TOW #3: A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson (IRB)

As a kid, my parents would take my siblings and me hiking all the time. Before I could even walk, I was put in the baby carrying seat, and off we would go into nature. Since then though, there have been less and less trips. Schedules get busier, everyone grows up, and family hiking trips fall to the wayside. This book, A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson, reminds me of those times, hiking with my family. Bryson has written many other books, and this book is his own memoir of hiking the Appalachian Trail, so he has an appeal to ethos in that sense. Bryson's account of his trip on the Appalachian Trail was both funny and serious. One simile that Bryson uses is the comparison to walking on the trail, and taking a young kid to a crowded amusement park. He describes the feeling of putting the kid on his shoulders, then having to put him down. "Of course, Jimmy bawls and won't go another step, and your partner gives you that disdainful, I-should-have-married-the-quarterback look because you haven't gone the 400 yards" (37). The whole comparison was wonderfully written and very funny. It was the perfect example, because it allowed the audience to truly understand the struggle of the trail. Bryson continues this light tone into later pages. It's obvious that this hiking journey is hard and frustrating,, but rather than complaining the entire time, the author keeps the story entertaining and humorous. There are also points when Bryson makes the story a little more serious and reflective. At the end of daily hiking, he was describing the experience of it, saying you are "...reflecting in a distant, out-of-body way that you have never before looked this closely at lichen, not in fact looked this closely at anything in the natural world since you were four years old and had your first magnifying glass" (36). The way that he uses "you" throughout the book makes the memoir seem that much more casual and easier to relate to. His diction is powerful, whether it be to create a funny, light, lonely, or reflective tone. As of right now, I believe that the purpose of this book is to tell people what is truly found in nature. Yes, it can be scary, hard, and trying, but it is also beautiful, insightful, and breath-taking. I really enjoy this piece so far, and reading it really makes me want to start hiking again, to immerse myself in the seclusion of nature once more.