Any fans of Bill Bryson's book "A Walk in the Woods" here?

[Ron Obvious]

Bill Bryson is one of my favourite writers. Some of his books, like his travelogues (The Lost Continent, Notes from a Small Island, Neither Here nor There), are laugh-out-loud hilarious, but he has also written interesting popular general science books (A Short History of Nearly Everything), light and funny memoirs (The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid), and books about the English language (The Mother Tongue, Dictionary of Troublesome Words, Made in America).

I first discovered him through "A Walk in the Woods", in which he and his old boyhood friend Katz, now middle-aged, attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail, a travelogue which is both funny and poignant in places.

While browsing on imdb the other day, I happened on this. Apparently Robert Redford bought the rights to the book some years ago, and is casting himself as Bryson and Nick Nolte as Katz. It's currently being filmed and will be released in 2015 if it all comes off. Off-hand, I'd say Redford is too old to play the middle-aged Bryson, but I can certainly see Nick Nolte as Katz.

I'm looking forward to seeing it if it comes off.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. I love Bryson and have read almost all of them, several times.

The first one I read was The Lost Continent, and his description of old men giving directions beginning with a finger in the ear just crystallized his wit for me.

Did you read the one on Australia? In a Sunburned Country?

[Ron Obvious]

4. In a Sunburned Country

Sure, like you I have probably read all of his books several times, including that one. They really are wonderful to read again every few years or so.

The Lost Continent is, in my opinion, his funniest book. I've actually bought several copies of it that I've given away, and that's not something I've done before (You're welcome, Bill). I'd say it should appeal to anyone, but to especially baby boomers who endured family driving vacations in childhood. I think I actually had tears in my eyes laughing at times, it was that funny and recognisable.

I had feared he had mellowed a bit with his more recent books, but his memoire Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid assured me he hasn't lost his edge. That description of his three oafish uncles was wonderfully, hyperbolically funny (and harsh).

[MrMickeysMom]

6. I borrowed "Lost Continent" from my mother's collection sitting at my brother's house...

Oh, Mom… you had great taste in humor.

I should read more Bill Bryson.

[Ron Obvious]

8. How very appropriate on Mother's Day! n/t

[magical thyme]

11. I discovered him through that book...

it was so funny I could only read short amounts at a time. I would be in pain from laughing so hard, and then would start to get numb and breathless.

I need to read more of his writing! In a Sunburned Country and A Walk in the Woods are the only 2 I've read so far...

[Ron Obvious]

12. If you liked those...

Then you'll love Notes from a Small Island (Travels through Britain), Neither Here nor There (Europe), and - especially - The Lost Continent (Small Town America).

He wrote The Lost Continent in 1987 shortly after his father died. In it, he tries to relive the old family driving vacations from his childhood, but as seen from the perspective of an adult who is returning to the US after having lived in England for many years.

It's one of the funniest books I've read in my life.

[magical thyme]

17. thank you for the tips

Maybe I'll leave Lost Continent for last so it doesn't diminish the other two. Although maybe I should read it first so if I get hit by a truck, I won't die having missed it....

[uriel1972]

2. Oh yes, but cautious about movies... nt

[Ron Obvious]

5. Understood

I share the same caution, and can only think of one movie that I liked better than the book, namely Blade Runner. That one was so different it was practically a different story altogether.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. Great book - so many laugh-out-loud moments.

We saw Bryson speak at a book signing in Raleigh some years ago - he is as dead pan an hilarious as his books.

Redford and Nolte....hmmm...don't see it. Philip Seymour Hoffman would have been a perfect Katz. Tom Hanks would be a decent Bryson....

[Ron Obvious]

7. Nice!

I haven't had the good fortune to see him live yet, but I did hear a radio interview with him once which would confirm exactly what you said:

Interviewer: "So Bill, what would you want people to say about you in a hundred years?"
BB: "The amazing thing is that he's still sexually active."

I just realised Nick Nolte is 72! I think I had a mental image of him from Silver Bullet and thought he'd be a nice Katz, but that would make both him and Redford about 20 years too old for their roles.

Bill Bryson did a TV version of his book, Notes from a Small Island, which was broadcast in the UK, but I don't think it ever made it over here in the US. I've not found the whole thing yet, but there are clips on youtube:

[applegrove]

9. I‘ll look foreward to the movie.

[JustAnotherGen]

10. I love that book

And I'm very very excited to Redford in this role. I'm about 40 years young than him - but to me he looks not that much different than he did in Spy Game. So I see him playing someone in their middle age/early retirement years.

And let's face it - the Sundance Kid never phones it in!

[Glorfindel]

13. I love all his books. The Appalachian Trail originates in the Georgia county where I was born

And if I ever need a big laugh, I read the chapter on English names in "The Mother Tongue."

[locks]

14. A couple of his books I enjoyed

but certainly not A Walk in the Woods. Boring and whiny middle aged men who had no fun on the Appalachian Trial and never ever saw nature's beauty. Robert Redford always great. Loved All is Lost so maybe he could make it more interesting.

[GusBob]

15. Loved the book looking forward to the movie

Thanks for posting the info

[GusBob]

16. If you like Bryson you might want to check out the writing of Redmond O'Hanlon

English naturalist and author of travel journeys to Borneo , the Amazon and Africa. On all 3 journeys he brings a Katz -like foil who struggles with the extreme conditions

[Ron Obvious]

18. I hadn't heard of him

Thanks for the tip!

[GusBob]

19. he's a good Lib. He has been on with Jon Stewart

Its on you tube. His stories alternate between serious, scary, gross and funny. The Africa book, "No Mercy" is pretty dark and intense.

His visit to the Daily Show was after his book "Trawler" he went out on a fishing boat in the North Sea during a hurricane and they dragged up all sorts of strange fish. Manic is the best description of that one

[LiberalEsto]

20. Oh yes!

I've read most of his books and love his writing. Sounds like it would be an awesome movie.

[Brother Buzz]

21. My son has become a big fan and I'm happy

Oh, he left In a Sunburned County behind when he returned to school, so I just may read it.

[OnionPatch]

22. I loved it!

I've never walked the AP but have done some long backpacking trips, so I could relate to a lot of the miseries. Of course I didn't try to bring a cast iron frying pan with me, lol.

I'd love to see this as a movie.

[Rob H.]

23. His writing about bears in that book is worth the price of admission all by itself

"..And how foolish must one be to be reassured by the information that no bear has killed a human in Vermont or New Hampshire in 200 years? That's not because the bears have signed a treaty, you know. There's nothing to say they won't start a modest rampage tomorrow.

So let us imagine a bear does go for us out in the wilds. What are we to do? Interestingly, the advised stratagems are exactly opposite for grizzly and black bear. With a grizzly, you should make for a tall tree, since grizzlies aren't much for climbing. If a tree is not available, then you should back off slowly, avoiding direct eye contact.

All the books tell you that if the grizzly comes for you, on no account should you run. This is the sort of advice you get from someone who is sitting at a keyboard when he gives it. Take it from me, if you are in an open space with no weapons and a grizzly comes for you, run. You may as well. If nothing else, it will give you something to do with the last seven seconds of your life."

“My particular dread--the vivid possibility that left me staring at tree shadows on the bedroom ceiling night after night--was having to lie in a small tent, alone in an inky wilderness, listening to a foraging bear outside and wondering what its intentions were. I was especially riveted by an amateur photograph in Herrero's book, taken late at night by a camper with a flash at a campground out West. The photograph caught four black bears as they puzzled over a suspended food bag. The bears were clearly startled but not remotely alarmed by the flash. It was not the size or demeanor of the bears that troubled me--they looked almost comically nonaggressive, like four guys who had gotten a Frisbee caught up a tree--but their numbers. Up to that moment it had not occurred to me that bears might prowl in parties. What on earth would I do if four bears came into my camp? Why, I would die, of course. Literally shit myself lifeless. I would blow my sphincter out my backside like one of those unrolling paper streamers you get at children's parties--I daresay it would even give a merry toot--and bleed to a messy death in my sleeping bag.”

[Ron Obvious]

24. It's opening tomorrow...

September 2d.

Rottent Tomatoes is ambivalent, scoring a 50% fresh rating at present. I might go see it in a week or two.

I still think Redford is too old to play Bryson, but actually I'd say he looks in significant better shape than Bryson (Sorry, Bill!)