A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson (1999, Paperback, Reprint)

One of the perks of owning a bookstore is that you have first pick of the new inventory that is either traded in or outright purchased. It can be an adventure to see what treasures are inside the box just waiting to be discovered. "A Walk In The Woods" is one such gem.

Bill Bryson invites you to join him and his friend Stephen Katz on an adventurous and often hilarious hike along the 2100 mile Appalachian Trail that runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia all the way up to Mount Katahdin, in Maine. Of the many who start to traverse the affectionately nicknamed AT, very few have completed the entire arduous and grueling route in stages, and even fewer have been able to accomplish the journey non-stop.

This book contains some very funny stories as well as a lot of informative facts about the AT and Bill references other sources of reading material concerning the AT and the dangers of hiking in the woods; one in particular being the bear. My favorite story by far involves the arrival of Bill's hiking partner at the airport.

Prior to Stephen's emergence from the aircraft, Bill writes about some of the terrifying stories of petrified campers lying in their flimsy tents while listening to a ravenous bear ransacking the campsite because he was drawn by the lingering aroma of cooked meat that is still in your hair, on your clothes and tent fabric. They of course love Snickers and any other tasty morsels that they can score. Then, there are the occasional abductions and mauling...

Needless to say, Bill is a little on edge not wanting his demise to be at the claws and teeth of a hungry bear. When his very large friend disembarks from a short trip from Boston, MA to Hanover, NH, he is already hungry and looking for the nearest doughnut shop; not a good sign. When he is informed that there are no doughnut shops on the trail, Stephen beams and proudly states he had thought of that. He points to a large, very heavy duffle bag and to Bill’s horror, explains, “Snickers. Lots and lots of Snickers.”

As the story progresses, you witness the transformation of two completely clueless and totally out-of-shape greenhorn tourists to a pair of trail weary travelers, to a couple of rugged, experienced veterans of the AT. Hats off to both men, because I know I won’t be seen on the trail…

This is a very good book, well-written and a recommended read. It is a delightful addition to my library and I’m sure that it will be yours, too.

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The best book club books are not always the best reads. They are the ones that you can build a conversation around. A Walk in the Woods is both. A sometimes a hilarious, laugh-out-loud book and also a book that raises questions that make for wonderful discussions. Like were the main characters "really" that funny? Or is this a "fictionalized" documentary? How much "fudging" is allowed before a non-fiction book becomes fiction? If you have ever hiked, you'll relate; if you are a west-coast hiker, you'll understand the difference between east and west coast hiking; if you haven't hiked, you may not want to. The only downside is the author's uninformed and bleak opinions of all government agencies -- surprising since the author does extensive research on history and culture and topics that interest him.

Bill Bryson has a droll and sometimes laugh out loud sense of humor, which made "A Walk in the Woods" so entertaining. His overly ambitious desire to walk the Appalachian Trail is tamed as he and his over-weight buddy Katz, face the grueling reality of hiking the "AT". Interspersed with the adventures of hiking are beautiful descriptions of the silent forest and landscape, and some interesting history of the Appalachian trail. He also makes one aware of the need of conservation of this fragile trail and a Park Service that leaves much to be desired. I enjoyed the book tremendously and would recommend it highly.

A MUST READ.
One of the best books I ever read/true experience of Bill Brysons walking tour through the Appalachian Trail wilderness. His humor blended with events of his travels with his friend will leave you wanting more. It is a book that keeps you hooked. The map page in the front of the book is well-worn because you are constantly turning back to make connections to places he's been along the trail. I wrote my sisters who recommended the book and asked then when we were setting off on a hike. None of us are in condition for such a venture but we can certainly relate. Mom loved the Blue Ridge Parkway--Skyline Drive and we camped there as kids. Sure brought back great memories. I ebayed a second copy, had it sent directly to a friend who has hiked Maine's White Mountains for 11 of his younger years. He too is impressed! (Sent him the book because of the map instead of one of my favorites...audio books because the book is enhanced by being able to follow Bill as he travels along)

Bill Bryson gives a laugh out loud account of his journey on the Appalachian Trail, with his hiking buddy, Katz, and the characters they meet along the way. First half of the book is great and is a good mix of hiking hilarities and notes on the ecology; second half, when he is only doing sporadic day hikes, is a bit of a letdown, with way too many digressions into ecology and preservation issues. He also engages in some negative stereotyping of backwoods mentalities.
That all said, our book club readers loved it for the entertaining account of the trials and foibles of being novice hikers on such a prestigious trail.
It's an easy, enjoyable read.