Wild in book reviews
- July 4, 2014, 6:19 a.m.
- |
- Public
author: Cheryl Strayed
I am very much an armchair traveler. I used to think I wanted to walk the Appalachian Trail, but having read Bill Bryson's account of his trip... uh, never mind! This book, was not humor, although there are sweet, humorous parts in it. The Pacific Crest Trail is the western counterpart to the Appalachian Trail, and is MUCH more remote, has fewer travelers and seems to be even more difficult.
In her 20's the author made many decisions about her life, some were self-destructive others self-affirming. This is the story - written about 20 years later - about those years.
Good read!
7 Comments
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Spinster ⋅ July 04, 2014
I tried reading another book by this author called Dear Sugar but didn't get very far into it. I might retry it though with this book because its on a topic I enjoy. I loved the Bryson book and while I have no desire to do the entire trail I wouldn't mind doing a day trip or overnight trip on the trail.
Darcy0207 from OD Spinster ⋅ July 04, 2014
thank you. I hadn't even thought to see if she'd written anything else. I am stuck in a Bryson book (At Home). I'll have to pick it up again soon.
ThoughtsAfter ⋅ July 05, 2014
I am not a fan of Cheryl Strayed, myself. I thought I was about twenty years too old to (make that 30) to get excited about that book and that girl she was. Bryson, too...not too excited about his. Read it through and didn't finish hers, gave to a younger woman.
Darcy0207 from OD ThoughtsAfter ⋅ July 06, 2014
I was just amazed at the fact that she, in so MUCH pain, finished her LOONG hike. I think it was the mentality of the self-destructive young woman that she had been that kept her going... and the fact that she felt it was a healing process to continue and to finish where she had. She's also much older now even though she just wrote this fairly recently.
I have been tempted to do the Manhattan Saunter (stroll around the island where I live - happens in the spring) where you can walk slowly and finish in one day.... and not necessarily do the entire "round". Even that seems daunting... and it's in civilization.
btw: Have you heard of/read May Sarton? I kept thinking of you as I've been reading one of her books. VERY different from Strayed...
ThoughtsAfter ⋅ July 06, 2014
Yes, Sarton. Have her books read them back in the 80s, 90s. Thought I'd read them again recently. So different from Strayed.
I distrusted Strayed memories in this book of hers. So far after the fact and then so much like the stories of women I went to school with in the 70s. I respect her travels, that trek. Wow and Wow!
Darcy0207 from OD ThoughtsAfter ⋅ July 06, 2014
I had to keep reminding myself that this was an experience from various decades ago. I doubt I'd have been able to do anything like it even when I was that age.
Ragdolls ⋅ July 07, 2014