A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail | Bill Bryson

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail | Bill Bryson | Hysterical

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A Walk in the Wood...

	A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail Bill Bryson Anchor, 2006 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 68 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Hiked the AT and read the book ...

First, let me say this ... I never purchased this book but I found this book in one of the shelters along the way. A shelter is one of the many three-sided cabins that are dotted along the Appalachian Trail for hikers to rest or sleep in. Typically, in distance, they're all about a day apart. Also, every shelter has a log about all the other hikers that come through the place and they leave notes, messages, trail reports and the like. The last hiker before me had left Bryson's book and some very candid things to say. I picked up the book and decided to see what all the guff was about.

The book opens with a brief history of the Appalachian Trail and Bryson tells details about the region that you would not believe had it not been coming from him. Several times I repeated the information only to be met with scorn and doubt. For instance, the Appalachian Trail is one of the oldest mountain ranges on the planet. Did you know that? And the summit of Mt. Washington has recorded some of the coldest temperatures on Earth. How about that? Mt. Washington is in New Hampshire, too; and not Antarctica.

Bryson weaves an interesting tale about his foibles and attempt into the world of hiking with his stalwart friend and companion that accompanies him, Katz. But Steve Katz, comes across as his alter-ego and doesn't really ring true through much of the story, but in reflection, I think this is Bryson meant and it was intentional.

Mid-way he gets off the trail, maybe in the Shenandoah's as I remember, and decides to day-hike and see the tourist locations dotted along the trail, but this quickly turns into a fiasco and Bryson starts telling you about things that are not even remotely close to the trail. He acknowledges this, gives up and goes home. The rest of the book reverts back into regurgitated facts culminated from either old National Geographic magazines or some out-of-print book about the Eastern Seaboard in general. I personally didn't have a problem with this stuff as it was all news to me and Bryson is an adept writer who can keep your imagination reigned in.

The last chapter is a fictitious journey of his return, with his buddy Katz, for a half-hearted attempt to finish and get through to Mt. Katahdin and through the swampyness of snow-melting Maine. This too quickly spirals out of control, the hiking not the writing, and they both find themselves disagreeably riding away in the back of a pick up truck towards the cold machine of civilization where wives, bills and hot coffee awaits. The ending is poignant and also triumphant for just being there rather than missing the experience all together.

I enjoyed the book and didn't have too many complaints. A lot of readers and hikers always seem upset that he wrote a book about the trail but didn't finish hiking the trail, and they make the claim that because he didn't finish - the book can't be valid. While that's the most foolish thing I ever heard of ... it didn't stop me from reading the book or interfere with my enjoyment of it.

As a footnote: I hiked the trail Winter of '06 when the trail was devoid of the usual mass of hikers and covered with snow. I got off the trail in Harper's Ferry (1100 miles along) and came home after the reality of gambling with my life set in and catching walking Pneumonia. Let's just say the wife wasn't too happy, but I enjoyed my hike immensely.

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Hysterical

Who among us has not been inspired by some handicapped marathon runner/the theme music to Rocky/some historical epic to feel that we're missing out on life since we are not in the midst of some magnificent physical undertaking?

This is the book for anyone who have ever tapped into that vein of sentiment sufficiently to actually do something. Bryson flies down to Georgia, and starts his own Great Trek.

And this absolutely hysterical account ensues.

I read the book while "waiting" (doctor's office etc), and I've never enjoyed the experience so much.

Bryson's gift is that you can easily put yoursel in his shoes; his comedy is of the "ordinary man puts himself in extraordinary situation" genre.

This would not be the book that I was suggest for someone who was actually preparing to walk the AT. However, it would be perfect for someone who was contemplating undertaking the endeavor.

Its funny, well written, and a good tale well told.

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One of my Favorite Books

The audio is worth the purchase of the CD in addition to the book. Very funny.

Entertaining but too much political comment

This is a humorous book but periodically for many pages he author goes off into a rant about acid rain or global warming or some other ecelogical problem. Most of the adventure is pure fiction as anyone who has ever been a backpacker can readily see but still the book was entertaining if one overlooks the political comment and treats it as fiction.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, page 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

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