[at-l] The Bryson Book, wade right in and stir it up.

[mbunz@telcordia.com (Marcus P. Bunz)]

Well, its been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Thank you.

Marc
>Message: 8
>From: GADog430@aol.com
>Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 23:26:03 EDT
>To: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
>Subject: [at-l] The Bryson Book, wade right in and stir it up.

>I had never read the Bryson book until this week, but now I have, so
>I wanted to offer my humble outsider opinion. And, before you yell, yes, I
>have read other books on hiking and almost everything in between. AT tomes
>included.

>It is apparent that the Bryson book is not a hiking how-to book. From the
>beginning. The title says it all, Rediscovering America. And, from the
>history and background at the beginning of each chapter, I am not sure how
>that point got away? And specifically, he never offers many details, only
>that something is there, not how to go over, around or down.

>I just wonder if the point of the book was missed. It was written for a
large
>audience by a novice hiker that was out for fun and perhaps specifically a
>book deal. It was on the Best Seller list for godsake, the bane of true
good
>non-fiction and fiction mid-list books. I think it hit it's target, the
mid
>section of America that may or may not have every heard of the AT, much
less
>set foot on it. Or that has a vague idea that it exists, and may have
crossed
>it once or twice, and never noticed, in the Miata out for a Sunday drive.

>I wonder if perhaps the problem with the book is that it is just not a
good
>book? I found the first part entertaining, but was also disappointed by
other
>sections. For instance, he talks about meeting hikers, but doesn't mention
>what they said or talked about. Did they have stories to tell? Were they
>overcoming some physical or personal travail? What was their motivation?
>I find it hard to believe that he hiked over 870 miles (his calculation)
and
>he did not hear one interesting or funny story. But they were not
included?
>Did he forget to take notes?

>Perhaps the book is lost on this audience because we can see the holes?
>I don't know. I was disappointed in it for reasons other than reasons that
>a best seller buyer would be. Flame away. I only know one of you.

>Well, that should set the list off for a few days.

>Dawg

>Ps. As for Katz, I liked him. Every story has its comic relief. Real or
>imagined.