For the first half of the book, I really did enjoy the book. I wasn't bothered by the fact that they were unprepared or out of shape. I don't think anyone can really be prepared for their first long distance hiking trip. I know I wasn't, and mine was only three days. . I also enjoyed that he talked honestly about the experience of hiking, and I liked the way that he interspersed history and facts about the trail with the travel writing.
The second half, however, got much less interesting. The day trips and the abortive Maine portion were actually kind of disheartening. The whole feel of the prose got sort of mean spirited. I had trouble finishing it, because it just got nasty and tedious.
