Re: [at-l] Me on Bryson

[Paul A Magnanti <pmags@juno.com>]

  Bryson's book was an easy read that had some amusing bits.  It is the
perfect book to kill time on an airplane flight.    Seems like some
reactions to this book is akin to what Khomeni thought of  Rushdie's
book.  No death threaths for Bryson, but I doubt many people in the AT
community will be sharing gorp with him anytime soon.


Was the book one I reccomend to someone who wants to get a feel for what
a thru-hike is?
No.

But the book is not evil incarnate. Take the book for what it is: a
lightweight bit of fluff that can kill a couple of hours. Frankly, as
much as the AT was a an enlightening experience for me, something that
permantley etched itself into my psyche, it is not that way for most of
the 280 million other Americans who do not wish to hike 2160 miles.   My
take on the book is that Bryson did not claim to hike the entire AT, but
someone who hiked part of the AT...and here are his experiences.  This is
the book that the 280 million can relate to.
Is it a great book? No.   But there are far worse books out there. 
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