A Walk in the Woods (Hillary Lak)

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill BrysonPublisher: Bantam BooksPages: 274 -I found this book at Barnes and Noble. My mom bought the wrong book, but I read it anyways.
-Bill Bryson decided he needed a new challenge, and decided to hike the Appalachian Trail, which runs from Georgia to Maine. Completely unprepared and naive about the trails difficulty, he thinks he is more than ready. He takes the trip with Stephen Katz, an overweight, old friend of his from Iowa. The beginning of the hike is overwhelming to Katz, as he longs for a good meal, and real shelter, but as they move on, they seem to cope with the wilderness better. Bill Bryson's way of writing is hilarious, engaging and educational about the land he traveled, and people he met during his hike. He sees all of the wonderful aspects of the trail, and makes the point of saving what we have, so future generations can enjoy what we have today.
-The audience of the book seems to be just everyday people. Bill Bryson is not an avid hiker, and he fills in the blanks, as if he were telling a story to a family member about his journey.

-The author's writing style at times is humorous, and personal. The way he describes the people he meets, places he visits, or some one's actions are truly up close and funny. It makes his whole experience real and engaging. The educational parts are very personal because he shows his position on the history of the trail. "Bunkhouse is not a word I particularly want to hear at my age, but we had no choice. We signed in, were given two very small, stiff towels for the shower, and trudged off across the grounds to see what we got for out $11 apiece. The answer was very little." (Bryson, 80)

-"Consider this: Half of all the offices and malls standing in America today have been built since 1980. Half of them. Eighty percent of all the housing stock in the country dates from 1945. Of all the motel rooms in America, 230,000 have been built in the last fifteen years. Just up the road from Gatlinberg is the town of Pigeon Forge, which twenty years ago was a sleepy hamlet - nay, which aspired to be a sleepy hamlet [...] Now Pigeon Forge has 200 outlet shops stretched along three miles of highway. It is bigger and uglier than Gatlinberg, and has better parking, and so of course gets more visitors." (Bryson, 104) This passage struck me, because I realized how much people are taking over the once open land and building something on every open space they can find. Cramming themselves into every open slot. It's really disgusting if you think about it.
"'Look at the map, and then look at the part we've walked." He looked, then looked again. I watched closely as the expression drained from his face. "Jesus," he breathed at last. He turned to me full of astonishment. "We've done nothing.'"(Bryson, 105) This passage shows how long the trail is, and when you've been through a lot walking, getting stuck in blizzards, being tired and sore from all the walking, it seems you've done a lot more than you really have.
"But I got a great deal else from the experience. 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 the wilderness and nature and the benign dark power of the woods. I understood 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." (Bryson, 274) This passage struck me, and made me realize all the great things the outdoors has to offer. It seems to take you back home, in a sense that without cellphones, or the internet, the world is a lot bigger than with all of the electronics. Without these things, you can jump back in time, and have a respect for things outside of your usual comfort zone, and learn about yourself.

-I really enjoyed the book from the first chapter. The author had a hilarious way of describing all of his outdoor moments and it really was a good read. I'm not a huge outdoors hiking person, and this book took me on a walk in the woods, and made me feel like I was with him, or he was sitting right in front of me, telling me about his journey. I could relate to the humor in the book, which was very refreshing for a change in everything I've been reading. It was really great to have a chance to laugh about their troubles, or triumphs.