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Keith Weinstein reviews A Walk in the Woods: I recently completed Bill Bryson's highly acclaimed, New York Times bestseller A Walk in the Woods. This work--humorous and well written--is easy reading for anyone ready to pick it up and travel the trail. His book is a memoir, and I suspect that I was looking for more as I paged through this work. While Bryson attempted to hike the Appalachian Trail with his buddy Katz, I kept wondering where this trail of words was leading. The many compromises along the way, the rationalizations and the compromised goal left me unsatisfied. Perhaps Bryson is trying to tell us something about life, goals and reality. If so, I found it less than inspiring. While Bryson hikes, the reader waits for something to happen--perhaps a catharsis--an event that defines the journey. However, a memoir is simply a memoir. Bryson's trail-side images are well depicted. His descriptions of solitary times and the sharing of shelters along the trail are well worded and often quite humorous. As well, his frequent use of sarcastic wit provides some refreshing up ticks for the reader. There are some wonderfully written, highly descriptive passages in this book. Bryson's longest suit in this book is his broad and deep research. Bryson provides facts and figures to back up a remarkable amount of information…from wildlife population statistics to geographical information to pure (and often little-known) American history. In fact, some of the data in this book is remarkably compelling. From time to time, his writing seems like a primer for the School of Environmental Responsibility. This aspect of his book is quite enjoyable. A good read. -- KW Rating: 2 weight Rating System Statistics About This Book Click here to go back to Book Reviews. |
