to give up on his life for the discriminated in Latin America.

This is a book that is totally based on observations of the 2 bikers that they undergo during the journey and how it transforms them. The readers may find it a bit tough to relate to the middle-class guy Guevara and the spiritual transformation and evolution that he goes through. These are basically diary entries of Guevara, which are raw in nature.

Che Guevara is just a 23 year old medical student but ends up being a transformed man who has become very serious and concerned for the exploited people in South America. The story is a mix of personal experiences and political background.

At times, Che becomes a fireman, at others he is a football coach. Sometimes, he falls in love and at others falls off even his bike. So, it’s kind of a roller-coaster ride for him.

This book has been a New York Times bestseller on several occasions. A film tie-in edition of the book got published in 2007. It is currently available in Paperback form.

This book is basically a biopic, named The Motorcycle Diaries, which was released in 2004 and starred Gael Garcia Bernal. He played the role of Che in the miniseries named Fidel in 2002.

The movie is loosely based on the original account of the Motorcycle Diaries which got published in 1993.

The book is an interesting travelogue concerning South America of the 1950s along with displaying Che’s journey and the transformation that followed.

The book is available on Amazon India and can be ordered by the readers on the same.

About the author:

Ernesto 'Che’ Guevara was born in 1928 in Argentina. Post an aggressive struggle along with Fidel Castro in the 3 year war in Cuba; he became the Minister for Industry after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. He got established in Bolivia. He subsequently got captured and killed in 1967.