A Walk in the Woods

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: Bill Bryson

Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

"Not long after I moved with my family to a small town in New Hampshire, I happened upon a path that vanished into a wood on the edge of town." So begins Bill Bryson's hilarious book, A Walk in the Woods. Following his return to America after 20 years in Britain, Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. The AT, as it's affectionately known to thousands of hikers, offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes - and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to test his own powers of ineptitude, and to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson's acute eye is a wise witness to this fragile and beautiful trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America's last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, a lament, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is destined to become a modern classic of travel literature.

©1998 Bill Bryson (P)1998 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House Inc.

What An Enjoyable

What promised to be a narrative of a simple "walk in the woods" ends up delivering much more. This book is full of Bryson's charm and wit as he leads the reader into interesting anecdotes and little-known lore about the "AT." Makes me want to go hiking.

What a great introduction to Bryson - I'm buying more of his books.

Highly recommended!

A Must-Listen for all Backpackers

This book was recommended to me by a fellow backpacker, and I have since let my wife listen and another friend has enjoyed it as well. You don't have to be an avid packer like we are, but it certainly makes some things in the book much more funny. We can relate to the aches and pains and sufferings, and also the need to press on, even under the most extreme conditions. And yes, you DO actually run into those types of people on the trail. A great work.

Good book - worth reading

I would recommend this book for an easy spirited reading. This book is interesting and based on the authors own real-life experience. Good reading and gives a lot of interesting information about hardships that can come accross in life in forests etc.

Its a good book. Gets a bit boring in between and can feel outstretched a bit.

Good book for the hiking curious or enthusiast

The author does a good job narrating his work here. I enjoyed most of the book, save for some of his opinions.

Delightful

it was a joy from beginning to the end. I love Bill's voice and delivery. The content is stellar.

laugh out loud

This book was truly entertaining. I can't imagine the story without Steven. The two-bear scene was the highlight, laughed so hard I cried.

An Englishman in America

I have looked at "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson for a few years now, and despite my love for the outdoors, have been slow getting to finally read it.

I cannot say what my reservations were, other than that I generally choose not to read the work of celebrated Atheists, of which Bill Bryson is among those counted. Why? Because I have found that, being a Christian myself, 'Atheist authors' tend to disparage my point of view in favor of their own. Yes, this is their right, just as it is my right not to choose to read their work. thank you.

As I started listening to A Walk in the Woods, something dawned on me like the lifting of a thick fog over a soupy valley. The more I listened, the clearer the writing appeared to me... in the way words becomes clear from a book you had read long ago, but had forgotten that you read, then accidentally read it again "thinking" that you had not read it in the first place! That is exactly how it felt, because it dawned on me that I had already read this book! when? how? why? I asked myself, but at any rate, the day was uneventful, so I listened to it again.

I have done a lot of camping and hiking in the past similar to what Bryson did, so I found the reminiscences interesting, but mostly because it reminded me of when I went hiking.

It was hard to say now why this book was so popular. ? It was a lot of story about hiking the trail, but almost as much was a history of the trail itself, which was interesting, but somewhat removed from the light feel of the camping. The science discourses where expectantly offensive to my Christian outlook, but I am sure Bill Bryson would find my POV equally offensive (as he undeniably and emphatically states in a chapter dedicated to smearing Christians). Other than that brief rant, and a prevalent secularist viewpoint however, it was rather mild in that regard. And, in the spirit fairness, Bryson was equally cantankerous towards the US Park System and Government regulations.

All in all, this might a good book for one listen, but the second listen made me think it was just alright. 3 sold stars.

One of my all time favorites.

Would you consider the audio edition of A Walk in the Woods to be better than the print version?

I think the fact that it is Bill Bryson who is narrating his own book makes this book worth the time and money. I LOVE this book. A story subject that should be absolutely boring is actually full of humor. This book is also rich with historical facts and present day issues.

You feel like you are on the appalachian trail

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I loved it. Bill Bryson has an excellent storytelling style. He is so descriptive I felt like I was on the trail with him (I should mention I enjoy hiking and aspire to thru-hike the trail someday - I have not enjoyed other Bryson books nearly as much when I didn't relate to the story)

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Walk in the Woods?

When his buddy throws all their food out the first day

What does Bill Bryson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He's telling his own story with his own dry sense of humor

Funny and enlightening

Comic refelections along with the stress of the walk helped to make this an entertaining read.