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A review by bethpeninger
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
5.0
I remember in 2017 (or thereabouts) reading an article about a hermit who had been found after living in the woods of Maine for over two decades. And I remember being fascinated by it. How did he live? Why was he now living in the inhabited world again? Etc. I am super glad I remembered this book was on my TBR and that it was available. It was fascinating to read more about the last true hermit (although is/was he really?), Christopher Knight.
Christopher Knight, prior to disappearing into the woods in 1986, was already used to living a fairly quiet life. He and his family members were all extremely introverted and kept to themselves, having few friendships or interactions with other family. So, when Chris disappeared his family didn't think much of it and didn't report him as missing. They somehow just knew he was gone from them, and society, and respected that. Nobody heard from, or saw him, again until 2013 when he was caught stealing food from a camp he lived close to in his adopted "hometown" of North Pond in rural Maine. Upon his capture, something he had managed to evade for over two decades, it was revealed that he had most likely committed up to 1000 thefts during his time as the North Pond Hermit. But in reading the book and hearing the account of the thefts, it is easy to see they were thefts of necessity, not greed. There's controversy to this day about whether that makes a difference in the crimes or not.
Knight refused to speak to anyone from the press or even his own family members once captured and detained but oddly enough he did eventually open up to one journalist, Michael Finkel, who managed to exchange several letters with Knight and have 9 1-hour visitations with him while he was awaiting trial. Through those exchanges, and I believe 2 visits post-jail, Finkel was able to get a clearer picture of Knight and his motivation for one, disappearing into the woods to live a solitary life, and two, how he managed to survive the harsh Maine winters and evading hikers, campers, fishers, and residents of North Pond during the summers when the place was extremely populated.
I really enjoyed this title. It answered many of the questions I had when I first read about it in that 2017 article and Finkel provided some great insight into the reasoning behind solitary life through other people in history who have chosen a more quiet, slowed-down way of living and through his interviews and discussions with psychologists. Chris Knight is an interesting man. Equal parts humble and self-righteous. Present day he is reported to live in a rural Maine town and work at an auto-body repair shop. He is (in 2023) 58 years old.
Christopher Knight, prior to disappearing into the woods in 1986, was already used to living a fairly quiet life. He and his family members were all extremely introverted and kept to themselves, having few friendships or interactions with other family. So, when Chris disappeared his family didn't think much of it and didn't report him as missing. They somehow just knew he was gone from them, and society, and respected that. Nobody heard from, or saw him, again until 2013 when he was caught stealing food from a camp he lived close to in his adopted "hometown" of North Pond in rural Maine. Upon his capture, something he had managed to evade for over two decades, it was revealed that he had most likely committed up to 1000 thefts during his time as the North Pond Hermit. But in reading the book and hearing the account of the thefts, it is easy to see they were thefts of necessity, not greed. There's controversy to this day about whether that makes a difference in the crimes or not.
Knight refused to speak to anyone from the press or even his own family members once captured and detained but oddly enough he did eventually open up to one journalist, Michael Finkel, who managed to exchange several letters with Knight and have 9 1-hour visitations with him while he was awaiting trial. Through those exchanges, and I believe 2 visits post-jail, Finkel was able to get a clearer picture of Knight and his motivation for one, disappearing into the woods to live a solitary life, and two, how he managed to survive the harsh Maine winters and evading hikers, campers, fishers, and residents of North Pond during the summers when the place was extremely populated.
I really enjoyed this title. It answered many of the questions I had when I first read about it in that 2017 article and Finkel provided some great insight into the reasoning behind solitary life through other people in history who have chosen a more quiet, slowed-down way of living and through his interviews and discussions with psychologists. Chris Knight is an interesting man. Equal parts humble and self-righteous. Present day he is reported to live in a rural Maine town and work at an auto-body repair shop. He is (in 2023) 58 years old.