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A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
by
Bill Bryson
Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes--and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witn...more
Paperback, 276 pages
Published
September 8th 2010
by Broadway
(first published May 4th 1998)
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It's been a busy couple of weeks, so I thought I'd spent the last of my holiday indulging in a witty travelogue to set my feet itching. Unfortunately, I picked the wrong book. Years of declining the advice of the Bryson-worshipers, it seems, was not in vain.
I'm halfway through, and - like the author on the daunting trail - am unsure as to whether or not I can finish my task. Bryson sounds, to put it mildly, a real jerk. He's smug and superior, and spends most of the book complaining ...more
I'm halfway through, and - like the author on the daunting trail - am unsure as to whether or not I can finish my task. Bryson sounds, to put it mildly, a real jerk. He's smug and superior, and spends most of the book complaining ...more
Undoubtedly an amusing, breezy read, full of the kind of fun and hilarity all the blurbs lead you to expect. For instance, "Hunters will tell you that a moose is a wily and ferocious forest creature. Nonsense. A moose is a cow drawn by a three-year-old." That had me laughing on the train.
I can't say I liked this book quite as much as some of my friends seem to. On the one hand, I've had at least 1 semi-grueling backpacking experience with a companion who was wholly unpre...more
I can't say I liked this book quite as much as some of my friends seem to. On the one hand, I've had at least 1 semi-grueling backpacking experience with a companion who was wholly unpre...more
I have read most of Bill Bryson's books and they are all good-- excellent even. His gift is in his ability to detect the humor in any situation. Where you or I might see a man walking down the street he sees something, and articulates it so well, packed with humor. But this book is his best. The reason, I think, is that it takes him out of his element. His natural writing style is this so-called "travel writing" genre-- the idea that someone goes somewhere and writes about it and ...more
I live within a couple miles of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, and I have toyed with day hikes and weekend treks up and down the trail near home, so I picked up this book to glimpse the musings of Bill Bryson on the experience of doing the whole trail.
I've been somewhat drawn to Bryson for a while. Although I've never read any of his work, somehow I knew I would like his style. I did.
In a walk in the woods, Bryson manages to take you along with him and his burnt out b...more
I've been somewhat drawn to Bryson for a while. Although I've never read any of his work, somehow I knew I would like his style. I did.
In a walk in the woods, Bryson manages to take you along with him and his burnt out b...more
Jack
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review of another edition
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Recommends it for:
anyone still breathing
Shelves:
jackrecommends,
reallygoodstuff
Imagine a grueling, four-month wilderness trek along the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Your guide: an intellectual, who lived half his life in England, well versed in geology, zoology, ecology and pretty much all of the other ‘ologies.’ Yet, this far from ordinary guide summons the sparkle of Twain, and of Billy Crystal. Picture all of this for a sense of what can be found inside the covers of Bill Bryson’s "A Walk in the Woods." Bryson, a self-deprecating intellectual ...more
I have a friend in Vermont who spent his honeymoon hiking the Appalachian Trail. It took them 6 months, start to finish. They now live in a home powered by solar batteries. Like Bryson, their respect for nature is very real. This is an entertaining account of Bryson's experience and can vicariously give us a sense of what it might be like to live without the conveniences we have come to take for granted.
Bryson has a great sense of humor, and does a good job of capturing the quirkiness of backwood folk. However, I was sometimes frustrated by his viewpoints, which dampened my opinion and enjoyment of this book. For instance, Bryson says on page 199:
"To tell you the truth I was getting a little wearied of this [remote wilderness]. I know the Apalachian Trail is suposed to be a wilderness experience, and I accept that there are countless places where it would be a tragedy for it to...more
"To tell you the truth I was getting a little wearied of this [remote wilderness]. I know the Apalachian Trail is suposed to be a wilderness experience, and I accept that there are countless places where it would be a tragedy for it to...more
LINDA
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Recommends it for:
Nature Lovers
Shelves:
nature,
discovered-in-the-details
At the recomendation of one of my bosses I took this book along on a strenuous 10 mile backcountry hike in Shenandoah that was full of amazing mountain-top vistas, stream crossings, and beautiful rocky trails framed with fall folliage.
It is a hilarious book that recounts Byson's aventure of preparing for and hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail- which actually passes through Shenandoah just miles from where we were camping.
I had started reading the book in ...more
It is a hilarious book that recounts Byson's aventure of preparing for and hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail- which actually passes through Shenandoah just miles from where we were camping.
I had started reading the book in ...more
Finishing Part 1, I feel so let down. Bill and Katz have left the AT and gone their separate ways, promising to return end of summer. Now it's no secret they won't conplete the through-hike. I just about feel like giving up the remaining pages myself.
This is my first Bryson read, and it's everything I heard it would be. I like Bryson's sarcastic humor. It's chuckle out loud funny, mostly because I spent 1990-1993 section-hiking the AT. Been there--done that so to speak (except for th...more
This is my first Bryson read, and it's everything I heard it would be. I like Bryson's sarcastic humor. It's chuckle out loud funny, mostly because I spent 1990-1993 section-hiking the AT. Been there--done that so to speak (except for th...more
This summer my family visited Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County in Northern California, and from that moment onward I have been smitten with the park's tranquil beauty. And I seriously think I was bitten by the hiking bug. It was absolutely breathtaking there. I'm yearning to go back into those deep, shady woods, look upward into the treetops, reach my hands outward at my sides, close my eyes, and do one of those in-the-moment twirls while taking the deepest breath of what I call pe...more
At the dawn of the twentieth-century, journalists, travel writers, social workers, and adventure seekers descended on the Appalachian Mountains in droves, expecting to find a land of violent, uneducated "hillbillies" whose primary occupations were distilling illegal alcohol and killing one another. That they were mistaken in their assumptions has been demonstrated time and again, in both popular and academic literature.
Almost 100 years later, writer Bill Bryson took a walk...more
Almost 100 years later, writer Bill Bryson took a walk...more
Quite seriously the funniest and most inspiring book I've read in a long time. The first half (or so) of the book with Katz was hilarious. The brief intermission without Katz was very interesting, but damn, I couldn't wait for Katz to show up again. The last few chapters when Bryson and Katz were hiking the 100 mile wilderness in Maine were tear-and-convulsion-inducingly hilarious. Wonderful, wonderful read!
This entire book is worth the read if only for the part that Bryson describes...more
This entire book is worth the read if only for the part that Bryson describes...more
i always tell people that they will either love this (and most of his other) books to death, or that they will find them utterly unamusing. i find them hilarious. i have never laughed so hard while reading a book as with Bryson's books. Give it a go--you'll know after the first few chapters whether you share his witty, tasteful sense of humor or not:)
Bill Bryson writes a travel story about his adventures on the Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine in the USA.
The book overall fails to deliver in the way that I have come to expect from Bryson (Having previously read and loved The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America, In a Sunburned Country and Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe).
One thing that surprised me was that Bryson avoids discussing the sites around him. Was the trail breathta...more
The book overall fails to deliver in the way that I have come to expect from Bryson (Having previously read and loved The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America, In a Sunburned Country and Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe).
One thing that surprised me was that Bryson avoids discussing the sites around him. Was the trail breathta...more
This book was recommended by a friend who thought I might like Bill Bryson's humorous travelogue of his northbound hike through the eastern United States. The cover extolled the author's knack for "wringing the humor out of a soggy sleeping bag." Hilarious travelogue is just the sort of writing I like to aim for on my own trips around the U.S. and in other countries. That's because human nature can be so filled with contradictions and irony, and because I enjoy watching people.
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This is a wonderful book to listen to while traveling with a group of people. It will keep you interested and laughing heartily all the way to your destination.
Bryson decided one day that it would be a neat thing to hike the Appalachian Trail – all 2,160 miles of it (although the actual length varies depending on the page you might be on in the official guides or what year it is, because the trail is constantly being changed and moved).
Deciding to do a little research, he...more
Bryson decided one day that it would be a neat thing to hike the Appalachian Trail – all 2,160 miles of it (although the actual length varies depending on the page you might be on in the official guides or what year it is, because the trail is constantly being changed and moved).
Deciding to do a little research, he...more
Since I was going to be spending six days in Virginia (Roanoke) and Tennessee (Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge), I thought it would be fitting to read Bryson's book about trekking the Appalachian Trail.
I figured that this book would be much like his others--full of comedic prose and a smidgen of factiod thrown in to keep nerds like me happily reading. In some ways, that was there, but it was also rich in history and statistics about the various areas of the trail from Georgia to Maine....inc...more
I figured that this book would be much like his others--full of comedic prose and a smidgen of factiod thrown in to keep nerds like me happily reading. In some ways, that was there, but it was also rich in history and statistics about the various areas of the trail from Georgia to Maine....inc...more
I found this book to be very funny and entertaining. However, I felt that his research and "editorializing" about natural resource management was somewhat lopsided. He is extremely critical of federal agencies such as the National Park Service and the US Forest Service, who really accomplish a lot with little financial resources. His assertion that the Forest Service's job is to merely cut down trees and build roads shows a general lack of knowledge concerning the science behind for...more
Reread. I was just in the mood. It was interesting, because the last time I read this book I had just discovered Bill Bryson and I read a whole bunch of his books all at once; this time I got to see more clearly how this one stood out from the pack. It's definitely not my favorite—I think that would probably be Notes From a Small Island, if only because I am equally bewitched by the subject matter—but it's a solid effort all around. I think the best stuff is the stuff about Stephen Katz, who w...more
This is my first book of Bryson and already I'm in love. What a fantastically witty writer and his job is what every journalist (whether they realize it or not) wishes it could be -- traveling the world and doing research on the places he visits. The first 40 pages of this book are laugh-out loud funny (seriously, there is one line where Bryson talks about his fear upon encountering a bear where I was crying in bed) but the book, though still VERY humorous, tames down a little once he begins his...more
Really fun book about backpacking, setting goals, and enjoying friends. Backpacking is the strangest of activities I have ever participated in. It is pure hell, which during the hike I am frequently repeating to myself, "what the hell am I doing here", yet everytime when the hike is finished it is the best time I have ever had. Bryson does a fabulous job illustrating this bizaar dichotomy
Bryson is a funny writer, but this book is surely his gem in the comic travel genre. While the author cannot possibly be a slouch, given what he actually achieves, he writes from the perspective of a bumbler who barely manages to make it through. An adventure book for sure, but more than anything laugh out loud funny.
My friend Shelia urged me to read Bill Bryson, and he's an author I'd always intended to read but had not gotten around to yet. She recommended that I start with "A Walk in the Woods," and it was a great recommendation.
It's not a book I would normally be drawn to...I'm not a hard core hiker, I've never been to the Appalachian Trail, and the plot just didn't appeal to me more than other books.
But the sign of a great writer is his or her ability to make nonfiction...more
It's not a book I would normally be drawn to...I'm not a hard core hiker, I've never been to the Appalachian Trail, and the plot just didn't appeal to me more than other books.
But the sign of a great writer is his or her ability to make nonfiction...more
I only laughed aloud twice, which is well below my average when reading Bryson's books.
Outstanding nonetheless, but this was a different kind of Bryson book: still funny, witty, and reflective. However, this book was just a tad more informative than usual. I've always contemplated making my own attempt at hiking the AT, and was completely drawn in by everything the author learned and experienced.
(Nitpicky criticism: The edition of the book I read (the first trade paperba...more
Outstanding nonetheless, but this was a different kind of Bryson book: still funny, witty, and reflective. However, this book was just a tad more informative than usual. I've always contemplated making my own attempt at hiking the AT, and was completely drawn in by everything the author learned and experienced.
(Nitpicky criticism: The edition of the book I read (the first trade paperba...more
Bill Bryson is very amusing as he recalls his attempt to walk the AT with his old friend Katz. A very entertaining book.
I really enjoyed this book. Mostly because it wasn't one of those mid life self discovery nature is zen books. It's about someone I could relate to and his relationship with the Appalachian Trail. He isn't miserable or sad or anything, he just wakes up one day and decides to walk the trail with a buddy and 75 lbs of snickers. Sounds good to me. It was an amazing mix of personal narrative, history about the trail, facts about the flora and fauna of the trail. So so good, made me really excited to...more
This book is laugh-out-loud funny. Admittedly, I am partial to slapstick humor and this book has it in abundance. Besides being informative in a very sneaky way, Bill Bryson's reintroduction to the United States via his ill-advised plan to hike the Appalachian trail provides excellent entertainment. His sidekick, Katz, is his muse. I am always sorry to see Katz go back to Iowa when I read or listen to this book on CD (which is great for driving trips). Overall, I give it high marks. It is ...more
Not as funny as "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid", I still enjoyed this book a great deal. One of the things I loved about "Thunderbolt Kid" is that he presented historical facts with his own hilarious take on them. But in this book, Bryson indulges in environmental and historical tangents a little too frequently. Though I am a lover of all thinks environmental, it detracts from the actual story. I found my self glazing over as he pontificated for the tenth tim...more
Natalie
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Ivy, Scott, Bass
Recommended to Natalie by:
Aaron
OK, to warn you. I read a LOT of non-fiction. About half of what I read is non-fiction, and I firmly believe there is an art to it.
Anyone who thinks Bill is not funny can kiss my butt. I howled with laughter at his discussion about what to do in the event of a bear attack. But I realize humor is a dicey subject, so before I sell you on this book, how about I tell you what kind of a humorist he is, and from that description, you will figure out for yourself whether or not you will ...more
Anyone who thinks Bill is not funny can kiss my butt. I howled with laughter at his discussion about what to do in the event of a bear attack. But I realize humor is a dicey subject, so before I sell you on this book, how about I tell you what kind of a humorist he is, and from that description, you will figure out for yourself whether or not you will ...more
Snowed in at the 'rents up in Seattle, I started reading this because it was sitting on my dad's desk. Hours later, I was still reading, and ended up finishing the whole thing in one day. Bill Bryson has a really engaging writing style, and when he's writing about stuff that's actually happening to him he can be pretty hilarious. His account of attempting to hike the Appalachian Trail with his weird friend Steven Katz (who shows up for the weeks-long hike with a duffle bag full of Snickers bars)...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Bryson | 42 | 285 | Feb 05, 2012 06:20am | |
| Lexington Reads: * "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson | 6 | 34 | Feb 03, 2012 11:39am |
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Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. He settled in England in 1977, and worked in journalism until he became a full time writer. He lived for many years with his English wife and four children in North Yorkshire. He and his family then moved to New Hampshire in America for a few years, but they have now returned to live in the UK.
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“My particular dread--the vivid possibility that left me staring at tree shadows on the bedroom ceiling night after night--was having to lie in a small tent, alone in an inky wilderness, listening to a foraging bear outside and wondering what its intentions were. I was especially riveted by an amateur photograph in Herrero's book, taken late at night by a camper with a flash at a campground out West. The photograph caught four black bears as they puzzled over a suspended food bag. The bears were clearly startled but not remotely alarmed by the flash. It was not the size or demeanor of the bears that troubled me--they looked almost comically nonaggressive, like four guys who had gotten a Frisbee caught up a tree--but their numbers. Up to that moment it had not occurred to me that bears might prowl in parties. What on earth would I do if four bears came into my camp? Why, I would die, of course. Literally shit myself lifeless. I would blow my sphincter out my backside like one of those unrolling paper streamers you get at children's parties--I daresay it would even give a merry toot--and bleed to a messy death in my sleeping bag.”
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“I turned to my own bunk and examined it with a kind of appalled fascination. If the mattress stains were anything to go by, a previous user had not so much suffered from incontinence as rejoiced in it. He had evidently included the pillow in his celebrations.”
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