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Hiking Through: One Man's Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail by Paul V. Stutzman
arnisa's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
1.75
Going in I didn't realize just how much about God this would be.
The author irritated me especially after going on and on about his past mistakes of not being there enough for his family while actively choosing to not be there for them in the present after specifically being asked to do so. He's all words no action.
I didn't enjoy this book. There are more enjoyable stories about the AT out there.
The author irritated me especially after going on and on about his past mistakes of not being there enough for his family while actively choosing to not be there for them in the present after specifically being asked to do so. He's all words no action.
I didn't enjoy this book. There are more enjoyable stories about the AT out there.
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
3.0
We have a guy searching for meaning in life after his wife passes away so he heads to the AT and writes a book about his experience. I was looking for an expanded trail journal and a little bit of adventure and for the most part found it. I enjoyed his hiking pieces, the people he met, the experiences he had. Did not know he was going to be proselytizing. I personally find christianity to be one of the most destructive negative things we've ever invented so it was incredibly aggravating to keep reading his ramblings about god but that was the book he chose to write, it was my fault for not knowing what I was getting into. Fairy tales aside I enjoyed the hiking portions of the book quite a lot.
linda_elaine's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
2.0
Too much religion and too little hiking.
chellekjones's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. It fed my dreams of being a thru-hiker all the more. The only thing I disliked was how much he pushes Christianity and the gospel. Though I do have to hand it to him for making me feel comfortable reading it anyway and the humorous parts where he knows some people blue blazed certain paragraphs. Defiantly worth the read.
faylnn707's review against another edition
1.0
Seriously why is this so recommended without the sidebar of how much G*d is involved. Also misogyny women are either whores or mothers.
liralen's review against another edition
3.0
Not long after his wife died of cancer, Stutzman knew it was time for some kind of change. He quit his job and set off to hike the 2,176 miles of the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine.
Like many hiking memoirs, this ends up focusing, to a large extent, on the day-by-day travel diary: I walked X miles and it rained; I stayed at Y shelter and ate Z food; the next day I walked with this person and thought about that thing and it rained some more. Stutzman does tie in two 'outside' stories, returning repeatedly to his wife's death and to his upbringing in the Mennonite church. There ends up being a great deal of religion in here, although I'm not sure how well it'll connect with anyone who's not...somewhat conservative Protestant, I suppose. (Spoiler alert: the religion content did very little for me.) Stutzman says at one point that on the AT he traded religion for spirituality, but I read it more as him widening his understanding of Christianity just enough to appreciate the divine in the wild. I'd much have preferred that he spend more time really examining his faith—instead he spends a fair amount of time talking (out loud) to God and explaining to the reader why Christianity is right—but I guess that wasn't really ever in the cards for him.
There are probably a lot of AT memoirs in my reading future. Not sorry to have read this one, but I remain hopeful that I'll connect better with some others.
Like many hiking memoirs, this ends up focusing, to a large extent, on the day-by-day travel diary: I walked X miles and it rained; I stayed at Y shelter and ate Z food; the next day I walked with this person and thought about that thing and it rained some more. Stutzman does tie in two 'outside' stories, returning repeatedly to his wife's death and to his upbringing in the Mennonite church. There ends up being a great deal of religion in here, although I'm not sure how well it'll connect with anyone who's not...somewhat conservative Protestant, I suppose. (Spoiler alert: the religion content did very little for me.) Stutzman says at one point that on the AT he traded religion for spirituality, but I read it more as him widening his understanding of Christianity just enough to appreciate the divine in the wild. I'd much have preferred that he spend more time really examining his faith—instead he spends a fair amount of time talking (out loud) to God and explaining to the reader why Christianity is right—but I guess that wasn't really ever in the cards for him.
There are probably a lot of AT memoirs in my reading future. Not sorry to have read this one, but I remain hopeful that I'll connect better with some others.
lizdbooks's review against another edition
Not a bad book, but dnf because I got a little bored and moved on to something else.
springliketheseason's review against another edition
3.0
Didn't realize it was a sermon disguised as a trail book.
grayxen's review against another edition
3.0
blathers about god til like chapter 5 before the trail hike even begins, then talks about god every other sentence it seems.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘Unless it’s the most important thing in your life at the time, you probably won’t finish.’
Paul Stutzman decided to make some big changes after his wife Mary died from breast cancer. Twelve months after Mary’s death, Paul quit his job and set out on a through hike of the Appalachian Trail – a 2176 mile journey spanning fourteen states.
The physical journey took almost five months; I suspect that the spiritual journey will never end. During his journey, Paul battled difficult trail conditions and experienced periods of overwhelming loneliness. He also enjoyed spectacular scenery and the camaraderie of the trail, and along the way he found peace.
Paul tells his story with grace and good humour. He started his journey as a man trying to come to terms with a devastating loss. He finished his journey, with a renewed passion for life, and much more aware of his relationship to others, to nature, and to God.
I enjoyed sharing Paul’s journey through reading this book and looking at the photographs on his website. The history of the places along the Appalachian Trail is fascinating, as is Paul’s recounting of his own personal journey through life.
‘Dreams can come true if you allow them to.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Paul Stutzman decided to make some big changes after his wife Mary died from breast cancer. Twelve months after Mary’s death, Paul quit his job and set out on a through hike of the Appalachian Trail – a 2176 mile journey spanning fourteen states.
The physical journey took almost five months; I suspect that the spiritual journey will never end. During his journey, Paul battled difficult trail conditions and experienced periods of overwhelming loneliness. He also enjoyed spectacular scenery and the camaraderie of the trail, and along the way he found peace.
Paul tells his story with grace and good humour. He started his journey as a man trying to come to terms with a devastating loss. He finished his journey, with a renewed passion for life, and much more aware of his relationship to others, to nature, and to God.
I enjoyed sharing Paul’s journey through reading this book and looking at the photographs on his website. The history of the places along the Appalachian Trail is fascinating, as is Paul’s recounting of his own personal journey through life.
‘Dreams can come true if you allow them to.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith