A Walk in the Woods : Rediscovering America on the AT
Written: Feb 09 '00 (Updated Aug 01 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful imagery, comedy and terror on the trail.
Cons: I can't think of any at the moment.
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| sarahgutch's Full Review: Bryson, Bill |
My husband received this book on tape as a birthday gift. He had read one or two of Bryson's other books and had enjoyed his writing style. We didn't open the box until we had a few hours to travel in the car, and spent the entire trip to our destination and back, entranced. When we stopped on the way, we talked about what we had just heard. We arrived home with the last side of the last tape to go, so the next day (a Sunday afternoon) we got in the car and just drove around side streets of a neighboring town till we finished it.
Bryson returned from 20 years living abroad (and writing about his travels there) and wanted to reacquaint himself with his native land. He reconnected with an old friend, and with very little preparation, they set off to conquer the Appalachian Trail. They begin their adventure in Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia with plans on ending it atop Mount Katahdin in Maine.
The adventures in just assembling food, gear, clothing and maps had me laughing, because I can't see that I would do much better, and I've done my share of tenderfoot camping and hiking myself. Planning for such a monumental achievement as any portion of the AT is sure to be a logistical nightmare, but add that they were gearing up for the survival of two middle-aged, out of shape guys, and it quickly becomes a comedy of errors. The two old buddies turn miscommunication into an art!
They meet up with numerous odd-ball characters in their travels. Bryson describes in stunning detail the physical beauty of the mountains he travels through, and adds quite a bit of interesting detail concerning the history of the Appalachian Trail. I found myself repeating unfamiliar place names, and later looking them up on state maps, mentally placing myself geographically into his story.
Many books on tape are narrated by "famous" voices, but Bryson reads his writing himself with a compelling and expressive voice, which adds an immediacy to the telling... it's as if you're perched on a fallen log in the woods, leaning forward as he tells the tale by the campfire.
This book really gives me an appreciation of this wonderful country of ours and the need to preserve its beauty. It is a perfect illustration of the idea that it's "the journey," not the destination that's important. The best thing about this book is the Bill Bryson walked the AT and told his story so well that I don't have to!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sarahgutch
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Member: Abbie Slaman
Location: NJ
Reviews written: 42
Trusted by: 22 members
About Me:
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