I wish I could stay awake through the film of The Motorcycle Diaries. I do have a bit of a thing for Che Guevara, and especially since he is played by my favourite Mexican, Gael Garcia Bernal. It started when I read Paul Theroux’s The Old Patagonian Express during my Easy Rider phase ( some twenty five years ago now). I once had some fun at Barclaycard’s expense, and filled in the line about house name on their paperwork as ‘Chez Guevara’, but then my purse was stolen and I had to go to the police station and give them the full address for my credit card. The desk sergeant smirked. I also read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, about which I remember nothing, and On The Road, and Junky, about which I remember more. I must have read tons of stuff that’s just gone in my head and it’s never coming out again, until I’m old and senile and can dredge bizarre details from the distant past, but don’t know if I’ve had any tea.
2 responses so far ↓
Rob Spence // June 20, 2009 at 6:36 pm
I enjoyed the film. Haven’t read the book, but have always been a bit perturbed about the hero-worship by western intellectuals of someone who didn’t think twice about the summary execution of anyone who disagreed with him.
Petal // June 20, 2009 at 7:45 pm
It is hard to avoid hagiography when it comes to figures like Che Guevara. One man’s freedom fighter, etc.