The Longest Walk
by George Meegan
On This Page
Description
Most of us have dreamed of being the hero in some great "pedestrian epic," covering great distances unencumbered by the trappings of modern civilization. George Meegan had a similar dream, only his kept him going for seven years and over 19,000 miles. This is his story, a physical and spiritual odyssey.Tags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Member Reviews
A truly remarkable journey, but a less than remarkable book. George Meegan may be a born walker, he's not a born talker. I have read much worse, but a better editor might have served him well.
A second reason for my moderate rating is that for the first three quarters of the book I found it difficult to relate to him. It was only when he was travelling in the United States and Canada that I connected to the story. It might have something to do with leaving his wife and daughter to their own devices while he was pursuing his personal dream. Of course it is more nuanced than that, and entirely subjective, but still, the feeling was there during a large part of the story. The last quarter is much better when the author and his wife form a show more well working team.
The end of the main story is beautiful, but what is Appendix III (A Short Romp Amid Latin Bureaucracy) doing there? A completely superfluous and chaotic account of a Central American border crossing. Why didn't the author include it in the main story, instead of tagging it to the end - unedited, so it seems? For me, it spoiled the end of the book. show less
A second reason for my moderate rating is that for the first three quarters of the book I found it difficult to relate to him. It was only when he was travelling in the United States and Canada that I connected to the story. It might have something to do with leaving his wife and daughter to their own devices while he was pursuing his personal dream. Of course it is more nuanced than that, and entirely subjective, but still, the feeling was there during a large part of the story. The last quarter is much better when the author and his wife form a show more well working team.
The end of the main story is beautiful, but what is Appendix III (A Short Romp Amid Latin Bureaucracy) doing there? A completely superfluous and chaotic account of a Central American border crossing. Why didn't the author include it in the main story, instead of tagging it to the end - unedited, so it seems? For me, it spoiled the end of the book. show less
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
2 Works 42 Members
Common Knowledge
- Epigraph
- It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by du... (show all)st and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
―Theodore Roosevelt, speaking at the dedication of the Panama Canal
Yes, weekly from Southampton,
Great steamers white and gold,
Go rolling down to Rio.
(Roll down, roll down to Rio!)
And I'd like to roll to Rio
Some day before I'm old.
―Rudyard Kipling
Was that what travel meant?
An exploration of the desert of memory, rather than those around me?
―Claude Lévi-Strauss
Tristes Tropiques - Dedication
- to Anthony Geoffrey Meegan, brother and friend,
the late John Geoffrey Meegan, father, who once raced a little boy down our alley,
and
the late Mrs. Frieda Meegan, Mum, the greatest mum of all - First words
- [Introduction 2007]
Has it been a quarter century since I wrote this story?
[Prologue]
The afternoon of September 18, 1983, on the northern fringe of the Alaskan settlement of Prudhoe Bay, I took the final steps of a seven-year journey as I crosed a few yards of slimy tundra to the edge of the Arc... (show all)tic Ocean and dipped my hand into the cold, silvery waters.
One morning, when the sun was high and surprisingly hot, we were inching along a white stony road. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)No more hills―forever.
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)[Appendix]
I did. And as briskly as my sick body could muster.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 17
- Popularity
- 1,449,021
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.25)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 6
- ASINs
- 1
