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Summary: I LOVE BILL BRYSON!
Review: This was the first book of Mr. Bryson's that I have read. It is extremely funny and yet factual at the same time. I really learned a lot and had a lot of fun doing it. Rarely do I laugh out loud when reading a book, but this will make you snicker later on when you remember things that happen in this book. I plan on reading all of his books! Thanks Bill!
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Summary: hilarious and informative
Review: Bill Bryson may not have been able to complete the AT in one season, but he did succeed in writing a book that was, in turns, hilarious, insightful, informative and achingly sad. Bill writes beautifully, and his ascerbic wit is well balanced by his self-deprecating humor. Despite all of Bryson's and Katz' misadventures, the book makes me want to section hike the AT so that I can experience the beauty of the wilderness that I know still exists in this country and meet wacky characters similar to those that Katz and Bryson encountered.For all of you readers who were "disappointed" or "cheated" because Bryson didn't finish the trail, or because he didn't write a rabid environmental screed or a step-by-step manual on how to hike the AT: I suggest that YOU hike the entire 2,100 mile trail in one season and write your own book. I'm SURE it will be a hit.
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Summary: A very good book!
Review: If you are into hiking or wilderness travel, you will enjoy this book. As you read about his hiking buddy, think John Candy.
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Summary: Even Non hikers will love this book
Review: I have NEVER been interested in hiking, so when "A Walk in the Woods" was suggested to me, I was very resistant. I lamented that I hated hiking and spelunking so why would I want to read about it. But Mr. Bryson talks about much, much more. The most fascinating part of the book was when he talked about Centralia, Pennsylvania. Centralia was a huge mining town until they realized that something was terribly wrong with the city. Of course, you'll have to read the book to find out what! The people he meets along the AT are very ironic. In fact, you wish sometimes they weren't Americans. The pecuiliar characters along the trail make the book all the more exciting. But...I'm glad Bill Bryson met them, not me. Although the book centers around the AT, is not about hiking. It's about science and life. The lessons you learn from going on his adventure are unbelievable. Non-hikers: Don't wait to read this as long as I did. It's a very, very, well done book.
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Summary: My Personal Favorite....
Review: This is the kind of book that you want to give as a gift to everyone you consider close, because it is such a joy to read, and you are certain others will enjoy it just as much. Never have I read a book that was not only this funny, but that perfectly transposed an excellent history lesson on the the East Coast, from Georgia to Maine. You will find yourself laughing from the very beginning, when the author describes the preparation (or lack of) his buddy Katz, whom he hadn't spoken to for years, and who was out of work and decided to join him when he caught wind of the upcoming trek. They start from the southern most portion, as most "Thru-Hikers" do (those who do it end to end) and it happens to be the coldest Feb. day in northern Georgia history, with snow and ice awaiting their departure, and Katz not wanting to leave the warm lodge and hot pancakes as he schmoozes with the waitress. The rest is an informative, entertaining and laugh out loud journey as Bryson and Katz discover not only how much work this trudge is going to be, but also explore the quirks of fellow hikers and the peculiarities of towns that border the trail, while the author never loses sight of the evolution of this beautiful area, from the plague which has almost wiped out the mighty American Chestnut that once covered the land, to a fire in an underground mine in Pennsylvania that still burns out of control since it started in the 80's and forced the evacuation of the town, which still has vacant homes and fire hydrants on empty streets. This book is much more than a look at the Appalachian Trail. This is a book about America.
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Summary: What a trip!
Review: I had bought this book as a gift for someone who enjoyed it so much I bought a copy for myself. What a gem! Other than CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, there has been no book which made me laugh out loud, time and again. Seeking more of Bryson's keen wit, I read (available on Amazon) NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, a similarly-written account of his sojourn through England. Not as laugh-out-loud funny, but a funny-bone tickler nonetheless. If you liked WALK, you'll like SMALL ISLAND.
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Summary: The quintessential travelogue
Review: Bryson's book is what all travelogues ought to be. Part informative, part adventure, part humorous, and part introspective. He doesn't get too bogged down in any one of these, but provides enough to make this a well-rounded look at this unique piece of America. His travelling companion, Katz, is one of the most entertaining characters in this or any other book in this genre. I hope he travels with him more often in future sojourns.
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Summary: Experiencing a very special part of America
Review: Subtitled, "Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail", the author, Bill Bryson, brings the reader along with him, a novice hiker, who, at the age of 44, has just returned to the United States after 20 years in England. He's been a journalist for British publications and has written several travel memoirs. Now it was time to experience a part of the America he left behind by hiking this famous trail. The Appalachian Trail consists of 2,100 rugged miles along the east coast and passes through 14 states from Georgia to Maine, built with the labor from public works in the 1930s. It has been re-routed slightly over the years and has never achieved the ideal which included many comfortable rest areas. Environmental disasters have taken its toil as well as the blunders and shortsightedness of governmental organizations. But it still exists as a challenge for hikers who often hike just a part of the trail. With a companion from his college days, the overweight and sometimes blundering Stephen Katz from Des Moines, Bryson starts out in Georgia with the plan of completing the entire trail. They know this is a challenge for them. Both of them are novices, and with a sense of depreciating humor, he shares his personal point of view with the reader -- his apprehensions, his fatigue, the people he meets, the places he visits and his companionship with his friend. Not is all deep woods, however, and their infrequent sojourns to towns where they can occasionally go to a restaurant and sleep in a motel are welcome relief before they pick up their packs again and once more walk all day and sleep in their tents at night. And then there is the part of the trail where they must sleep in rat-infested shelters with other hikers and well as weather conditions that include a roaring blizzard and icy conditions. My son-in-law has hiked part of the Appalachian trail and gave me this book. It gave me insight into some of the experiences he must have had. And it also made me yearn for an outdoor adventure myself. But whether you are a skilled outdoors person, or an armchair traveler like me, this book is a wonderful read.
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Summary: fascinating
Review: I was thinking about hiking the AT. Now I definitely know I won't. However, I can't wait to get out and walk in the woods. The book is very inspirational and very funny. But if you have your heart set on hiking the AT, don't read it until after you have finished or quit the hike.
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Summary: Appalachian Challenge
Review: This book was very informative. I learned a lot about the Appalachian Trail that I had never known before. I also was intrigued by the information that the author shared about the environment in our nation in general. I love to hike, but can tell that I would be challenged mightily by this trail.
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