Edwardsville Public Library discussion

This discussion will begin June 9th and will be moderated by Jacob D.

Hi. I just joined this group. My name is Letitia Hunt and I am an avid reader

Hi, Letitia. Good to have you on here!

Bill Bryson apparently drew some criticism after the release of A Walk in the Woods for the way he and Katz went about their trek: leaving the trail, going home, etc.

Do you think he made it too easy for himself, or does it even matter? What would he prove by being a more 'hardcore' hiker? I'm not sure I would expect two middle-aged, out-of-shape to do 2000+ uninterrupted miles on foot while the average American only walks 1.4 miles a day (according to Bryson).

This would be a totally different type book if the adventure was undertaken by hardcore hikers. I think it's okay to modify some goals as needed rather than never attempting them in the first place. and, As a lover of Snickers myself, I loved the humor in the story and could relate to the characters.

I agree with Karen. I am not at all upset that they didn't attempt a thru hike. It's nice to see that occasionally plans need to be modified and life gets in the way for others too.

However, I think the book would be better with more trail tales and less history of the forestry service, resorts, towns & crimes. (i.e. what did you see/encounter/suffer/enjoy as a result of your hike)

I wanted to read about "A Walk in the Woods" after all.

I really enjoyed reading about his walk in the woods, but I found it less funny than I hoped. Perhaps my expectations were too high.

Since most of us are not hardcore hikers, I enjoyed reading how a 'normal' person attempted the trail. It was good to read a realistic account.

I read this years ago, while I was teaching in TN. Many of my students were hiking the trail in the summer, so I read the book to understand what they were discussing. I enjoyed it immensely, and felt that it gave me the flavor of the experience, as well as the history. I like this best of Bryson's books, so far. If you want a true "trail" account, try "A Blistered Kind of Love", about hiking the Pacific Coast Trail.

I have never read his book. What be the one thing of this book that stood out for you?

In response to the first question, it doesn't matter. I am an avid hiker and backpacker, but definitely not hardcore. One of the things I love about hiking is that there really are no rules and it can be kind of customized to your needs/desires. You can do things how you want...wherever, whenever, with whomever, with what ever gear you want and at a pace you decide. I know Bryson was criticized for his journey, but I never understood why because it was HIS journey. Why does it matter to anyone else how he went about it?

In response to Joann's question, for me, a big reason I loved this book is because I am a hiker/backpacker. But what really stood out for me was that a somewhat “average” guy was able to go out and (mostly) hike the AT. That's really quite an accomplishment.

The way Bryson and Katz go about this trek makes for a much more interesting and entertaining book. If Bryson were better trained, better prepared, and joined by a more adept partner, this would be a very different book. It might not separate itself from any other Appalachian Trail travelogue. But this is Bill Bryson, and it's his perspective that makes this book interesting and humorous.

Jon Krakauer is an experienced mountain climber, and his books are very interesting because he's writing about the most harrowing things that could possibly happen--I'm thinking of Into Thin Air here. Krakauer's books are interesting reads, yet they're all very grim. While Krakauer's books read like journalism, Bryson is definitely more of a humorist. To be fair, it would be pretty distasteful to inject too much humor in an account on the deadliest day on Mt. Everest.

So to answer Joann's question, I'll repeat myself a bit here: what stands out to me about A Walk in the Woods is Bryon's perspective. He can find humor in his surroundings, and he can find humor in his own faults and fears.

I love that his account is something other than a hardcore hiker. That story has been told by hardcore hikers, let Bryson tell his account. After all isn't this non-fiction? He should not have had to fluff or be something he wasn't! It's his story and I really enjoyed reading it. I laughed quite a few times. When he describe that first night reuniting Katz I thought 'this is going to be a fun hike'. Great read!

I'm curious how people felt about hiking the Trail after reading this book. When I first started reading I thought, this sounds like a wonderful idea and perhaps I should put it on my bucket list. As the story progressed I changed my goals a bit!

An update for our readers - we're extending this discussion through July!

Karen - You're right. After reading 'Wild', I wanted to go on a long once-in-lifetime type hike but the landscape of the southwest never held any appeal to me. I thought perhaps the Appalachian Trail would be more appealing. Then I read this book. Now I'm thinking my goal should be to hike a short section in the middle of the trail only.

Hi. I'm Patrice. I haven't read this book but sounds interesting. I too like to hike so am intrigued about the story line.

Hi. I'm Alok, i have read this book just a while ago, it was less funnier than people told me, but yes a good read :). I ordered it second hand from http://buymebook.com/, nice experience buying a book which was as good as new with 75% off, you guys should totally check it out!