(21/12) - I had originally been planning to pick up Europe Central after I had finished Hard Rain Falling. I had been looking forward to staring the book so much that, when Europe Central arrived in my letterbox, I had considered putting down Hard Rain Falling all together. However when it was time to start the 800(?) page tome, I felt genuinely intimidated. So, now Im reading 150 pages of Che Guevara's diary and its pretty fun.
I usually, very intentionally, stay very far away from anything even remotely Che Guevara related. His name and image have been so totally commodified that it genuinely makes me grieve a little on his behalf. Old men in bars like to tell me I look like him every time I wear a beret (I don't... sorry). Aside from that, I'm not really a leftist and find people who are quite annoying. THAT BEING SAID, everything I've heard about Che Guevara (the man not the T-shirt) has been really cool. A notion that the first 20 pages of the Motorcycle Diaries has confirmed.


(04/01 - p79) - I'm glad I decided to pick up The Motorcycle Diaries. Most of its chapters come in at around 3-5 pages so it's been a nice relaxing read over the Christmas and New Year period. Although, Each short chapter is quite similar in structure - or lack thereof. Of course, it feels obvious to say but this book is essentially a diary so reading more than a couple entries at a time can get a little monotonous. I suppose that is why I've made such slow progress with it. This is by no means a criticism. I read this book like a collection of poetry: a passage every now and again. Che never fails to offer up some interesting perspective or experience to enjoy. Despite all this praise, I am starting to get a little restless. I want to move on to a more structured, fictional, narrative.


(14/01 - fin.) - I do quite like this book. It was good. I liked it. It was enjoyable. Although, I struggle to find the words to describe it. I guess it's a little poetic in that way. I'm not really sold on global revolution so I guess perhaps the "importance" of this book didn't really get to me. I like Che. I especially like the immature incarnation that wrote the majority of this book. He's got a sense of humour and pragmatic which aren't two things you often see at the same time. Pragmatic people are generally boring and "funny people" can be quite uninteresting. I think, to be pragmatic and funny, you have to see the absurdity of the world. Everyone says they see it but I don't think many people do. You also have to be able to navigate that absurdity with grace. I'm not sure. Whatever, point is that I'm done with the book. started losing interest towards the end. I think this would be a good thing to pick up while you're reading something else. It really does feel like a book of poetry or something. Very easy to dip in and out of.