Finn5fel sent me the famous book A Walk in the Woods for my birthday this year. He had already been talking here about it. Mainly, about how you can't help but incesantly laugh out loud because of the way the writer, Bill Bryson, has of talking about the most mundane things. Just as one reviewer from the Chicago Sun-Times wrote (not that I've ever read the newspaper, but it says so on my edition's back cover of the book): "Bill Bryson could write ... about dryer lint or fever reducers and still make us laugh out loud".Quite correct, Mr./Mrs. Chicago-Sun-Times-critic. Indeed, I spent a great time flipping through AWwitW's pages, reading about the various people or anecdotes that Mr. Bryson and his old friend Stephen Katz cross paths with on their hiking trip along the Appalachian Trail. Living pretty far away from there myself, I had never heard about the AT before, but now I feel like I've walked miles on it, for it is nothing but the main and most important character of the book.
As far as I recall, every chapter begins with Bryson's recollection of some of the AT's run and history's facts and anecdotes, and concludes with another stage of Bryson and Katz's trip. It's safe to say that half of the 394 book's pages is devoted to the former, while the other 200 pages treat the latter. I liked the book, I really did, but I wouldn't have minded to get rid of many of the AT facts pages on behalf of the hiking part of it. Just because, althoug being funny enough, I tended to laugh my head off the most times when Bryson or Katz (or any of the other crazy people they encounter on their way) had any on-page time. Alas, not as often as I would have liked.
Even though I didn't laugh as often (nor sometimes as hard) as I thought I would do (repeating myself here), I will definitely check out some of the other books Bryson has already written. The hype may have killed the full Walk in the Woods experience for me, but now I know what I'm into. And that European trip book, or that other one about the development of the English language look tasty enough.
9 comments:
I'm glad you liked it, Halagan. And I agree with you: I could certainly do without a lot of the facts Bryson throws in, that's for sure. I guess he is what Stephen King would refer as a "factoid type" writer, and sometimes those facts are overwhelming and pull you out of the story.
However, there are memorable passages in the book, such as one of the first scenes, when Bryson and Katz are getting ready for the trip; or when Katz likes the fat lady Beulah, and Bryson remarks "what are the chances that the only two human beings on the planet interested in going to bed with her would be in the same town?", or something to that effect.
I reread the book shortly after sending you a copy, and it wasn't as funny as I recalled. The main reason, I think, is that the first time I read it, I had never read anything by him before, and I loved it. But now that I've read my fair share of books by him, he has started to be a bit repetitive, and thus the second go-around wasn't all that much fun.
Both I'm a Stranger Here Myself and The Mother Tongue are fun (more so than The Lost Continent, but if you want to read something else by Bryson, I would go for his Australian adventure In a Sunburned Country. However, I would give myself plenty of time before reading it, because you will experience a feeling of been there, done that.
And talking about birthday gifts, you still haven't read Perfect Dark, have you? And did I ever give you the Myst books? I've been trying to remember, but I really can't recall. I must be getting old.
I completely agree with you, Fel. As if that were a surprise.
Memorable passages, the book has plenty. Those you mention, or the one I refer to in this post's title. Or the whole story of when that one Mary-Something clings to them with her surrealism and her arrogance and they eventually evade her. Funny ha-ha, top notch. :D
I'm definitely, as I already said, reading some other of Mr. Bryson's books. But I'll follow your advice: nothing on the very near future. Besides, I just received my last very large Amazon book shipment, which should have me entertained for the most part of next year. That means, The Dark Tower, Temeraire, DiscWorld... and a bunch other things. I'm a happy man. :D
But right now I'm reading a book about writing, and the very next one will be, yeeeees, Perfect Dark. Don't worry about that. ;)
PS.- On regarding the Myst books... Euuhhhh, no. :\
Hmm... I thought I had gotten the Myst books for you. Oh, well...
And I hope you enjoy all the books you mentioned. More coming in a few months ;)
Incidentally, I am reading the book right now. Well, I have it a bit abandoned given the newly acquired responsibilities. But I agree with you guys, it is really worth the reading, and it is pretty funny. Although I guess this is the type of thing that is funnier to read than to experience. I, for one, don't really feel like hiking the AT would be such a great idea, anyway.
Agreed, Alberto. I hiked part of the AT in Massachusetts a few years ago, and all I could think was everything Bryson said and how it all could go wrong. Plus, the Warning: Bears --Do not cook near the shelter sign I saw after cooking dinner near the shelter didn't exactly reassure me. I guess I'd rather stay indoors and let other people deal with the bugs, the big bagpacks ('cause crap they were big), and the discomforts of not having a bed to sleep on.
Actually, Alberto, I felt the need to leave the book and go hiking every twenty pages. But I agree: to read about some great effort feels great, but it's a very different story when you actually do it.
You did, Fel? I'm picturing you right now: hiking with a huge backpack filled with books, while hearing some Stephen King audiobook. :P
Hehehe. I don't think I was carrying any books, but the damn backpack was HUGE. I did it for four days, and then I went to the Rockies in Colorado in hiked for some four or five days. The best thing about the change was that the permanent cloud of mosquitoes that surrounded me while on the AT (which I thnk Bryson mentions as well) was nowhere to be found. But yeah, I should share soe of those stories, such as the "Naked Hikers Day". Heeheehee.
¿"Naked Hikers Day"? That's... Errmmm... You mean... Ugh...
WHAT!?!?
Yeah. I came across four hikers (two guys and, fortunatel, two girls) that were completely naked except for a little red bandanna tied around their waists. When the first one got to where I was (and very fully clad), he smiled and said "Happy Naked Hikers Day". I guess I smiled, and then the second guy passed me and asked "Why all the clothes, man?", to which I replied "I guess I'm cold". Then the two girls reached me and passed me, and I turned my head to see them leave. Fortunately, the tied bandannas only covered the front, not the back, heeheehee.
Post a Comment