The Stranger in the Woods
Books | Nature / Ecosystems & Habitats / Forests & Rainforests
3.8
(677)
Michael Finkel
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • 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.“A meditation on solitude, wildness and survival.” —The Wall Street JournalIn 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.
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More Details:
Author
Michael Finkel
Pages
224
Publisher
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published Date
2017-03-07
ISBN
1101875690 9781101875698
Ratings
Google: 5
Community ReviewsSee all
"Thanks to the author intertwining his own story, this book was saved. Christopher Knight is an unusual character to be sure. Not likeable, kind of arrogant, clearly not seeing himself and his actions/their affects fully (in one moment that became very clear, when he admonished the author for leaving his family to do other things, yet he left his family wondering for over 20 years what happened to him). It’s an interesting read: 1. Because you don’t get to talk to hermits, ever! And hearing what he chose to share dispelled some of the romantic hermit imagery out there that they are wise and generous with their wisdom, and 2. Because it’s a common knee jerk reaction when extremely overwhelmed to think “if only I could disappear into the woods” about it and we see that avoidance is not glamorous and full of different stresses and things to overwhelm a human. Short and sweet, pretty okay!"
C
CaitVD
"Interesting and true."
C G
Cheryl Gerber
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