patchworkbunny reviewed The Stranger in the Woods by NA
Review of 'The Stranger in the Woods' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I remember reading about Christopher Knight online when his story first came to light, presumably that article was the precursor to The Stranger in the Woods, told by journalist Michael Finkel. Although the subtitle is The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit, the fact that the text is sprinkled with nuggets of information about hermits throughout history and the world, shows that there are probably plenty of hermits still out there, just probably not in America.
Knight doesn’t try to deny his multiple crimes of theft, and I think there is an aspect to his story that is incredibly sad. There’s no actual way of living the life he wanted in the western world. You are expected to have money and live in a fixed abode. He just wanted to live by himself surrounded by nature, and unfortunately to achieve this he ended up stealing, although usually only small …
I remember reading about Christopher Knight online when his story first came to light, presumably that article was the precursor to The Stranger in the Woods, told by journalist Michael Finkel. Although the subtitle is The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit, the fact that the text is sprinkled with nuggets of information about hermits throughout history and the world, shows that there are probably plenty of hermits still out there, just probably not in America.
Knight doesn’t try to deny his multiple crimes of theft, and I think there is an aspect to his story that is incredibly sad. There’s no actual way of living the life he wanted in the western world. You are expected to have money and live in a fixed abode. He just wanted to live by himself surrounded by nature, and unfortunately to achieve this he ended up stealing, although usually only small items and generally from holiday cabins.
Once arrested he went to prison and Finkel attempted to befriend him, despite him not really wanting to talk. He struggled to adapt to life in the real world and I just wished he could have found a way to stay in the woods. Who doesn’t want to escape people sometimes?