5.14.2010

A Walk in the Woods Book Review


I love Bill Bryson, I reviewed I’m a Stranger Here Myself here, and also loved reading Lost Continent. So for my birthday I thought I would continue the trend of Bryson books by picking up both A Walk in the Woods and A Sunburned Country.

I just finished A Walk in the Woods and thoroughly enjoyed it. Bryson has an incredible way of combining elements of; day-to-day observations, wit and humor, as well as historical notes on places and people. He makes the history and significance of the places he’s traveling incredibly interesting. As soon as I began reading this book I found it hard to put down.

The book is about how Bill Bryson decides to hike the Appalachian Trail, which covers over 2000 miles, in total. It is something that demands everything from those who are brave enough to give it a go. After months of planning, Bryson invites friends to come along with him on this adventure. To his surprise, one of his friends, Katz, agrees to go with him.

It’s obvious (Because Bill makes it so) that both of our characters are badly out of place, being out of shape and not experienced in hiking. None-the-less they push on towards their goal of completing the Appalachian Trail. With tons of memorable moments along the way, as well as, memorable people, this is a really fun book to read.

Again, something I love that Bryson does is that he interjects history and science that are relevant to his travel books. It adds an interesting dynamic to his books. I will, for as long as I can, read any new Bryson book that finds their way into my hands. If I were to ever become a writer, I would hope to write with a similar style to Bill Bryson.

Enjoy this day,
Matt

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