[at-l] Bryson's Book

[kahley@ptd.net (kahley)]

>
>
>For some reason this book seems to offend and annoy
>the True Believers, including many on this list.

Not to poke the WF subject again, but Dan did have
hissy fits about the book and railed against it for weeks.
It has to be hard for someone who has devoted so much time
to the AT, to see someone hike part of it and write a best seller
and make a bunch o'bucks.

Some listers were upset by the characterizations of
southern people and the cartoonish nature of the hikers
he met.

Other people were upset about it as well but I think their
complaints dealt more with what Bryson didn't do rather
than what he did.  He never seemed to "get" the idea
of the trail community which isn't surprising, considering
he was there to write a book..not just hike...and I think,
maintained a certain emotional distance from most of
the people he met.

I read parts of it...mostly in the beginning,
where his experiences in planning and starting out were
actually pretty typical for many people who decide to Thru
the AT without any real LD experience.  At some point,
I got distracted or for some reason, never finished the book.
But the parts I read were funny and well constructed.