A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (nonfiction)
I had no idea this book would be as funny as it turned out to be. There were times when I actually laughed out loud. I liked how Bryson didn't take himself too seriously (and when he did, at least he knew he was being way too serious), and I liked Katz. How could you not like Katz as a walking companion?
The book, however, is not just a comic foray into the woods. It has some pretty serious points about nature and America's relationship with nature. I was kind of disappointed that Bryson did not enjoy the part of the Appalachian trail I am most familiar with (the Great Smoky Mountains), but at least he had the same opinion of Gatlinburg that I do (which, by the way, is amazement that anyone would want to go there). Although I don't think Bryson has a lyrical, poetic type of writing about nature, he sure has a style that is accessible to any reader. The opening chapter is fabulous. Read it, and you'll want to read the rest of the book.
The book, however, is not just a comic foray into the woods. It has some pretty serious points about nature and America's relationship with nature. I was kind of disappointed that Bryson did not enjoy the part of the Appalachian trail I am most familiar with (the Great Smoky Mountains), but at least he had the same opinion of Gatlinburg that I do (which, by the way, is amazement that anyone would want to go there). Although I don't think Bryson has a lyrical, poetic type of writing about nature, he sure has a style that is accessible to any reader. The opening chapter is fabulous. Read it, and you'll want to read the rest of the book.
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