Customer Reviews

The Doors of San Miguel De Allende

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you are looking for rustic colonial or American Southwest doors then this book is a must buy. - jim

This book was purchased as a gift for me. I am a subscriber to International Living, and San Miguel is a long-time favorite of theirs.

I mentioned this, and the way the city had piqued my interest, to a family member. She then promptly went online and ordered this book for me.

It is for this reason that I issue the following warning: the title should be taken LITERALLY, not figuratively.

It could be read either way, but this book is NOT about opening the metaphorical doors to life in San Miguel. You will not look in these pages and then find the metaphorical doors to San Miguel thrown open to your understanding and appreciation. You will not learn about expat or local life in this historical city. And you will not find yourself frequently referring back here as you plan your trip or your move.

What you WILL find, seriously, is heaps about the actual physical doorways on buildings in San Miguel.

If you WANT the world's premiere photo-essay collection about the doorways in San Miguel, then this is a five-star tome all the way. Look all you want, you won't find better. If you want info about the city and culture of this red-hot expat community, look elsewhere.

The photographs and text of this book are so intriguing the reader longs to visit San Miguel. So I did! Robert de Gast brings the riotious colors, history, atmosphere and tranquility of San Miguel right to our doorstep. His perception of quite ordinary sights makes them very extraordinary. I can hardly wait to get my copy of "Behind the Doors".

As we intend to visit San Miguel De Allende at the end of the year for the first time, I was browsing Amazon to see if there were any books which might be of interest and that would provide us with some idea of the features of the town.
My husband is an architect and I also have a special interest in buildings and architectural features. This book provided lots of beautiful and interesting,colourful photographs of some of the doors of buildings in San Miguel. We are looking forward to seeing what other gems San Miguel De Allende has to offer during our trip.

I love this book. It has an introductory section in the front, just one short chapter, then the remainder of the book is pictures of doors and door related. My ministry work takes me door-to-door and I get to see a lot of doors. I really love beautiful doors! Besides the beauty of the doors themselves, almost any page could be used to design a color scheme when redecorating a room in your house. I want to go see these doors and this town for myself. Great book!

There is no doubt that this book contains fine photography of a very interesting subject. I just wish, however, I paid more attention to the product description: Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches. This is not a coffee table book, and each photograph is 4.25 x 6.5 inches. So don't expect a book of the dimension that usually does justice to these types of photos. Let's just say that I wish I had a much larger format with which to enjoy the author's work.

That said and out of the way, the author/photographer hits the mark exactly with a very intriguing facet of Old Mexico and the charming colonial city of San Miguel de Allende. Cities like this have an ancient patina to them, something that only history and time can impart. Like most art, you either get it or you don't, and this author gets it.

The book isn't a metaphor to life inside the city, it is exactly what the title states - a collection of beautifully photographed handcrafted doors. But there is more; even if you have not made the journey to Old Mexico, you begin to know it by the faces of these doors. Much like human faces, there is embedded in each a perspective of a life lived and served, and serving, such that the reader/observer begins to wonder about the depths of the soul of each residence.

I have been to San Miguel de Allende on one of several motorcyle journeys through Mexico. It is a land of enchantment, wonderful history, lively tradtions, excellent food, and most of all, a rich culture and some of the most vibrant, friendly people in all the world. They literally open their hearts - and doors - to all who travel and visit with humility and respect.

This book deserves a larger footprint to display the author's work. But since it does not, I hope it serves as a teaser to those who have never been to San Miguel, or Guanajuato, or Zacatecas and the like - to go and see, and open, doors both literally and figuratively to a world so close yet so far away. Viva Old Mexico!

but if not, you'll be bored senseless.

If you are looking for information about San Miguel, this book does NOT provide it! Very little written...too many door photos!

Since I am the author I must refrain from the most self-congratulatory comments, but the book, now in its fourth printing, is charming, handsome, and accurate. I moved to San Miguel the year after it was published, and I still am a full-time resident four years later. This is as close to paradise as it gets. Visit!