As much as I wanted to understand the molding of Che into the
revolutionary myth that he was, and his outlook on the world when
he was young, this book was a disappointment. Not because it
doesn't offer what it promises, it does. This is Che's dairy
written when he traveled across Latam, (at least most of it; the
last chapter - 'A note in the margin' was clearly written much
later. Perhaps after Che's assent from a marginal university
student toward the global myth that he had later become.)
Unfortunate there is very little in this work - aside from his love
for mate and the vivid descriptions of the hobby style in which Che
and his buddy traveled across Latam that allows the reader to get a
clear portrait of a blooming and passionate revolutionary that he
was later to become. If truth be told, I am very much surprised
that he followed a revolutionary path after seeing the condition of
the workers. According to his own words he doubts that any man
would ever want communism - "...we will see whether one day, some
miner will take up his pick in pleasure and go and poison his lungs
with a conscious joy. They say that's what it's like over there,
where the red blazes that now lights up the world comes from
(USSR). So they say. I don't know."
In summary; this is a worthy book for anyone who wants to learn
about Che and his biography, but don't be surprised, this work
might disappoint you and force you to re-think the myth of this
'idealistic revolutionary.'
One more interesting thought. - Che had spend his entire adult life
fighting capitalism and showing contempt for monetary gains and
exploitation. Now that he is dead, his work is being printed and
sold. You are about to buy this book.
Interesting; what would Che say if he was to find out that his work
is now being used for profit by editors, publishers and book
stores...
Just something to think about, don't you agree?