Absolutely loved this!!

Fast read, really interesting story, thoroughly enjoyed! I wanted more info from the actual hermit including more info about his day to day life but understandably he’s not very forthcoming so I don’t think the author had a lot to work with. Some parts of the book do feel a bit padded, I wonder what else the author could have done to add more to the story. Maybe more info about Maine as I had no frame of reference to understand how unbelievable it is that this guy lived alone in a tent through 27 Maine winters. I also want to know much more about his reintegration into society and his family!

Really interesting story about a man who chose to be a hermit. This book also explores what it means to be a hermit and how most of us are not suited for that level of autonomy, but some are.

One man lives alone in the woods for 27 years. He never has a fire, even in winter. He only speaks a single word to another human once in 27 years, "Hi". He breaks into cabins over 1,000 times to collect supplies and is never caught. He lives solely off theiviery. He almost freezes to death on an annual basis. He is supremely happy with his lifestyle.

This is the story of Chris Knight. The man who willfully isolated himself in the woods of Maine for 27 years before being caught during a break-in. In this book Finkel struggles to understand how Knight lived, if any of this is even true, and what comes next for Knight after his arrest.

I found the book to be quite a page turner. It was very reminiscent of Into the Wild. A heavily researched tale about a young man who makes a brash decision to reject society and reconnect with nature while disconnecting from humanity. The main difference is that Knight does not hold grandiose views like Supertramp, he does not journal, he receives zero support. His family assumes he's dead and he doesn't want to bother them with contact.

Diving into Knight's mind, habits, and lifestyle is fascinating. His worldview and general lack of dogma makes it further fascinating. The man just simply loved being alone.

My gripe with the book is that the author essentially becomes obsessed with Knight. He repeatedly contacts him after being expressly asked not to multiple times. The author's own lust for narrative closure, comes at the cost of a solitary man's peace. That is not right. I dock half a star for the author's complete lack of self awareness and harassment of Knight. However, his ability to tell Knight's story, as Knight blessed him to, is certainly of merit. His was a lifestyle unlike any you'll ever hear of.

4.5/5

What did I just read

The premise of the story itself is fine. I think it goes a little too hard on praising the ideals of solitary living.

The bad part is the author. This man harassed Chris Knight and his family in order to get this story and actually detailed it out for us to read with seemingly zero awareness. The letters, the visits in jail, calling his family — it’s all too much.

For the uniqueness of the story, 5 stars. A anonymous, unidentified hermit who spends a quarter century alone in the woods, breaking into cabins and stealing stuff, who becomes as tolerated as water damage and mosquitoes by a small Maine community? Where people leave food and stuff they know he always goes for sitting on the porch so they don't have to replace windows? A hermit who likes certain foods but leaves others? Who takes doors off the hinges when possible so as not to damage locks? Yeah. pretty freaking interesting story.

Fascinating read. T.w.e.n.t.y...S.e.v.en.. years alone! I can't imagine doing something like this so was fascinating to read the details. Impressive feat and intriguing glimpse into a totally different way of living/being.