Scan barcode
A review by chaptersoncapecod
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Something new that I'm trying is forcing my family to read a book for a "family book club" book discussion while on vacation. Since we're going to Maine next week, this seemed like the perfect book for all members of my husband's family to read.
Before reading the book, I had never heard of Christopher Knight or the "hermit" up in Maine. The description seemed too wild to be true—a man who leaves society for almost 40 years and never interacts with a soul? It's perplexing and mysterious.
I listened to the audio of this book, and it tells the story from the investigator's perspective on the case. Knight was living in the wilderness, ironically, not far from society at all, but he was so well hidden up in rural Maine. The investigator details how Knight survived for so long and his existence's impact on society because, yes, folks in Maine knew of his allusive existence.
The latter parts of the book delve more into psychology and try to understand Knight's mental state, which I found interesting. He clearly enjoyed being alone, but he didn't exhibit some other typical behaviors of someone who is neurodiverse.
As someone who enjoys both being around people and solitude, this book is a fascinating look at someone who couldn't be a part of society, and so he forged his own path. Probably the line that stuck out to me the most was about learning to live with what's missing vs. seeking out what's missing for all of our years. We get one go-around; let's not waste it.
Before reading the book, I had never heard of Christopher Knight or the "hermit" up in Maine. The description seemed too wild to be true—a man who leaves society for almost 40 years and never interacts with a soul? It's perplexing and mysterious.
I listened to the audio of this book, and it tells the story from the investigator's perspective on the case. Knight was living in the wilderness, ironically, not far from society at all, but he was so well hidden up in rural Maine. The investigator details how Knight survived for so long and his existence's impact on society because, yes, folks in Maine knew of his allusive existence.
The latter parts of the book delve more into psychology and try to understand Knight's mental state, which I found interesting. He clearly enjoyed being alone, but he didn't exhibit some other typical behaviors of someone who is neurodiverse.
As someone who enjoys both being around people and solitude, this book is a fascinating look at someone who couldn't be a part of society, and so he forged his own path. Probably the line that stuck out to me the most was about learning to live with what's missing vs. seeking out what's missing for all of our years. We get one go-around; let's not waste it.