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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
This was a winner. A heartfelt tale of a man and his quest to walk (portions of) the AT. I particularly appreciated the history woven in.
"I gained a profound respect for the wilderness and nature and the benign 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. I made a friend. I came home."
"I gained a profound respect for the wilderness and nature and the benign 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. I made a friend. I came home."
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
It was interesting to read "Becoming Odyssa" and this book one after the other. They are 2 totally different accounts of hiking the Appalachian Trail. "Becoming Odyssa" was about a young girl right out of college wanting to hike every inch of the trail and doing it alone and as cheaply as possible whereas "A Walk in the Woods" was about an older gentlemen (and experienced author) hiking with a friend and taking advantage of comforts when possible and not so hung up on completing the whole thing. Plus they occurred about 10 years apart. I liked "A Walk in the Woods" better because he had a good sense of humor and provided a lot of history and background on the Appalachian Trail. Odyssa was too serious, and the life lessons she learned I have learned without having to pee in the woods. I liked both books but still have no desire to hike the Appalachian Trail!
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
I like hiking (I often listen to audiobooks while hiking) and backpacking a trail, either the AT or PC, has always intrigued me. I've been on a journey to find more lighthearted books than the horror and thrillers I usually read, so this should be squarely up my alley. In some ways it was, but it did fall short of what I was expecting.
The descriptions - great. Bryson has a very vivid, succinct prose and all his descriptions of the beautiful landscape around the trail were wonderful. I liked the format, alternating between historical/natural information on the Appalachian Mountains and his experience hiking the AT, but I wasn't a fan of the tone when he was talking about his own journey. He comes off a little too outspoken and sanctimonious for my taste. Possibly that's part of the humor, which is very Seth Rogan-style: the joke is that Bryson is the straight man and everyone around him is so ~crazy~ and ~weird~ that he can make little witty remarks punching down at them. Not my favorite and nothing I'd consider abjectly "funny", but I was, in general, mildly amused. Still - I'm inspired. I'm looking into making plans to do some backpacking next spring, solely because of this book. Success, in that case :)
My favorite part was the chapter on Mt. Washington. Best part of the book, followed closely by the end,when Katz gets separated and lost .
The descriptions - great. Bryson has a very vivid, succinct prose and all his descriptions of the beautiful landscape around the trail were wonderful. I liked the format, alternating between historical/natural information on the Appalachian Mountains and his experience hiking the AT, but I wasn't a fan of the tone when he was talking about his own journey. He comes off a little too outspoken and sanctimonious for my taste. Possibly that's part of the humor, which is very Seth Rogan-style: the joke is that Bryson is the straight man and everyone around him is so ~crazy~ and ~weird~ that he can make little witty remarks punching down at them. Not my favorite and nothing I'd consider abjectly "funny", but I was, in general, mildly amused. Still - I'm inspired. I'm looking into making plans to do some backpacking next spring, solely because of this book. Success, in that case :)
My favorite part was the chapter on Mt. Washington. Best part of the book, followed closely by the end,
Appreciated the combination of memoir, trail history, and ecology lessons.
Spoiler
Kind of disappointed they didn't end up hiking the whole thing
adventurous
funny
relaxing
slow-paced
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced