A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail)

I bought this for my grandma. She loved to read, but recently her eyesight has gotten bad, so she can’t see to read books anymore. She recently moved to a retirement home and I know she doesn’t have a lot of ways to pass the time. She is most familiar with cassette tapes and players, but they are hard to find anymore. I’m so glad I was able to find this audiobook in good condition so I could give it to her. It came quickly and even had a nice handwritten note inside the package telling me they hoped I enjoy the book. I thought that was very kind. Thank you so much!

In his captivating memoir, 'A Walk in the Woods,' Bill Bryson embarks on an ambitious journey to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, a 2,190-mile footpath stretching from Georgia to Maine. This transformative experience not only tests Bryson's physical limits but also leads him to profound insights about himself, America, and the natural world.

Bryson, a seasoned travel writer, approaches the trail with a mix of trepidation and anticipation. Armed with a backpack filled with essential supplies and a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor, he sets off on an adventure that will challenge his body, mind, and soul.

The journey is fraught with obstacles and setbacks. Bryson encounters bears, ticks, and torrential rain, but he also finds solace in the beauty of the wilderness and the camaraderie of fellow hikers. As he progresses along the trail, he delves into the history and lore of the Appalachian Mountains, sharing fascinating anecdotes and insights.

Through his candid observations and witty prose, Bryson paints a vivid portrait of the American landscape. He encounters a diverse cast of characters, from eccentric hikers to wise trail angels, who provide both inspiration and comic relief. Along the way, he explores the environmental challenges facing the trail and the importance of preserving its fragile ecosystems.

Beyond its physical and environmental aspects, 'A Walk in the Woods' is also a journey of self-discovery. Bryson reflects on his own aging body, his relationships, and his place in the world. Through the challenges and triumphs he faces on the trail, he gains a renewed appreciation for life and a deeper understanding of his own strengths and limitations.

Bryson's writing is both entertaining and thought-provoking. He weaves personal anecdotes with historical facts and scientific observations, creating a narrative that is both informative and engaging. His ability to find humor in even the most arduous situations makes the book a delightful read from start to finish.

'A Walk in the Woods' is a must-read for anyone who loves the outdoors, travel, or simply a well-written story. It is a testament to the transformative power of nature and the resilience of the human spirit. Bryson's journey will inspire readers to embrace their own adventures, both physical and emotional, and to appreciate the beauty and fragility of the world around them.

I am an avid reader. Yes, folks, I'm that annoying person who reads while standing in line, and even at red lights. I once finished an entire novel sitting in a doctor's waiting room-- but perhaps that says more about the doctor than it does about my reading abilities. haha. I also hold advanced degrees in both English and writing. I know good writing when I read it, and I have also stumbled wearily through books shoved at me from the hands of well meaning friends: "we know you love to read. Read this one and let me know what you think of it." Gah. Please don't be that person to your friends-- the frightful book foister. Please, I beg of you. Don't be that person. Don't make me flee from your presence like unfiled taxes fleeing from the IRS, to avoid said horrible book dumping.

Tiresome celebrity biographies, reminiscent of a painful 9th grade essay, sold merely because a famous name is on it . . . let's admit it-- what can they really "tell all" about, when their lives are already a literal (equally wearying) open book? Romance novels, with a close up of a muscular hand clutching a lacy red bustier on the front, which after several dreary pages makes me feel like ripping it, literally, in half, and throwing the book away. Cookbooks-- there are a few decent ones in this "here read this!" genre, but many of them are thrown together to make a sale, and let's face it-- when is the last time you actually made a recipe from an actual cookbook? Exactly. You throw it in the bag for the beach, thumb through a few pages while smearing on sunscreen, and then toss it in the 'ole bookshelf when you get home, where it is destined to live for the rest of readless, purgatorial eternity.

A friend recommended "A Walk in the Woods." Sigh, I thought. Another recommendation. I admire the "woods" from a distance, but I fear insects, snakes, vermin, rodents, and even the casual snap of a twig within their clutches. I do not camp. I do not eat camp food. I prefer to have my meals without a side of food poisoning. So you'd be right in thinking that my reaction was something like, "Ugh another referral. I will have less in common with this book than a Protestant would have with the Pope." I started it grudgingly, expecting to do the obligatory dragging of my eyes across the page until it was finally, relievingly, replete.

Boy was I in for a surprise.

Within the first few pages I surprised myself by chuckling. Then laughing. Then outright, from the gut, throwing back my head and howling. I stayed up until almost 1 AM that first night, devouring chapter after chapter, even though I had to be up early for work the next day. I just couldn't put it down. The writing is refreshingly honest-- at once thoughtful, hilarious, sarcastic, and downright well done. This is not the scribbling of a celebrity trying to sell books. This is the tale of someone who has truly lived a once in a lifetime kind of all-American experience. His observations about the conditions of the trails, the miraculous preservation efforts made by volunteers on the trail for decades, and even his views on life, are inspirational. His descriptions of the kooky characters, the beautiful, sweeping vistas of untouched wilderness that he discovered as he rounded thousands of wearying bends in the never-ending trails . . . it's magic. Pure magic. I can almost close my eyes and see it, so vivid are his descriptions of the meadows, the wildflowers, the soft sighing of the trees in the quiet breeze.

I've always said that the best kind of writing contains three elements. First, it is relevant/relate-able to all. It takes an incredible author to take a subject about which I have little interest (camping), and make it relevant and interesting to me, yet he does. Second, it should have humor-- not the "polite chuckle" kind of humor, but a real, genuine, gut laughing kind of humor, hidden delightfully throughout the text, waiting to surprise you like golden treasure where you would least think to look. Third, it should have moments of piercing, beautiful clarity-- moments when you find yourself, for reasons you almost can't explain, blinking back the tears as some particularly poignant thought resonates through your very being.

Bill Bryson delivers richly on all three counts. This book ended with my feeling deliciously and completely satiated, in every way. I laughed until my sides were sore, I cried at the honest, beautiful tendrils of his story as it wrapped its beautifully written arms around my heart. I shook my head solemnly with a deep, "Mmmm, yes" at the inspirations recorded within the story as he discovered, not just the beauty of the Appalachian Trail, but the beauty of life, warmth, family, and companionship. Perhaps the beauty of America is that a little bit of the magic resides in the heart of all of us. That's the message here. And it's a darned inspirational one.

I haven't done this often, but a few times in my life a book is so wonderful-- so stupendous-- that I just can't bear to end it. So the moment I finish, I move my bookmark back to chapter 1. Not ending-- just starting again.

My bookmark is resting in chapter 1 of this one.

Nobody does travelogues better than Bill Bryson, and A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail is a combination of funny, informative, reflective, depressing and thoroughly entertaining. It was an especially relevant read for me as my nephew just got done hiking 1/3 of the Appalachian Trail (AT) from Georgia to Virginia. It was interesting to compare his experiences with Bryson's.

Bryson moves back to the United States after a 20 year absence and his new hometown is Hanover, NH. He becomes interested in the Appalachian Trail as it passes through Hanover. He decides that he is going to walk the AT and the only volunteer that he can get to accompany him is an old college buddy and recovering alcoholic, Stephen Katz. Walking the trail "would get me fit after years of waddlesome sloth. It would be an interesting and reflective way to reacquaint myself with the scale and beauty of my native land after nearly 20 years of living abroad. It would be useful (I wasn't quite sure in what way, but I was sure nonetheless) to learn to fend for myself in the wilderness. When guys in camouflage pants and hunting hats sat around in the Four Acres Diner talking about fearsome things done out-of-doors, I would no longer have to feel like such a cupcake."

Bryson begins in Georgia and along the way, he talks about the fascinating history of the trail, "the granddaddy of long hikes." From Georgia to Maine, it transverses 2100+ miles. Thru hikers accomplish the entire trail in one trip. Section hikers may hike the entire trail, but a section at a time. Sometimes it takes years or even decades to walk the entire AT. Hikers must carry everything they need including tents, sleeping bags, cooking utensils, food, water, clothes, and personal items. Most packs weigh between 40-50 pounds. For most of the trip, hikers are out of range of cell phones, internet access and electricity. Towns along the way to purchase more food and supplies can be miles off the trail. Of all those who start the AT, "no more than 10 percent actually make it. Half don't even make it past central Virginia, less than a third of the way. A quarter get no farther than North Carolina, the next state. As many as 20 percent drop out the first week."

Some of Bryson's experiences were funny (especially with side-kick Katz) and some were quite awesome. But there is also lots to be depressed about on the AT. Animals have become extinct. Songbirds have decreased by 50% and their decline continues each year. Blights and diseases have already killed off the chestnuts and elms and are threatening other species. The National Park Service is being starved for funding as visitor numbers soar. "Campsites and interpretation centers have been shut, warden numbers slashed, and essential maintenance deferred." And then there are the injuries and deaths caused by wildlife, accidents, stupidity, and even crimes (although overall, the AT is not a crime-ridden locale). Hiking the AT is not to be taken lightly.

You will have to read A Walk in the Woods to see if Bryson achieves his goal of walking the entire trail. But the author definitely learned some important lessons along the way. "I learned to pitch a tent and sleep beneath the stars. For a brief, proud period I was slender and fit. I gained a profound respect for wilderness and nature and the benign dark power of woods. I understand now, in a way I never did before, the colossal scale of the world. I found patience and fortitude that I didn't know I had. I discovered an America that millions of people scarcely know exists." Too bad that more of us don't get an opportunity to disconnect from the modern world and connect with nature on such a personal level.