A Walk in the Woods

Hiking, humor, and environmentalism

I love hiking, and this book was a glorious celebration of hiking. It contained quite a bit more on the history of ecological management in the eastern United States than I expected, but those parts were interesting too and served as nice interludes to the primary travelogue narrative.

This book is a delightful string of awfully well-written anecdotes from the experience of the author and his unlikely hiking mate. I think I actually laughed out loud at parts, and was definitely chuckling to myself most of the way imagining these two bumbling, tubby men with dry, sharp wits trudging through one of the longest, oldest, and certainly difficult trails to hike. Just enough facts and history combed throughout to learn most of what you need to know about the Appalachian trail, this book was charming and fun and would make anyone want to hike the AT.

I never really cared about the Appalachian Trail before reading this book. I'm an indoor kid, with very little interest in flora, fauna, or backpacking. But what an interesting, charming read. I love it when authors take bit of natural history and turn it into an indelible piece of America. Bryson has done that with this book. And he's such an affable, friendly guy. Who wouldn't want to spend a summer in the forest with him?

This book convinced me I will never hike the Appalachian Trail, and Bill Bryson was nuts to try. I had to read this book in very small bits, because it was so funny, I was afraid I would hurt myself laughing so much.

This book was fantastic. It did not follow where I expected it to go, which was exciting since it still went somewhere great that I couldn't predict.

Characteristically warm and funny, Bill Bryson's account of walking the Appalachian Trail will make you want to take up trail hiking, or at least go for a reasonably long walk.

A very informative misadventure on the Appalachian Trail. I still chuckle thinking about it.

My grandpa recommended this book to me twenty years ago. We had gone on several backpacking trips together in the northwest, so it was a topic we both had an interest in. However, I had certain expectations about this book based on what I knew of my grandpa. He was a man who held tightly to Christian beliefs and principles and frowned upon vulgar language. Thus, when shortly into this book the author used language my grandpa would never use, I was surprised.

What I liked about the book:
- Hearing the tales of normal people (not outdoor junkies) like me who set out on an epic backpack adventure.
- The air of authenticity in the tone of the narrative.
- As a conservationist, I appreciated how the author gives facts and opinions about the state of the forested areas interspersed throughout the story narrative. I would be interested to learn how conservation efforts along the Appalachian Trail have changed in the last twenty years.

What I didn't like:
Most of what I didn't like is minor.
- There is more swearing in the book than I'm accustomed to. This I see as a cultural thing and not so much a moral thing. With exception to when characters use the name of Jesus Christ frivolously.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It gave me a new perspective of the Appalachian Trail, its history, and what its future could be. I also appreciated that the book shows how we can get out and enjoy nature without having to do it a certain way, like hiking that AT all the way through in one go.

I am definitely interested in reading more from Bryson and can see myself reading this book again in the futre.

Delightful and hilarious.

Usually I go for the paper-and-glue versions of books, but the audio book for A Walk in the Woods was even more riveting and entertaining. Bill Bryson has such a dry sense of humor that it can only be truly appreciated in audio form. I also loved hiking from an everyman's perspective. By having the story of challenging the Appalachian Trail by someone who hasn't been training or marathon hiking his whole life, I was brought into the story more easily and could appreciate every little laugh and hardship all the more.

Bill Bryson. A middle-aged guy and a friend hike the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail...or, at least, 890 miles of it. Funny.


Reread:
Oh, how I love Bill Bryson. He's everything I look for in an author. A good writer. Brave, but not too much. Human. And funny. Most of all, funny.

So last week I reread A Walk in the Woods. I reread it slowly. It was one of those books you don't want to end. All along the way you are laughing. You just have to laugh at Bryson. He tries to do the hard thing, but it's...well, hard. And his companion, Katz, is equally human. Quintessential Americans.

So much fun.

I'm a bit disappointed in this book. I really wanted to like it as I love hiking and camping and am very interested in the AT and the PCT and other “treks” like this.. And parts of it were good, however other parts are so long winded that it's a drag to get through.

I also did not like how Bryson seems to mock other people on the trail (actually it seemed like he mocked most everyone else mentioned in the book). He took on this holier than thou attitude towards others even though he and Katz themselves were very ill prepared.

This is my favorite Bill Bryson book. It's a great mix of quirky characterization, self-reflection, and poignant environmental history, all written with a great sense of humor. And bears.

I listened to the audiobook and always enjoy when the author reads it. This was no exception.

This was a solid, entertaining read and a good pick if you like reading about nature/travel/quests. I most enjoyed the parts with his hiking buddy Katz and it's inspired me to take more walks, look more, and consider attempting some physical feat.

I really thought this book was outstanding. Starting out as an introduction to the Appalachian Trail, I enjoyed Bryson's mixture of hiking and trail lore with the right mix of humor. Later on, he introduces us to a lot of the history and geology of the region. very readable.

Full of Bryson fun facts peppered through a little story of two guys who were friends in their youth hiking the AT together.

It'll make you wonder whether you're due a walk in the woods.

Because I listened to this and bits of his other books with the same narrator on audiobook, I couldn't help thinking Bill Bryson sounded like a friendly American voice artist. I looked him up and found out in actual fact he has literally the most intersectional American/British accent I've ever heard in my life.

A funny account of 40-something “mountain men” taking on the famous Appalachian Trail - a wilderness of nearly 2200 miles, this book made the dormant wanderlust in me want to go out there and have some adventures!

Very enjoyable read.

Original thoughts:Nope. Just nope. I'm pissed at this book. I'll tell you why when I calm down.A couple weeks later:SPOILER ALERT... but not really... this book is not about hiking the Appalachian Trail... it's about hiking a tiny section and then hitching a ride to a hotel to spend the night in a cushy bed and then quitting to go on a book tour and then coming back and deciding to quit again... and then... well you get it. And this book is also about how much Bill Bryson hates the National Park Service. I did learn a lot of random facts about the hand America has had in killing nature, but there is very little about the soulful experience of hiking the trail.Hiking the Appalachian Trail is something that has always been on my bucket list.. one day I will. When I pick up books like this, I want to be inspired to go out there and experience it for myself. I don't expect it to be all rainbows and sunshine. I know it's a hard thing to do a thru-hike... but damn - Bill Bryson and his friend are just QUITTERS, BIG BABY QUITTERS. I was not inspired by this book at all. It really just makes me mad that he wrote a book like this and made a lot of money off of it and it's now being made into a movie... for nothing.Don't waste your time on this one. Go read [b:Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail 12262741 Wild From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail Cheryl Strayed https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354159655s/12262741.jpg 17237712] instead. It's a great example of a hiker's inspiring journey... maybe I'm just spoiled by it.

This book was an absolute delight! Bryson is a fantastic writer. I enjoyed both the historical and scientific aspects he included about the Appalachians and his whimsical way of relaying his mishaps and adventures on the trail. Bryson does a wonderful job highlighting a beautiful part of the United States and reminds me that there is still wilderness left in the modern world.

So I didn't finish it. I enjoyed it for a while until he got smug. I didn't like how he talked about people he met as if he was superior to them. Also, with the way he talks about women (which is really not needed) this book is obviously geared towards men, which is a real shame.
Dear author, don't you think women would want to read this book too? Apparently not.

Bill Bryson's “A Walk in the Woods” is as hilarious in 2018 as when I first read it in 1997. This book is the perfect blend of travelogue, history, humor, and memoir.

There is something I find so relatable about Mr. Bryson, perhaps because he is an anglophile, a nerd, and quite silly. And, frankly, who doesn't want to hear about a pair of middle-aged men hiking the Appalachian Trail, both largely unprepared for the monumental physical and mental task in front of them.

Many members of my book club had not read the book before and found it delightful for January, when the Chicago area is cold and snowy. One member had the following comment: “Confession: I now understand why my sister likes Bryson, who I have avoided for years.” That, I think, should be reason enough to give this now-classic a shot. One member recommended “The Last American Man” by Elizabeth Gilbert (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23202.The_Last_American_Man)

Fans may enjoy the following interview and reading by Mr. Bryson on CSPAN from 1998: https://www.c-span.org/video/?105484-1/a-walk-woods

In addition, the movie version starring Robert Redford (older and fitter than Mr. Bryson at the outset of the novel) and Nick Nolte (hilarious as the bumbling Katz) is really worth a watch; I was hesitant because the book is so lovely and, I thought, too difficult to film.

I pulled the following questions together from LitLovers.com and other sources for use in the group's 01/27/18 discussion: