Peter Flamming Post 2

When Bill Bryson interrupts the action and rambles off on his random facts and information, it interrupts the main storyline, which upsets me. Although without them, the book can no longer be realistically called a travel book. A Walk in the Woods would simply become a humorous true story. The interrupts also give you a sense that the book is more than just a fantastically exaggerated hike, they grounds you in the harsh reality of the trail. Although Bryson tries to make every sentence humorous, without a few facts and long rants about the AT, the reader looses his/her grasp upon the reality of the book and the AT. Thus Bryson's usage of random tidbits detracts from the original plotline but the tidbits are essential in keeping the story a believable travel guide.

Bryson also uses the little interruptions to detail the setting and to build up suspense. For example, when Bryson at Katz reached Hiawassee, Bryson goes off on a tangent where he describes north Georgia people, culture, and setting. This really gives your imagination a place to start when Bryson and Katz saunter into Hiawassee. When Bryson and Katz get lost in the blizzard in chapter 6, Bryson goes rambling about how much AT maps suck while the reader is frustrated with their suspense relief being withheld. Bryson slides back into his story rather smoothly after each rant and the facts are more interesting than irritating on the whole. While Bryson adds a great deal of humor, he wisely inserts little tidbit mini-stories that add a good variety of things, such as suspense and setting description, to his story.