Customer Reviews

Andes

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a series of breathtaking photos of the Andes range from the Caribbean to Patagonia. There are stunning photos of the mountains and heart-wrenching photos of earthquake survivors as well as many photos of everyday life. Mario Vargas Llosa, the famous Peruvian author, contributes "inventions" imagining subjects thoughts, feelings, attitudes and stories. This National Geographic book, photographed by Pablo Corral Vega, makes a wonderful tour of the majestic mountains and haunting coutryside of the Andes.

From the book description: "In 1995, Pablo Corral Vega began a journey that would take him the entire length of the Andes, the 5,000-mile chain of mountain ranges that extend from Patagonia to the shores of the Caribbean"


Andes, published by National Geographic Insight, is not quite what I had expected. Most of the pictures contained throughout the book are of people and/or urban areas, not of the Andes themselves. I purchased this book for a glimpse into the Andes and the people of the Andes from the perspective of Pablo Corral Vega as he had grown up there, spending his childhood in Ecuador. But apparently his return trip for this book did not take him too far from the road, as most of the pictures are urban photos, not what I had expected.

He also attempts to add an artsy flair to many of his photos, but falls short most of the time in my opinion. For example, on page 103 there is a very colorful picture of people with their backs turned to watch an inauguration ceremony, but in the forefront of the picture there is an out-of-focus dog with a chain showing. This could have been a great picture, but it is not! And two pages before that there is a picture in Olmeda supposedly during a festival. Well, the picture show a green tarp or something similar and two people standing against it. It looks like nothing close to resembling a fiesta. At best, I think it can be stated that the pictures are disjointed. I have been to South America, and although I have never grown up there or spent any considerable time there, I honestly believe I could have put together nicer pictures of the Andes and the people who live there from my trips there.

In short, this is a nice book (but certainly not for the cover price of $50), if only for the fact that there are few coffee table books on the Andes. But it is a disappointment in the fact that I had expected much more from National Geographic.

As would be expected from a publication by National Geographic, this book has beautiful pictures covering all regions of the Andes Mountains. Buyers should take note, however, that this book focuses more heavily on portraits of the people in these South American countries than on panoramic vistas of the Andes Mountains themselves (review the cover of this book to see the main focus). Also, too many blank pages for my tastes and budget. Otherwise, an exquisite book.