Download The Stranger in the Woods The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit Michael Finkel 9781101911532 Books
Download The Stranger in the Woods The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit Michael Finkel 9781101911532 Books
Download As PDF : The Stranger in the Woods The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit Michael Finkel 9781101911532 Books
A National Geographic Best Book of the Year
National Bestseller
Many people dream of escaping modern life. Most will never act on it—but in 1986, twenty-year-old Christopher Knight did just that when he left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the woods. He would not have a conversation with another person for the next twenty-seven years.
Drawing on extensive interviews with Knight himself, journalist Michael Finkel shows how Knight lived in a tent in a secluded encampment, developing ingenious ways to store provisions and stave off frostbite during the winters. A former alarm technician, he stealthily broke into nearby cottages for food, books, and supplies, taking only what he needed but sowing unease in a community plagued by his mysterious burglaries. Since returning to the world, he has faced unique challenges—and compelled us to reexamine our assumptions about what makes a good life. By turns riveting and thought-provoking, The Stranger in the Woods gives us a deeply moving portrait of a man determined to live his own way.
Download The Stranger in the Woods The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit Michael Finkel 9781101911532 Books
"Michael Finkel, author of the true story of THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS: THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE LAST TRUE HERMIT, you have my utmost respect. Not only is this story of Chris Knight one of the most compelling that I have read in some time, but the lengths that you went to, to research his venture into the woods of Maine, to understand him, to get to know him, clearly better than anyone else has, and to represent him with such dignity, astounds me.
Having never heard of this story, I was riveted from the get-go. What would possess a person to want to leave society and be completely isolated from their family and all society for that matter. It wasn’t until the end of the book that I truly understood Knight’s yearning for this lifestyle. I’m not sure that when he set out to live as a hermit, that he knew yet either.
While some, especially those whose homes were burgled, might still never understand what would cause a person to want to live in such extreme conditions let alone in solitude, far removed from the ‘regular’ world, after reading the book, while I will never spend a night, let alone an hour in the woods, what drew Knight makes sense to me now.
As the author quotes philosopher Merton, among others, “true solitary does not seek himself, but loses himself.†This book teaches us so much about what it truly means to be with oneself. The deeply profound and intellectually stimulating thoughts that come from doing so, most of us will probably never know. It is not just a story about how a man one day walked into the woods and decided to leave his life behind and live off the land, and the pantries of hundreds of nearby cabins. It is so much more. So much more thought-provoking. It’s not to say that after reading THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS that every reader will feel compelled to pick up and leave their jobs, families, and the comfort of modern society behind, but it sure does offer food for thought.
Finkel points out “that most of us feel like something is missing from our lives, and wondered then if Knight’s journey was to seek it. But life isn’t about searching endlessly to find what’s missing; it’s about learning to live with the missing parts.â€"
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The Stranger in the Woods The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit Michael Finkel 9781101911532 Books Reviews :
The Stranger in the Woods The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit Michael Finkel 9781101911532 Books Reviews
- Michael Finkel, author of the true story of THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE LAST TRUE HERMIT, you have my utmost respect. Not only is this story of Chris Knight one of the most compelling that I have read in some time, but the lengths that you went to, to research his venture into the woods of Maine, to understand him, to get to know him, clearly better than anyone else has, and to represent him with such dignity, astounds me.
Having never heard of this story, I was riveted from the get-go. What would possess a person to want to leave society and be completely isolated from their family and all society for that matter. It wasn’t until the end of the book that I truly understood Knight’s yearning for this lifestyle. I’m not sure that when he set out to live as a hermit, that he knew yet either.
While some, especially those whose homes were burgled, might still never understand what would cause a person to want to live in such extreme conditions let alone in solitude, far removed from the ‘regular’ world, after reading the book, while I will never spend a night, let alone an hour in the woods, what drew Knight makes sense to me now.
As the author quotes philosopher Merton, among others, “true solitary does not seek himself, but loses himself.†This book teaches us so much about what it truly means to be with oneself. The deeply profound and intellectually stimulating thoughts that come from doing so, most of us will probably never know. It is not just a story about how a man one day walked into the woods and decided to leave his life behind and live off the land, and the pantries of hundreds of nearby cabins. It is so much more. So much more thought-provoking. It’s not to say that after reading THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS that every reader will feel compelled to pick up and leave their jobs, families, and the comfort of modern society behind, but it sure does offer food for thought.
Finkel points out “that most of us feel like something is missing from our lives, and wondered then if Knight’s journey was to seek it. But life isn’t about searching endlessly to find what’s missing; it’s about learning to live with the missing parts.†- After reading a few chapters of this book, I was hooked immediately. I couldn't put it down. As someone who is drawn both to nature and seclusion, I was fascinated by Christopher Knight's retreat from modern, Western society, into the heart of Maine's woods. Many of us dream of secluding from the busyness of modern living—the fast-paced, noisy, cyclical nature in which life has become; yet many of us do not have the courage or tenacity to pursue such a dream, much less achieve this dream for the amount of time that Knight did.
If you are like me—a dreamer, a wanderer, a hopeless romantic for escape—then this book will instantly capture you. You will be drawn into a story of a man that psychologists and therapists have no categories for. You will be drawn into a story of a man who survives the intensity of Maine's weather and the silence of isolation. I promise, whether you agree with his choices or not, you will be drawn into this man's life, enthralled by his zeal for solitude, and his utter brilliance in the entire quest.
On a practical level, Michael Finkel has written this biographical account excellently. The book is written well, leaving you wanting more and more of the story when the chapters end. The chapters are short so that one can read briefly each night and still make significant headway in a few weeks. The account of Knight's life is both formatted in narrative and in some ways, topically. If you are looking for a new book that will capture your attention, make you question some of your choices, and leave you desiring more out of life—please, pick up this book! - This type of story is usually right up my alley, but I’m really torn here. I wanted to like this book so much, but now a few months after reading it, I’m unsure if I liked it or not. Is this about a true hermit or about a guy that gave up on life early on? While it’s interesting that he was able to do this for so long and live virtually undetected so close to civilization, I ended up feeling this was just a quitter who hid from life and was only able to survive by stealing from others. I see other reviewers come away from this story having respect and/or admiration for this “hermitâ€, but after thinking it over a few times, that’s a bridge I just can’t cross here. And solitude? Give me a break! Knight wanted to get away from everything but ended up surviving and relying on all he claims to have wanted to escape in the first place. I don’t know, I seem to go back and forth on it. Maybe I’ll come back and change my review at some point, but for now I’m no fan of this “last hermitâ€.
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