If nothing else, A Walk in the Woods is proof positive that the journey is the destination. As Bryson and Katz haul their out-of-shape, middle-aged butts over hill and dale, the reader is treated to both a very funny personal memoir and a delightful chronicle of the trail, the people who created it, and the places it passes through. Whether you plan to make a trip like this one yourself one day or only care to read about it, A Walk in the Woods is a great way to spend an afternoon. --Alix Wilber

Product Description
Stretching from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail offers some of America's most breathtaking scenery. After living for many years in England, Bill Bryson moved back to the United States and decided to reacquaint himself with his country by taking to this uninterrupted "hiker's highway." Before long, Bryson and his infamous walking companion, Stephen Katz, are stocking up on insulated long johns, noodles and manuals for avoiding bear attacks as they prepare to set off on a walk that is both amusingly ill-conceived and surprisingly adventurous. John Muir, Henry David Thoreau, and Peter Jenkins never took a hike like this.

A Walk in the Woods showcases Bryson at the height of his comic powers. Meeting up with characters such as Beulah and her fearsome husband, "Bubba T. Flubba," readers risk snakebite and hantavirus to trudge through swollen rivers, traipse up mountainsteps, and develop a new reverence for cream sodas and hot showers. But Bryson also uses his acute powers of observation to conjure a poignant backdrop of silent forests and sparkling lakes, thereby making a gentle but unforgettable plea for the ecological treasures we are in danger of losing. Fresh, illuminating, and uproariously funny, A Walk in the Woods is travel writing at its very best.

The vast majority of the reviews of the book cite its hilarity (one reviewer called it "choke-on-your-coffee funny"), and indeed there are very many funny parts. However, the deeper I got into the book, I detected a strong shift in the author's sentiment from satire to deep introspection. His observations became more acute, more angry, and more individualized as his long hike constantly brings to his mind the fragile environment of the Trail, the insanity of bureacrats entrusted with the AT, and his own personal limitations.

This was my first encounter with Bill Bryson, and while I found him entertaining, a beautiful writer, and an astute observer, some readers will be put off my his sharp satiric wit. It is certain that he will offend somebody. A friend of mine, who also read the book, was very much upset by the fact that Bryson and Katz didn't hike all 2,200 miles of the Trail, and that somehow their "failure" should prevent the telling of the story. This is utter nonsense and just throws more manure onto the present dung heap that has accumulated from the participants involved in peak bagging, wilderness races, and experiential therapy groups.

Bryson and Katz at least tried to hike the entire AT, and they returned from their hike as changed men who learned many lessons about the wilderness and friendship. Towards the end of the book, the two men are talking about the hike. When Katz remarks that "we did it," Bryson reminds him that they didn't even see Mount Katahdin, much less climb it. Katz says, "Another mountain. How many do you need to see, Bryson?" I agree with Katz (and ultimately Bryson). They hiked the Appalachian Trail.


I strongly recommend it to anyone   February 8, 2000
 62 out of 66 found this review helpful

A Walk in the Woods is a travel memoir on the Appalachian Trail, one of America's greatest hiking routes. The author, Bill Bryson lived in England for 20 years and came back to the United States with the urge to go on a long hike. Stephen Katz, an old college friend, and a former alcoholic accompanies him. Both men are out of shape, and beginners at hiking, so it is a wonder how they can endure such hardships along the trail. They had to carry a pack that contained their tents, food, water, clothes and other items. Katz and other interesting characters provide the book with much comic relief to keep the reader involved. At some points in the book I was laughing out loud. Along the journey they meet many people including Mary Ellen a slow-minded woman who follows them around, and Beulah, a fat woman with a very angry husband. The commentary about the long, rich history of the Appalachian Trail brings insight on the wilderness that we hardly know about. It also speaks for the preservation of the forestry and animals that we take for granted in the city. After reading this book I have more appreciation of the wilderness, and an interest in going hiking myself. One downside of the book was that some points in the book the author expanded the book with knowledge that made it a little less interesting, then the actual story. But I liked how Bryson went back and forth to discuss his journey and the history, creating a balance of interests. This book will offer something to any type of reader because it is funny, and contains a lot of historical information, and is interesting enough to keep the reader to keep going. But for someone who wishes to go on a hike, this is not a how to guide. It is also not an amazing adventure of two men and the great outdoors. What this book has to offer is an entertaining journey of two regular guys, who decide to go on a hike along one of the most difficult trails in the United States. I am highly recommending this book, and it will truly leave the reader entertained.


Bill Bryson is clinically insane   September 19, 1999
 35 out of 52 found this review helpful

Bill Bryson clearly has a death wish. For this book, he decided to hike the Applachian Trail - definitely not a walk in the woods - despite being inexperienced, unprepared, and out of shape. Not dangerous enough? He's also thrown into the mix Stephen Katz, an annoying, Snickers-chomping man who could easily win the simultaneous titles of Man Least Likely to Survive a Hike and Least Desireable Traveling Companion.

The book details their adventures, which are of the kind of travel comedy where, in between chuckles, you find yourself thanking all kinds of gods that you aren't on the trip, too. It's great. And Katz, with his special role of Horribly Annoying Accompaniment, is wonderful. You relish reading about him, and relish even more that it was *Bryson* sharing a tent with him, not you.

In short, this is the perfect book to read when you're stuck in the city and you long to commune with nature. When you're finished, you'll run to the nearest busy street so you can sink to your knees and kiss the dirty, gum-covered sidewalk, while uttering the chant of travel readers everywhere: "Thank GOD I stayed at home."


Enjoyable romp through the woods   April 17, 2005
 32 out of 39 found this review helpful

Bill Bryson is a funny guy. I'd love to have his job, which apparently is, as a "travel journalist", to take vacations and write about them. He does do a fair amount of research too, and he shares that throughout the book. But while this book will share some interesting tidbits about the Appalachian Trail, it is not primarily about the AT, but more about his and his buddy's trip on it. They have some comical adventures. They obviously aren't experienced hikers, but did seem to fare better than some people on the trail. In any event, I would recommend this book. It is a short read - about 225 pages, and reads very quickly. I gained an appreciation for the AT, which I knew very little about. I also had some laugh-out-loud moments reading this book. In short, it is a pleasant, none-too-serious true life tale that will garner a few laughs along the way.

I think Bill Bryson's book, "A Short History of Nearly Everything" is better than this one - as there is quite a bit more meaty information in it. However, the two books are quite different styles. This one is kind of a diary/travelogue, while "A Short History of Nearly Everything" is a short history of science and its characters. Bryson doesn't play nearly as prominent a role in "A Short History". Different books, but both quite good.


I don't care what anyone says   April 5, 2004
 27 out of 127 found this review helpful

I read the first chapter. Then I decided not to read the whole book through. I skipped to the third chapter. I read a few words here and there, then i read the last page. I don't care what anyone says, I have read A Walk in the Woods.