A Walk in the Woods (Movie Tie-in Edition): Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail Mass Market Paperback – August 18, 2015

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.

Bill Bryson is put himself into the wilderness to tackle the infinitely long hike of the Appalachian Trail in the autobiography A Walk in the Woods. I chose this book mostly because I had just come from learning a little about the wilderness in school and I thought the class was interesting. The title made me think of the class, so I thought I should give it a try. The story follows Bill Bryson and his friend Katz as they scale the Appalachian Trail. It tells of the hardships he endures, the views he witnesses, and the people he meets along the way. I would recommend this book to read to people.Bill Bryson uses various elements to help try and bring his experience on the trail to life for the reader. He used styles such as similes and metaphors, and also he did a good amount of showing rather than telling. This is one description he uses to describe one part of the trail; “They [woods] make you feel small and confused and vulnerable, like a small child lost in a crowd of strange legs,” (Bryson, 44). I found and lot of descriptions interesting and ones that pulled my attention. They were able to put pictures in my head of what the environment he was in was like. They might not be able to relate to younger audiences, but teens in high school and up would be able to enjoy and appreciate them. The author’s style of writing can also be tied into how he describes characters in the story.I do not think that I can relate to Bill Bryson’s experiences, because I have never been put into the wilderness like he has. He has done something That I do not think I could tackle right now. As for the characters in his book I feel that I can relate meeting people who act like some of the people that he did. I believe that the characters were well rounded and each had their own kind of personality. Katz, the hiking partner of Bryson, is one such character who I believe has a dynamic personality. In his first conversation with Bryson after meeting face to face Bryson adds that “He saw my look of wonder. ‘Snickers,’ he explained. ‘Lots and lots of Snickers,’” (Bryson, 22). He helps give us an accurate painting of the person by not only how they look, but also the conversations that they have with others. I found myself either liking a character or feeling neutral toward them, except in the case of one or two people Bryson meets along the way.The whole book is in chronological order; there is no trying to fill in what part of the story goes where to put it in order. Throwing the reader in the middle of the book may have not made much difference either way. The book was able to hold my attention for the most part, but some times I did find myself wishing I could skip over a section of the reading. These parts are placed at the beginning of the chapters. They do not pertain to the story so much. They are around for background information about the Appalachian Trail or something that is related to it. The information was helpful in some case, but they also seemed stretched out and long. However, the book was interesting and I was tuned into reading when the actual story was brought back. It became more interesting when he started talking about the views he experienced in the forest. In one part the author describes the trail by saying, “Best of all, there were views, luscious and golden, to left and right,” (Bryson, 124). It was at these parts that I was brought back into the story.The book tells an interesting story of one person’s experience in the woods and is humorous in sections of the reading. However, I so not believe that everyone will get into this book. I did enjoy my mountaineering class in school, but I did find this book hard to stick with at some parts. This book may only be for those who find hiking enjoyable and want to learn about a trail of the U.S. that is not heard about that much.