A Walk in the Woods

Here is the question. Can a book about walking through woods, mile after mile, with almost nothing happening, be one of the funniest things you read this year? That is Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. It is a spoiler free review, so no trail outcomes and no late surprises. Just what is on the page, what works, what drags, and whether it is worth your evenings.

A funny, honest travel memoir that is not a novel. Katz is the comic engine and the history and nature essays add real substance, though they slow the pace and some jokes are crude or mean. Four out of five (draft). Read it if: you like funny travel writing with a grumpy, self-mocking narrator; you enjoy odd-couple friendships and bickering; you want trail history and nature facts mixed with jokes. Skip it if: you want a fast plot or a tidy triumphant ending; swearing and crude jokes put you off; you want a how-to guide to hiking. A Walk in the Woods Review: Worth Reading →

A Walk in the Woods summary by Bill Bryson: all 21 chapters, Katz, the Hundred Mile Wilderness and how the walk ends. Full spoilers. A Walk in the Woods Summary: Bill Bryson, by Chapter →

No. It is a non-fiction travel memoir by Bill Bryson, subtitled Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail. The ebook's copyright page says a hardcover edition was published in 1998.

Yes, we gave it four out of five (draft). It is funny, largely because of Stephen Katz, and it teaches real trail history. The essay chapters can slow it down, and the humor is crude in places.

By his own tally at the end of the book, 870 miles, or 39.5 percent of the trail. They had walked about 500 miles by Front Royal in Virginia, a million and a quarter steps by his count.

It is Bill Bryson's own account of walking parts of the Appalachian Trail. The book's disclaimer says it reflects his experience and opinions and that some names and identifying details were changed.