The Stranger in the Woods
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"For readers of Jon Krakauer and The Lost City of Z, a remarkable tale of survival and solitude--the true story of a man who lived alone in a tent in the Maine woods, never talking to another person and surviving by stealing supplies from nearby cabins for twenty-seven years. In 1986, twenty-year-old Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the woods. 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 in winter, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store food and water, to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothes, 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 the why and how of his secluded life--as well as the challenges he has faced returning to the world. A riveting 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"--Publisher description.
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Fascinating story about a 20 year old man who just left the world one day, driving his car til he couldn't and holing up for 27 years in the Maine woods. He stole from nearby camps for all his needs (food, batteries, clothes, etc.) but talked to no one and was at peace. Then he was finally caught. We are not allowed access to his deep feeling and emotions or thoughts and psyche. The author, Michael Finkel, was overly determined to mine them and his perseverance was an unwelcome intrusion on this man. Finkel did an excellent job of research and interviewing anyone who had anything to do with the case. It seemed that Finkel found a person he thought was very similar to himself and he was hellbent on figuring out what made the hermit tick. For me, this detracted from my enjoyment of the book as I felt Finkel was harassing the hermit who was under no compulsion to bare his soul to the world he tried to escape.
As a fan of post-apocalyptic sci-fi I had my eyes on this story for quite a while. Though it is a non-fiction tale, i felt like this would fit right in that alley - and it did.
How long would you last in the wilderness alone, while about 5 minutes away from your camp, society presses on. 27 Years? How do you reintegrate with society after something like that?
I really enjoyed this book. After the EMP hits and wipes everything out, we'll all be on the same level as Christopher Knight.
“Solitude is the profoundest fact of the human condition,” wrote the Mexican poet and Nobel laureate Octavio Paz.
“Ultimately, and precisely in the deepest and most important matters, we are unspeakably alone,” wrote the Austro-German poet Rainer Maria Rilke.
