A Walk in the Woods

Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: Rob McQuay

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America - majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaing guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and ecology of the trail and to some of the other hardy (or just foolhardy) folks he meets along the way - and a couple of bears. Already a classic, A Walk in the Woods will make you long for the great outdoors (or at least a comfortable chair to sit and read in).

©1999 Bill Bryson (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Short of doing it yourself, the best way of escaping into nature is to read a book like A Walk in the Woods." ( The New York Times)

"A terribly misguided, and terribly funny tale of adventure.... The yarn is choke-on-your-coffee funny." ( The Washington Post)

"Bill Bryson could write an essay about dryer lint or fever reducers and still make us laugh out loud." ( Chicago Sun-Times)

Excellent read

Funny, irreverent, poignant. Visual in an auditory way few books achieve.
I would definitely recommend this book.

Majestic

A Walk in the Woods is a funny, informative, and awe-inspiring account at hiking the Appalachian Trail. The first 2/3 of the book is much better than the end. Probably because it starts to take on a 'been there done that' feel. Even still, it's a fun and rewarding book.

Awesome story

Really enjoyed this audio book, it's on my list to relisten to in the future.

Great read

Second time I’ve read this book. First was years ago before the movie (which I really enjoyed). Enjoyed the book even more the second time.

Walk in the woods

I really enjoyed the actual story of the time spent on the AT. Several parts were so funny I laughed out loud! Some of the history lessons were also interesting, but some seemed to drag. I thought the narration was really good. The story made me want to hike on the trail. I’m from the North Ga area, and have visited Amicalola Falls and the Great Smoky Mountains many times (and Gatlinburg... lol). Those recollections were so funny, but I felt like I should have been insulted by his view of North Georgians... 😂

Amazing adventure

I am profoundly glad I was able to listen to this book, and to listen to it after section hiking the Massachusetts portion of the AT. At points in this book I was crying out of shear hilarity and conversely deep sadness. The journey Bill and Katz undertook was more than a walk in the woods. In my our trips down the AT with my group of buddies we found similar sites, hard climbs, sore legs and amazing views. We got to see sites that most never do. Heating Bills words brought me back to the woods with my friends and makes me yearn for our next foray. Our goal to finish New England.

interesting and fun.

interesting and fun. Sometimes too easy. Details paint a vivid picture of the trail and the trekking experience.

into the woods we go

Thank you for taking us on this trip with you into the woods. I like and dislike the textbook-like style, but learned from it nontheless. I also enjoyed the humor. A tough hike always benefits from some humor, no doubt.

A non-hiker's walk

I loved hearing about Bill Bryson's experience on the Appalachian Trail. His recounting is vivid and easy to follow. He explains the people well, giving you a sense of knowing him and Katz. He tells of his other personal encounters in a way you can picture them happening. The performance of reading was great - lending non-annoying voices to each person. I recommend this book.

The reason locals distrust hikers

This book is good enough to finish. It has some funny parts, mainly attributable to the trusty sidekick “Cats”. The narrator has all the nuance of Foghorn Leghorn. The snarky references to the “locals” is frankly offensive and halfway through the story we are treated to a series of seminars. I’d better post this now before I really think about it and take away another star.