A Walk in the Woods Book Review - ScottJohnsonAuthor.com

A Walk in the Woods Summary

“A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering American on the Appalachian Trail” by Bill Bryson is a funny and insightful account of the author’s attempt (ATTEMPT – there I go again) to hike the Appalachian Trail. The trail is one of the longest continuous in the world, stretching over 2,100 miles from Georgia to Maine. Bryson, along with his out-of-shape friend (but not even really that close of a friend) Stephen Katz, embarks on this adventure with little experience in long-distance hiking.

Ultimately, “A Walk in the Woods” is part adventure tale, part buddy comedy, part ecology and history lesson, and probably some other parts thrown in there.

As Bryson and Katz struggle with the physical demands of the hike, they encounter a range of colorful characters and experience both the awe-inspiring and daunting aspects of nature.

The book was released in 1998, recounting the hike 2 years prior (1996.) Do you know what wasn’t very prevalent in 1996? iPhones. GPS. Step trackers. The story definitely conjures a much different picture than if the same hike was (and certainly is) done today with the benefit of hand-held technology.

A Walk in the Woods Quotes

“There is no point in hurrying because you are not actually going anywhere. However far or long you plod, you are always in the same place: in the woods.”

“Black bears rarely attack. But here’s the thing. Sometimes they do.”

“Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than the average American walks in a week.“

“Look, if you draw a two thousand-mile-long line across the United States at any angle, it’s going to pass through nine murder victims.”

“I have long known that it is part of God’s plan for me to spend a little time with each of the most stupid people on earth, and Mary Ellen was proof that even in the Appalachian woods I would not be spared.”

“I was beginning to appreciate that the central feature of life on the Appalachian Trail is deprivation, that the whole point of the experience is to remove yourself so thoroughly from the conveniences of everyday life that the most ordinary things—processed cheese, a can of pop gorgeously beaded with condensation—fill you with wonder and gratitude.”

“What on earth would I do if four bears came into my camp? Why, I would die, of course. “

Who is Bill Bryson?

Bill Bryson is an American-British author known for his witty, engaging, and often humorous writing style. He was born on December 8, 1951, in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Bryson initially gained recognition for his travel writing, where he blends personal anecdotes with historical and cultural insights.

Some of his most popular works include:

“A Walk in the Woods” (1998): A humorous account of his attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail. (You know, the review you’re reading now.)
“Notes from a Small Island” (1995): A travelogue about his farewell tour of Britain before returning to the United States.
“A Short History of Nearly Everything” (2003): A popular science book that explores the history of the universe, earth, and human knowledge in an accessible way.

Bryson’s writing covers a wide range of topics, from travel and science to language and history. He has a unique ability to make complex subjects understandable and enjoyable for a broad audience. Over the years, he has received numerous awards for his contributions to literature, and his books have become bestsellers worldwide.

Bryson doesn’t appear to have a personal website, but he does have a Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/BillBrysonAuthor/

Was A Walk in the Woods Movie Based on the Book?

Yep. Like many movies based on books, this one took several liberties to fit the text to the big screen. One major change was in the movie, Bill Bryson was played by Robert Redford, who was in his 70s at the time of filming. Bryson was in his 40s when he hiked the trail.

Fun fact – My Mom loaned me the DVD of this movie and recommended I watch it. I kept it for about a year, didn’t watch it, then returned the DVD to her. Then a few years later I read this book, not recognizing the tie to the movie I didn’t watch. Then finally I saw the movie on Netflix and realized it was the book I just read and the same movie I never watched despite my Mom’s recommendation!

End of fun fact.

Regardless, the movie was One of the Best Movies About the Appalachian Trail! Actually, I have no idea – it’s the only movie about the Appalachian Trail I’ve ever seen.

Now onto the rating of “A Walk in the Woods”

My innovative system for rating humor books is explained here

Wholesomeness Score: 4/5

A few swears, but otherwise a pretty clean book. Other than the fact it was completely NOT clean in that they were hiking all day and didn’t have showers (very often.) I can’t even fathom that part. I feel like I need to shower if walk to the mailbox above 75 deg F.

Hilarity Score: 3/5

Pretty funny. Not necessarily a ton of hilarious jokes and anecdotes. But the interaction with the gruff character Katz painted a picture of continual amusement.

Overall Book Awesomeness Score: 4/5

I enjoyed this humorous book. It kinda/sorta made me want to hike the Appalachian Trail! Not enough to actually do it, but it at least made me watch the movie based on the book, based on the actual hiking of the trail.

Things I liked:

Imagining a grueling challenge like hiking 2,000+ miles
Learning about the Appalachian trail

Things I didn’t like:

Lack of showers
Bryson and Katz didn’t actually walk the entire trail. It would have been more dramatic had they made it the entire hike. Also more dramatic if they actually had to fight off some bears. Maybe next time, Bryson.

Conclusion: Final Thoughts on “A Walk in the Woods” Book Review

Funny, nature lesson/history documentary/buddy comedy that seemed like a terrible idea from the start (the hiking 2,000+ miles part, not the reading about the hiking 2,000+ miles part.) I thoroughly enjoyed the moments of failure mixed with moments of triumph. Makes we want to go for a hike.

Check it out on Amazon

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