Book Review: A Walk in the Woods

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have become a big fan of Bill Bryson over the last few years. "A Walk in the Woods" seems to be the book that is most considered his classic, and that has been cemented by the unlikely thought that Hollywood made it into a major motion picture.

"A Walk in the Woods" did not seem like movie material at first. Indeed, as someone came into Bryson's career later, this book seems no better nor no worse than some of his other books.

That said, the ending of the book is really strong and I can see why the movie was born.

There are two sides of the book, and most people seem to hate one or the other. I am the rare reader who love both parts equally. One part is the History of the Appalachian Trail. Bryson finds a lot of trivia and facts about the Trail, points along the way, the United States Park Service, and just in general, America's relationship with nature.

The main story, though is Bryson attempting to walk the Trail. Bryson doesn't quite accomplish that, but he does a big chunk of it. He starts off with a longtime friend Steven Katz. It's Bill and Steven's relationship that drives the story. Admittedly, some hate Bryson as some kind of smug Liberal, but those people are the kind who spend hours each day on Facebook complaining how today's children are on their phones all day.

You can tell real camaraderie between Bryson and Katz, and you probably know a Steven Katz- stubborn and a bit lazy. Katz isn't in shape, but Bryson can't tell him No. Indeed, one can imagine sharing a hike with a friend from decades removed. There is real love between the two though, and the hard labor does push them in directions otherwise not expected.

I enjoyed this book as a Bryson fan. I didn't see where they would get a movie out of this particular book, but there are moments that do seem cinematic, and there is a good 'buddy story' there. I loved all the random facts and appreciate just how dangerous the Trail really is.

I had hesitated to pick this up because it seemed a tedious topic. I do love to hike, but am not a camper, and thought the subject might be fairly limited. I am glad I read it and did really enjoy it for the reasons I gave above. I am not still not sure if it is better or worse than say, Adventures of the Thunderbolt Kid, but it is well worthwhile.



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