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GARCIA
Setting
The book is set mainly on the famous Haight Ashbury Street in San Francisco, California, until focus shifts to the incredible touring done by the Grateful Dead. While following the tours you see a huge spectrum of the United States, going from California up the West Coast through the South Central United States and around the Eastern Seaboard.
Conflict
The conflicts in the book came in two forms. First was the police. Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead as a whole used drugs heavily throughout their careers, which eventually gave them attention of police, and even the FBI. Band members and their most devoted fans, or “Dead Heads”, are arrested during the course of the book for drug violations. The other conflict comes when Jerry Garcia passes away, leaving the Grateful Dead without a leader.
Plot
Themes
Characters
The book has many different characters, but the focus tends to stay on Grateful Dead members, Garcia, and his wife Carolyn, nicknamed Mountain Girl. The interviews included in the book always mention that Jerry was accompanied by Mountain Girl, and there are several pages dedicated to the couple and their children.
This book chronicles the life of Jerry Garcia and his travels with his band, The Grateful Dead. Several interviews with Garcia are included throughout which give you a window into how Garcia changes over the years. It starts with Garcia’s early life and moves quickly to his days with The Dead, beginning in San Francisco (the home of both Garcia and The Dead) and criss-crossing the United States. Several notable music festivals are highlights of the book, including when Jerry and The Dead played Woodstock. The book continues to follow the life of Garcia until his death in 1995.
Connection: The connection to Motorcycle Diaries is made via the extensive travel done by Garcia and The Dead. They traveled across America numerous times, and Garcia’s interviews could be seen like Diary entries, as he is often asked about the previous week’s concert or festival. It is also similar to MCD in the political mindedness of the main characters. Jerry much like Ernesto has changes in his political views through their travels. Jerry took a stance of “Peace and love for all” after seeing protests for war stating “Nobody wants to be murdered, and nobody wants to kill another human. It isn’t natural.”
Opinion: To properly enjoy this book, you would have to be a fan of The Grateful Dead and the counterculture of the late 1960’s. The book touches on topics that are relatable back to the modern day such as the war on drugs, and “unjust wars” being debated. Personally I loved this book. The quotes and interviews let you get inside the mind of the musical genius of Jerry Garcia and it is fascinating to see the way he wanted to change the world: “Be it a step, or even half a step.”
