The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 16 November 1998
by Bill Bryson
After living abroad for 20 years, author Bill Bryson returned to the United States with the urge to explore this country along the venerable Appalachian Trail. Running 2200 miles (give or take a few, according to Bryson) through the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail is the longest continuously marked foot trail in the world. Despite images of idyllic walks in the woods, the trail is, in fact, a challenging task for anyone who sets out to walk its entire length. Though many set out on the trail, few ever complete its full distance. Bryson sets out to do just that, and confronts the realities of the hike with irony, humor and an occasionally touching and often hilarious wryness. The book is rich with detailed descriptions and history of the trail, perhaps with a slight excess of superlatives, but with sincerity and great humor. Bryson soon discovers his own limits, those of his companion on the trail, and the trials of long-term hiking and camping. By the end of the book, deep in the woods of Maine, Bryson has learned a lot about the trail and America. He doesn't wax overly philosophical about it, though, preserving the richly entertaining quality of this book to the very end.