4.5 stars

One of my brothers read this book and suggested it. I read the summary and thought it sounded good, so I decided to check it out. I listened to the audiobook, which was great, and then I found out that in 2015 they made a movie based on the book with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte, so I watched it. 

I’ll start with the book. It mixes travel writing with memoir for a really good book. It was an interesting look at the Appalachian Trail (AT) from this man’s experience. He had just recently returned to the U.S. after living in England for 10 years, where he met his wife. So it feels like part of his motive to hike this trail was in an effort to reconnect to nature and the country he left. 

I enjoyed hearing about his experiences, though it wasn’t as thrilling as I thought it would be. He goes on quite an adventure, but I was hoping it was more dramatic; however, it was still entertaining. I wish we had more stories from his hike, but he is detailed in the events that happened. I did feel like I was there with him. There are some pretty funny moments, and the men feel really relatable. I also was hoping to hear how this hike changed him on a spiritual level, or if he had some kind of great awakening. He touched on this aspect a tiny bit, but I was hoping for a lot more. But again, this is based on his experience, and maybe he’s just not a spiritual guy. So that’s more of a me problem. 

He also seamlessly weaves in historical facts, science facts, the intricacies of hiking, and commentary on wildlife, environmental issues/concerns, and the government. This book is very well-researched. Some people may not like these parts or think it veers too much away from the actual hiking story, but I enjoyed the breaks from his experience. I feel like I learned quite a bit and felt like it enhanced his storytelling. However, this book was written in 1998, so I’ll venture to guess that the statistics are old now and most likely not accurate. 

I also enjoyed his dry, sarcastic sense of humor and wit. This may turn some people off, but I enjoyed it, and some parts made me laugh, especially from his hiking companion, Katz. However, Bill Bryson is quite a judgmental guy. Some of the things he said about people he met and his walking partner were not just snarky but downright mean and nasty. We’ll never know if he actually spoke some of these thoughts out loud to people’s faces or if he reserved all of those comments for the inner monologue of the book. But he doesn’t make himself look too good, and I saw many people on GoodReads give him a lower rating because of this character trait. 

I tell you what, though, in the beginning, he discusses all the reasons he may not want to hike this trail. He talks about animal attacks, specifically bear attacks. Then goes on about the extreme weather conditions, insect bites, poisonous plants, injuries, and so much more. I don’t know how he made the decision to do it. Right at the beginning, I was like, “Nope! I’d never do it.” But it made me appreciate his storytelling that much more, and this huge endeavor that he took. It was really well-written and a captivating read (or rather, listen).

The AT is almost 2,200 miles, and some consider it the longest hiking-only trail in the world. Well, they don’t complete this trail. Now, I don’t think this is a spoiler because, from the beginning of the book, you don’t get the sense that he’s trying to actually complete it. That’s not the expectation. They do take breaks from the hiking and chop it up into segments over time. They even hike a few states, and then drive to another part of the trail in another state, and then continue to hike. It definitely feels like it’s more about the journey and not the destination. It’s quite the feat to hike the entire path, and I never thought that he would. I had some hope and was a little disappointed when he didn’t, but it’s also realistic that he didn’t. 

Movie Review

Now the movie. Apparently, Robert Redford read the book and was so moved by it that he signed on to do the movie. They were planning to shoot the movie in 2005, but for various reasons, it got pushed until the mid-2000s. Then the movie came out in 2015. 

I was excited to watch the movie because I knew the landscape views would be beautiful, and they are. I say watch this movie just for the cinematography and scenery alone. It’s absolutely breathtaking and makes you understand the appeal of wanting to hike this epic path. 

I also thought Nick Nolte was the perfect actor chosen to play Steven Katz, his bumbling companion who’s pretty rough around the edges. But his complete lack of self-awareness is utterly charming, especially in the movie. He had me laughing the whole time, and I fell in love with his character, which saved the movie for me because, unfortunately, I was really disappointed in Redford’s portrayal of Bill Bryson. In the book, Bryson comes off as sassy and witty, but in the movie, Redford is reserved, modest, and bland. When comparing the two characters, in which Nolte plays this over-the-top guy, Redford can’t really stand on his own and just falls flat. I wanted more zest and vigor from Redford. He didn’t play the character badly, but it was just boring. 

The cast is really small, with some cameo appearances by Nick Offerman, Mary Steenburgen, Kristen Schaal, and Emma Thompson, who plays Bryson’s wife. There were some nice comedic scenes and touching moments. 

They also did a great job of being pretty faithful to the book. There are some dramatizations in some scenes compared to the book, but that’s typical Hollywood. They even pulled some dialogue and sentences straight from the book.

However, even though the movie was entertaining and had some funny parts, it was pretty pedestrian. The core of the story is about two men walking with a little bit of drama thrown in, not much of an action-packed movie. We don’t get to know the characters on a deeper level. I certainly didn’t walk away having learned anything more or feel changed or moved after watching it. As for all the fun facts we get in the book, we get some of this information via info-dumping from Redford when he’s speaking to Nolte, which doesn’t translate well. It feels forced and not natural at all to the script. It makes Redford come across as an annoying know-it-all who just spews all of these facts randomly. Thank goodness they are kept to a minimum in the movie or it would’ve felt tedious and boring. 

But the biggest issue where the movie diverges from the book is around the age of the characters. In the book, Bryson and Katz are in their mid-40s when they hike the AT. But Redford and Nolte were in their late 70s when they filmed the movie. It feels like they tried to pass Redford off as being in his late 60s, like when they originally intended to make the movie. But there is a big difference in the challenges a 40-something would face compared to a 70-something. There are physical demands of the AT, and Bryson may have been out of shape when he started it, but he wouldn’t have struggled with it in the same way Redford would, being a much older man. 

We also don’t get a sense of the time in the movie. The book was written in 1998, but there are parts of the movie that feel like modern day. 

Overall, if you didn’t read the book and watch the movie first, you may not think much of it. It’s an okay movie. I’d give it three stars. But if you read the book after you watch the movie, you will probably get more out of the book and understand the charm of the book better. It’s got far more personality and a lot more fun facts and history, so you’ll learn a lot more. 

Now, if you read the book first and then want to watch the movie just to see an adaptation, I say keep your expectations low. It’s a decent novelty watch, but know it’s just a watered-down version of the book. Watch it to see all of the gorgeous views and lush forest, and mountain scenery. 

You can take it or leave it with the movie, but I absolutely recommend the book! It’s been one of my favorite non-fiction books that I’ve read so far. If you’re new to non-fiction, especially travel literature and memoirs, like me, then this would be a great first book to start with.