A Walk in the Woods

First edition US hardcover.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail is a non-fiction memoir written by Bill Bryson and published in 1998-05-05. It recounts his adventures hiking the Appalachian Trail with his friend. In addition to the story, he also includes information about the trail, a history of the US Parks Service, and describes the flora and fauna often seen on the trail. In 2015, the book was adapted into a film.

Personal

I was aware of this book for many years before I finally decided to read it, and, after becoming a fan of Bryson from his books In a Sunburned Country and A Short History of Nearly Everything, I decided to give it a go. I finished it on 2017-11-08.

I do not own the book, but I've listened to the audio book read by William Roberts.

Review

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

• The book is just hilarious; at least once a chapter I laughed out loud.
• It's also very informative, not just about the trail, but also describing the successes and failures the US government has had with the National Park Service.
• The book was interesting the entire time, I was never bored.
• You couldn't find a better advertisement for the Appalachian Trail. It really makes you want to hike it.

Bad

• I'm a bit disappointed that Bryson didn't hike the full trail, but then, he's still hiked a hell of a lot more than the average American, myself included!

Ugly

• Nothing.

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