A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (1997)

Bill Bryson is probably the best travel writer living today. His books are creating an atmosphere of joy and wanderlust! A Walk in the Woods is a perfect and funny example for that. ( )

I think he hates women. I get that it's supposed to be funny but all the women were either his wife, dead, stupid or fat. I just didn't care for how he talked about women in general.

The book itself was alright. Interesting in some parts, boring in a lot of others. ( )

I fell in love with hiking years ago and when I learned about the legendary Appalachian Trail I was awed and wondered how people could manage to walk the entire trail. I have hiked parts of it in NJ and NY. It is one of those moments that drift up during little moments of reverie; how wonderful it would be to leave behind the boisterous cacophony of civilization and wander through the coniferous woodlands. One day maybe.

Bryson paints vividly the sights and sounds of the trails -- the tweeting birds, flowing rivers and the music the swaying trees make when a soft breeze flows through the forest. There were plenty of humorous moments as well as Bryson speaks of his misadventures with his friend and hiking buddy Stephen Katz.

The book was a joy and it has made me eager to hit the trails once again, with autumn and its colors slowly making their way to the east coast. ( )

I found this book to be a mixed bag. It was part humorous commentary on himself and his friend, and hiking partner, Katz and it was part a lesson on the AT and its flora and fauna. So to really enjoy this book you must like both kinds of writing, or at least be open to it.
Personally, I liked both. I always enjoy learning something when I read. Therefore, I found the “teaching” parts of the book interesting and informative. They were not overly long and were interspersed throughout the entire book so that the story never became bogged done with it.
The actual tale of his trek through the woods with Katz was humorous. But it was also introspective at times. He does not shy away from his own failings in this adventure. He notes that very early in the first day of hiking he realizes just how immensely unprepared he is. Yet he and Katz struggle on.
In the end, Bryson and Katz ended up not being through hikers as planned, but section hikers. It seems Bryson could not stand the Great Smokies section. He and Katz mutually decided to skip over most of the NC section of the AT and rejoined the trail in Virginia.
Even though they only hiked around 800 miles, less than half the total distance of the trail, Bryson had many stories to tell. His musings on the possibility of being mauled by a bear and the encounter with Mary Ellen, a lone hiker in the first days of the trek, were among my favorites. Katz tossing food and other equipment (twice) in an effort to lighten the load was another favorite.
While I wished he had hiked the entire trail, if for no other reason as to have more fodder for stories, he portrayed it honesty and with mirth. A very enjoyable read indeed. I highly recommend it to everyone. ( )

I've read enough...

waste of time.