"Not long after I moved with my family to a small town in New Hampshire, I happened upon a path that vanished into a wood on the edge of town." So begins Bill Bryson's hilarious book A Walk in the Woods. Following his return to America after twenty years in Britain, Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. The AT, as it's affectionately known to thousands of hikers, 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 test his own powers of ineptitude, and to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings. For a start, there's the gloriously out-of-shape Stephen Katz, a buddy from Iowa who accompanies the similarly unfit Bryson on the trail. Once Bryson and Katz settle into their stride, it's not long before they come across the fabulously annoying Mary Ellen, whose disappearance ruins a perfectly good slice of pie, a gang of Ralph Lauren-attired yuppies from whom Katz appropriates a key piece of equipment, and a security guard in Pennsylvania who, for no ascertainable reason, impounds Bryson's car. Mile by arduous mile these latter-day pioneers walk America, along the way surviving the threat of bear attacks, the loss of key provisions, and everything else this awe-inspiring country can throw at them. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson's acute eye is a wise witness to this fragile and beautiful trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America's last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, a lament, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is destined to become a modern classic of travel literature.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Not a balanced view of Europe: 19 out 22 Chapters are on Western Europe:
PROS:
- Bryson's writing style is fluid and funny. - Good coverage of Western Europe: 19 out of 22 chapters are on it. CONS:
- The subtitle of the book is, "Travels in Europe", but it should have been called "Travels in Western Europe" since that's where 90% of the book takes place. - Bryson has minimal interaction with Europeans, only interacting with the locals briefly, even though he traveled alone. He seems to travel with his guidebook in hand, looking at buildings, but not... more info
A review from someone who actually lives in Europe!! (nearly):
Ok, let me make some things clear for some readers. a) This book does not (well, the version I read 12 years ago did not) present itself to be some sort of travel guide to Europe. If you want a recommendation for the best coffee shop in Rome or the nicest phone both in Hammerfest, buy a Lonely Planet Guide or something like that.
b) Mr Bryson whilst raised in Des Moines, Iowa, lived in the UK for 20 years, latterly near Settle in North Yorkshire, where I oft saw him leaning over dry stone walls,... more info
Hillarious - for a while:
About 100 pages into this book, I was on my way to ordering all of Bryson's books. A few pages later, my pace of reading started to slow down. And then suddenly I couldn't get any further, however hard I tried... Maybe it was partly because his journey started in my home country of Norway, but I found myself laughing out loud constantly during the first part of the book. I also enjoyed the start of his European travels, but as he left Rome, I just didn't care anymore. The jokes seemed to dry up, and... more info
Truly a "tour" de force!:
I'm not much of a traveller, but this book is one of the most delightful romps I've ever been on. Bryson is not only a very funny guy, he has a keen eye for detail, especially the traits that make us all human in our own particular, regional way. I've already started another Bryson book. AW
