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Loading... A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (edition 2006)by Bill Bryson
Work InformationA Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Not the best, but still gave me a chuckle and a think. ( ) This was the first Bryson book I read, and I enjoyed every page. Living in Seoul at the time, I was aching for the woods, and this was a great remedy. Bryson's wit weren't lost as he talked about hiking the trail as a non-hiker. It gave me a great taste of the backcountry while surrounded by 18 million other residents. Considering my fondness for the outdoors and witty writing, and my fascination with Appalachia and the Smokies, I can't believe I never heard of this book until the book club at work announced it as our November read. What a fabulous travelogue! I love how thoroughly Bryson describes the history of the Appalachian Trail as well as it's rigors, topography, sights, sounds, smells, risks and rewards. And I laughed on just about every page. If you're into hiking and outdoors, this is a must-read humorous first person account of a wilderness hiking novice getting in over his head and discovering the rigors of exploring the Appalachian Trail. Just Bryson's amusing experiences learning about hiking gear is worth reading, as well as his poking fun at "city slicker" hikers in their fancy name brand gear. My husband and I vacationed in the Smokies last Fall and got to hike a tiny stretch of the AT (not nearly as much as we wanted, due to it already being so icy and slick in early November). So, this travelogue brought back fond memories of that trip, and particular designations around the national park. I have mixed feelings about this book. It's not quite what I expected. I expected quite a bit more humor. Bryson included a lot of environmental details, particularly as they related to the theory of evolution, which he believes to be fact (and I do not), so that got pretty old. If it had been just a line or two throughout, it would have been easier to get over, but I felt half the book was an indoctrination in it, and those areas were devoid of the humor I was looking forward to. I also could have done without the language - it didn't add anything to the book. Bryson has a dry sense of humor that I did appreciate, and I was inspired to hike the Appalachian Trail someday. Overall, I liked it, but I doubt I'll read any other books by Bryson.
Bryson's breezy, self-mocking tone may turn off readers who hanker for another ''Into Thin Air'' or ''Seven Years in Tibet.'' Others, however, may find themselves turning the pages with increasing amusement and anticipation as they discover that they're in the hands of a satirist of the first rank, one who writes (and walks) with Chaucerian brio. [Bryson] was often exhausted, his ''brain like a balloon tethered with string, accompanying but not actually part of the body below.'' The reader, by contrast, is rarely anything but exhilarated. And you don't have to take a step. Is contained inHas the adaptationIs abridged in
Essays.
Travel.
Nonfiction.
Humor (Nonfiction.)
HTML: The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in Americaâ??majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If youâ??re going to take a hike, itâ??s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide youâ??ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the wayâ??and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and No library descriptions found. |
LibraryThing Early Reviewers AlumBill Bryson's book A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail was available from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)917.40443History and Geography Geography and Travel Geography of and travel in North America Northeastern U.S. Travel 1865- 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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