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Customer Review
- Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2014This is the 6th Appalachian Trail book that I have read. My "goal" when reading books on the AT is to read about the experiences... the people they've met, the conditions they've faced, and what obstacles got in their way. I like to hike vicariously through the author, and frequently find myself following along on Googlemaps looking at the overhead view as the story progresses. I especially enjoy reading about their experiences in the parts that I have hiked throughout New York and Connecticut.
In Bill Bryson's book there is very little mention of other hikers. In fact, when it comes to interactions with other people, more is said about the people that he and Katz (his hiking companion) met in the towns that the AT passes through, than is said about the other hikers that he met along the way. This is a book about Bill and his hiking companion. To the best of my knowledge, Bill never even had a trail name. He doesn't finish the trail, and if fact doesn't even do half of the trail. He never touches New York or Connecticut, and quite often you only have a vaugue idea of exactly where he is on the trail as he progresses. He frequently writes about historical events that happened in the areas of the trail that he is on, and spends a little too much time talking about the demise of various trees and animals that have gone extinct in the areas that the AT passes through. Usually this demise is due to the dreaded acid rain.
That said, I rate the book 4 stars. I do so because the "faults" that I listed above are based on the preconceived notion about what I expected to read. I have no right to fault Mr. Bryson for not living up to those notions. Of the 6 AT books I've read, this one is the most well written. Bill is obviously an author that hiked the trail, and not a hiker that wrote a book. There is plenty of historical education in this book, plenty of humor, and even some suspense.
If you are planning to hike the trail and want to read everything you can before heading off, then this book might not be right for you. In fact, it might be detrimental to your hike. To anyone else, I would recommend this book.
