A Walk in the Woods

By: Bill Bryson

Narrated by: Bill Bryson

The Appalachian Trail covers 14 states, and over 2,000 miles. It stretches along the East Coast of the United States, from Maine in the north to Georgia in the south. It is famous for being the longest continuous footpath in the world. (Compare this with the Pennine Way, which is a mere 250 miles long.) It snakes through some of the wildest and most spectacular landscapes in America, as well as through some of its most poverty-stricken and primitive backwoods areas - 'redneck' country - Moonshine, Lil’ Abner, 'There’s bears in them thar hills.' Remember the film Deliverance?

God only knows what possessed Bill Bryson, a reluctant adventurer if ever there was one, to undertake this gruelling hike. Perhaps it was just a long-held ambition to lose weight: he has lost two stone so far. As he recently wrote from the trail to his publisher: ‘Speaking of vigorous exercise, boy have I just had some. Maine was a bitch. I want you to come back and walk it with me so that when you die if you go to hell you will be able to say: “Call this hell? Try walking across Maine in August.'"

Reared in the tradition of Mark Twain, James Thurber, and S.J. Perelman, Bryson used his many years in Britain to soak up a peculiarly English sense of irony and humour and to hone a laugh-out-loud style that is uniquely, hilariously, his own.

©2004 Bill Bryson (P)2004 Random House Audiobooks

inspiring

I love Bryson's work and this is no exception. I listened to it while walking and now yearn to go hiking.

just incredible

one of the greatest books I've ever read, Bill Byron's narration is always incredible

Thoroughly enjoyable

The first third of this story had me laughing so hard I cried. I enjoyed the last third very much too. It lost my attention somewhat in the middle though when the story, and Bryson literally, got off track. Even so I would thoroughly recommend it. Bryson's voice, reading his own story, is such a pleasure to listen to.

Feels like a friend telling you a story

Really good when the author narrates his own story wit pace and charm makes it an experience to remember great

Masterful story telling as usual.

Very funny amd intetesting at the same time. Inspired me to tale up tramping. Not the AT though
but the TA in NZ