A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

This was the first Bryson I've read, ever, though I've known for a while that I would like him. I had been in a bit of a reading slump, picking up a book and losing interest in the first few chapters. But I knew I would finish this one after I started laughing on the train, thanks to Bryson's potty humor regarding bear encounters and how he would "shit himself lifeless." While I never laughed as much again while reading the rest of the book, I found Bryson's writing style engaging and interesting, whether he was recounting walking through blizzard conditions or some history related the AT.

Oddly enough, the book made me want to hike the AT, but at the same time run away screaming at the very thought.

Bryson plunges into the wilderness and emerges with a consistently comical account of a neophyte woodsman learning hard lessons about self reliance. He carries himself in an irresistibly bewildered manner, accepting each new calamity with wonder and hilarity.

The book is a wandering, laugh-out-loud funny account of a trek on the trail and the people they meet plus a smattering of history about the AT and its environs. I didn't find the history parts dull at all. The exploits of Bryson and his friend kept me chuckling. He has a way of describing things that is witty and acute. And in case you're wondering- he was constantly worried about meeting bears- but pretty much the worst incident is his friend getting lost. They hiked 500 miles (almost a third) of the trail before realizing they weren't going to make it all the way and decided to sample portions of the rest.

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Sent by Mom, who's cleaning out her bookshelves again. Decided to read because we may be walking bits of this trail in a month or two. First thought: Bill Bryson Is Not As Funny As He Thinks He Is, and this is going to be one of those travel books for people who've never done ANYTHING, so it has to be full of exaggerated perils and discomfort. I mean the Appalachian Trail is not Uzbekistan... But then I got sucked in and stuck with it, and doing so taught me something about why and how I read narrative: the journey AND the protagonist/guide/narrator/author each (if they aren't one and the same) have to keep me engaged with them in some way that's partly cerebral and partly emotional. If the emotional side isn't there (say Italo show more Calvino)I drop it. If the cerebral isn't there, I "fling it with great force," a la Dorothy Parker. Either way, I now can finally justify all those set-asides I've felt guilty about for years, that weren't just a case of out-and-out bad writing. Not to mention my guilty pleasures as well! If you're going to take any trip, physical or mental, these connections would have to be there, right? QED. show less

Hysterically funny account of what happens when somebody decides to get out and do something important and “epic.” Bryson’s sense of humor is extremely sarcastic at times, and I could really get into his descriptions and exploits on some of the darker moments on the Appalachian Trail. (And by darker, I mean the realization that dawns upon Bryson and his cohort Katz that they are not mountain men.) One of the things I like about Bryson’s travel narratives is that he’s able to blend tons of research and history into his own personal experiences, and it really shows in this book, as he uses the reflection aspect to dive off into other background information about the trail and hiking and the outdoors. Overall, a very funny and show more great read. show less

With liberal doses of humour, directed both at himself and random situations, Bill Bryson recounts his experiences hiking along the Appalachian Trail. Entranced by the portion of the AT that runs behind his New Hampshire town, Bryson decided to hike the trail that runs from Georgia to Maine. After equipping themselves at a sporting goods store, Steven Katz and Bryson fly to Georgia and set out walking. Bryson mixes the history of the trail, environmentalism, character sketches of fellow hikers, pet peeves, and personal memoir to create an entertaining and engaging work of narrative nonfiction. Rob McQuay's narration is delightful.

A Walk in the Woods is one of those books I have wanted to read since I've first watched the film and this is one of the few times I have actually liked the film better than the book. I hike a lot and have done a lot of big canoe trips and other such things in my life so I am very familiar with the outdoors. Honestly, I probably would have ended up in the hospital with what these guys ate on the trail or how they packed their stuff.

Did I find the book amusing? Yes, there were times I thought it was funny, and I definitely liked the history about the Appalachian Trail as there were a lot of things I didn't know about its development and current state. And while I have been on small sections of it as I was passing through, it was nice to show more learn more about the geographical nature of the AT. And in my younger days, I probably would have thought about hiking the entire thing if I had made the time (I really wish I had).

The two main characters weren't in the best of shape to undertake the trail at the beginning, and one of the things I deplore is when someone who isn't in shape criticizes someone else's fitness on the trail. Considering their fitness levels, they could have been a lot more considerate in their comments, so I found a lot of the comments to be condescending and just snobbish in nature.

So, we have these two guys hiking in the woods and they eat...pasta? snickers bars? diet pop? What? I actually agreed with Mary Ellen when she criticized their food intake. So, personally, this book would be more about what not to eat and what not do on the trail. However, having seen so many weird things when hiking (and whatever possesses people to go hiking in crocs and flipflips?), if someone is determined not to listen, well, those are the ones who will call 911 from the trail asking to be rescued.
And in fact, the author criticized this in his book when he was discussing future problems, and didn't check to ensure he had his waterproof clothes when hiking up a mountain known for its dangerous conditions. And the other decides to toss all his clothing and food whenever he gets angry, then gets upset because he has nothing to fuel him when things get tough or doesn't have a sweater when the weather changes. Yes, the eye-rolling was real.

Definitely read this book if you want to learn about the AT, but also want to learn about what not to do while on the trail. And please, before you go on one of these big hikes, practice long hikes with 60 pounds of pack on your back before doing so. show less