A Walk in the Woods
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A Walk in the Woods is a book by travel writer Bill Bryson describing his attempt to walk the Appalachian Trail with his childhood friend Stephen Katz. The book is written in a humorous style, interspersed with more serious discussions of matters relating to the trail.
He starts hiking the trail from the south, and stumbles in the beginning with the difficulties of getting the proper equipment; he soon also realizes how difficult it is to travel with his friend, who is a crude, overweight, ex-alcoholic and even less prepared for the ordeal than he is.
After hiking for what seems to him a large distance, he realises that he has still barely begun and that the whole endeavour is simply too much for him. He skips a couple of parts of the trail, finally stopping (after nearly 500 miles of hiking) to return home. In the following months he continues to hike several smaller parts of the trail, and eventually reunites with Katz to hike the Hundred Mile Wilderness in Maine, which ultimately proves too daunting.
The book created some controversy in Appalachian Trail hiking circles, as many experienced hikers have criticized it for inaccuracies and embellishments. Amongst the main criticisms are Bryson's tendency to characterize his subjects, e.g. other hikers he meets as ridiculous (albeit amusing) caricatures but having little or no basis in fact. Others would argue that Bryson's literary methods, much in the same style as Mark Twain's, are the valid tools of an entertaining travel writer, and there is little doubt that the book has attracted many new hikers to the Appalachian Trail.
In 2005 Robert Redford announced that he was interested in adapting Bryson's book into a film, and in playing Bryson himself. He also hoped that his erstwhile co-star and friend, Paul Newman, would team up with him to play the role of Katz, although he jokingly expressed doubt as to whether the health-conscious Newman would consider putting on enough weight (and eating enough donuts) to accurately portray the rotund Katz.[link]
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