This is a wonderful winter read, as it explores the mind of the hermit, and in particular, a hermit who lived through 27 Maine winters without heat. (He woke up at 2am and stayed busy, to avoid falling into a permanent sleep.) As might be expected, the hermit was not so very forthcoming with the author, and at points I wanted the author to just stop trying, as it was painful to hear about.

I felt guilty for devouring this book so quickly, and relishing every detail of the life of a man who obviously despises curious busybodies like myself.

Christopher Knight is fascinating because he created an inner world that was completely self-reflective. He inspired me to be more autonomous. He seems free from the vanity, dependency and narcissism that plagues social people caught in the Panopticon of Social Media or even people whose every decision must be weighed by that decision on others. I like that he turned his back on the world.

It was interesting how his neighbors reacted to his stealing. Some of his victims were completely nonplussed. One father and son actually recognized him and swore themselves to secrecy, which delighted me. Other victims were a bit whiny about it, claiming that their lives were ruined by these break-ins, despite their non-violent nature.
These neighbors I was less sympathetic towards, as they seemed to lack imagination. Someone lives 27 years, just minutes from you, unknown, unseen, with nary 2 words to bird or man. Wow! (Not to say it wouldn't be annoying, to have your stuff ripped off all the time!)
Finkel does due diligence and follows the non-fiction formula, including background research and thoughtful quotes regarding hermits and the hermetic lifestyle. Some of my favorite quotes emphasized that solitude is necessary for self-improvement and creativity. He also includes a few anecdotes about forced solitude, which is regarding by the UN as torture.