BOOK 228: THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS: THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE LAST TRUE HERMIT: MICHAEL FINKEL

Many people dream of escaping modern life, but most will never act on it. This is the remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality--not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own.

In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life--why did he leave? what did he learn?--as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.

(From Goodreads)

MY VERDICT: As soon as I heard of this story I was fascinated to find out more. The idea of someone being so totally alone but having to use people to survive was something I just had to try to understand more about. This book doesn’t really give a lot of answers but it is still interesting to read and keeps you interested all the way through. However I will say that reading this made me very conflicted, it asks moral questions about whether the writer was correct in his motives, is it okay for us to want to know everything about someone who wants nothing to do with the world? So in that sense it is hard to know whether to recommend to others or not. If you want to ask yourself these hard questions then this book will not disappoint.