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?

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.

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 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.

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.

It's not as obvious in the first part of the book, but I think overall I'd consider this a travelogue more than a trail walking book: The dips in and out of trail sections, the areas nearby explored, the number of chapters that focus on history related to the trail but not their walking if it. While over half the book is Bryson and Katz's adventures, it's not exclusively a recounting of the trail experience. 
I like that Bryson is openly charmed by the wilderness, that he wants to draw attention to the damage that's been done, the underfunding of the organizations that ensure the preservation of public park ecosystems as well as park and trail facilities, but there's something in the cynical, satirical tone critiquing these resource gaps that put me off. 
Complaints in regards to environmental concerns valid, researching trail dangers understandable, but I didn't love that anytime the subject matter moved off actual trail experiences it was often to focus on a negative aspect of the trail's history or present day. 
I'm used to Appalachian Trail narratives being bulked out with trivia at this point, but there was something a little sensationalist about digging out the gory details to provide wry commentary on. 
Likewise Bryson can paint an exquisitely vivid portrait of the humanity encountered on trail, but that also means that when he's displeased he becomes wittily acerbic when I'm not always sure it's warranted.  
I appreciate the vulnerability shown in recounting their final struggles on the trail, and the relatable idea of the experience being worthwhile even if it wasn't ‘the whole thing.' 
I think if the whole book had been Bryson and Katz keeping each other grounded (and being a haplessly hilarious double act at times) it would have appealed to me more. 

⚠️ Fatphobia, animal death 

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.