Search - A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

We read this book aloud to each other on a long car trip, and what a great choice it was! It lent itself well to being shared, and was incredibly funny. Mr Bryson provides a delicious account his personal trip on the Appalachian Trail, adding information about the history of the Appalachian Trail, some of the flora and fauna, and some information about the National Parks Service, of which he most definitely has an opinion. Don't let the information bits put you off reading the book; you need the breaks from laughing.

I'm a backpacker; the kind of person who packs up a pack with a tent and food and disappears for long periods of time in the woods on marked trails. When not in the woods, I'm frequently on a backpacking discussion forum. From time to time, Bryson's name comes up as the ultimate definition of "not a backpacker". When this happens, half of the posters defend him, stating that even though he did not hike the entire Appalachian Trail, his text is inspiring enough that it has led others to the trail. The other half of the posters call him a sniveler and a whiner.

I had to see for myself, so I ordered a copy of his book. Okay, so Bryson is not a trail legend like Jack Tarlin or Minnesota Smith (the latter being someone who is known to overpack toilet paper to the tune of six rolls for a week long hike). But while Bryson cannot contribute an expert's account of a difficult sport, he can provide a humorous tale of two average folks who are ill equipped for the rigors of backpacking. Furthermore, he does it while incorporating a good deal of interesting trail history.

So to those who would quibble about whether the mileage Bryson has logged qualifies him to write a book, I say: "Put down your argument and pick up this book!"

Let me begin with how disappointed I am with this book. I didn't read it all. As a matter of fact, I got as far as the trip through the Great Smoky Mountains. At that point I was so angry with Mr. Bryson that I put the book down and swore to never read another word written by him. It was terrible the way he made fun of the small towns and people. The last straw was his comments on the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge TN. I am from that area and I am deeply offended!!!!!! On a scale of 1 to 10 I give this book a -10

Very funny and informative. A great read that makes you want to put down the book and get out on the trails.

Dappled with mildly amusing prose, Bryson gives the reader a good feel for what a really long hike is like.

This was a my first time reading Bill Bryson and I now can add another author to my list of favorites. He is a great story teller and so very funny! Looking forward to reading some of his other books.