remo
Written on Sep 28, 2019
'Short of doing it yourself, the best way of escaping into nature is to read a book like A Walk in the Woods.' New York Times
In the company of his friend Stephen Katz (last seen in the bestselling Neither Here nor There), Bill Bryson set off to hike the Appalachian Trail, the longest continuous footpath in the world.
Ahead lay almost 2,200 miles of remote mountain wilderness filled with bears, moose, bobcats, rattlesnakes, poisonous plants, disease-bearing tics, the occasional chuckling murderer and - perhaps most alarming of all - people whose favourite pastime is discussing the relative merits of the external-frame backpack.
Facing savage weather, merciless insects, unreliable maps and a fickle companion whose profoundest wish was to go to a motel and watch The X-Files, Bryson gamely struggled through the wilderness to achieve a lifetime's ambition - not to die outdoors.
A Walk in the Woods is now a major feature film starring Robert Redford, Emma Thompson and Nick Offerman.
- ISBN10 1784161446
- ISBN13 9781784161446
- Publish Date 13 August 2015 (first published 1 November 1997)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd
- Imprint Black Swan
- Format Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
- Pages 336
- Language English
Reviews
readingwithwrin
Written on Apr 3, 2017
Not going to lie, if I hadn't seen the movie first I wouldn't have even given this book a second glance.
Bryson decides one night that he is going to walk the Appalachian trail. The problem? He doesn't hike and his wife doesn't want him to do the trail alone in case he would get injured. So as he does some research he calls up all of his old friends he knows. And as to be expected they all think he is crazy, and pass on the opportunity to do it with him. That is until one day he gets a call from Stephan Katz who he hasn't talked to in years, nor does he really like. Katz wants to do the trail with him.
Now I know what you're thinking they why would you do the trail with someone you haven't spoken to in years and don't even like. Well simple Bryson wants to do the trail and he needs a partner to do so. So even if that person is Katz who is slow as all can be, and makes some questionable choices throughout the whole experience. He is determined to make it through with him.
As time goes on and the two become friends they learn a lot about each other. As well as learning to dislike a certain other hiker who is rather annoying to hike with all day. They learn how to survive the long days, and sore feet. In the end they actually end up making a pretty good team.
The things they get up to in the towns they passed through were hilarious to read, as well as Katz questionable idea of what was necessary to bring on the trail and his ability to throw certain things away that were actually needed!
Overall I did enjoy this book, and getting to learn a little bit more about both Bryson and Katz. At time though I'm not going to lie the little bits of random information about the trail itself got to be a little bit much as time went on. I just wanted to hear more about Bryson and Katz not so much about the creator of the trail.
For me personally the movie was better, it took all of the funny and interesting parts of the book and put them into a condensed version that still told the same basic story without ruining any Bryson's & Katz experiences
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ibeforem
Written on Oct 22, 2007