Comments (76)

The Stranger in the Woods

the Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
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Feb 29, 2024lunness rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A thought-provoking true account of a solitary individual who chooses to live alone in a forest. The author writes in a captivating way, and the reader begins to reconsider living in modern society, when presented with a unique option.
Feb 26, 2024JCLAllisonM rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A fascinating story that had me reflecting on solitude and harmony with nature. I did start to feel like the author maybe pushed Christopher Knight a little too hard to share his story, though.
Aug 14, 2023teleswan rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
An interesting exploration of an unusual case. Thoroughly researched. The author takes pains to present a fair and objective view of "the stranger" and his life in the Maine woods. This is a good read but it is not what I would call an…
Jun 06, 2023CMLibrary_aharris rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book was very enjoyable to read. The author did an excellent job portraying the interactions between himself and Knight. The characters were fascinating and thought-provoking.
Feb 03, 2023summerrain rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Loved it! My heart and soul understood it well. Touched me as I understood his reasoning Although I had difficulty with the stealing part to a degree, as it was a means of necessity and not for any nefarious reasons.
Jan 28, 2023ALHR rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Well written and keeps you turning the pages to savor the whole amazing story. I felt that I was taking part and just looking over his shoulder.
Aug 30, 2022BeckyR21 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Interesting. A well written and sympathetic account of an amazing escape from society. A quick read that was quite fascinating to read about someone who chooses to walk away from everything, but left me with an overall sense of sadness..…
Aug 15, 2022BiblioJP rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This non-fiction book reads like a novel and truly know how to captivate its reader. The character of Christopher Knight (the "hermit") is fascinating and his laconic replies are so consistently funny that I sometimes wonder if the author…
May 19, 2022LSPayne rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
2022_#4
Apr 24, 2022JCC55 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The sub-title, which is: “The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit”, incorporates perfectly a good word to describe this book – extraordinary. So many who, what, why, how questions arise as the pages turn. The book is the author’s…
Mar 18, 2021mmyjer20 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Interesting book. Well written, journalistic book. Recommend
Jan 14, 2021
As a young man Chris Knight builds a hidden camp in the Maine outback. He lives in this isolated. patch of woods entirely alone for over 25 years. He steals food and and supplies from a nearby camp and eventually gets caught redhanded.…
Sep 23, 2020davidgut76 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Fun read and an extraordinary story of how Christopher Knight survived for so long without human contact
Aug 19, 2020Trixie_reads rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
This was a fascinating read. Try to imagine living alone with no human contact for 25 years by choice - it’s mind boggling! It was hard not to feel sorry for him, even though he broke into houses hundreds of times and stole things he…
May 12, 2020ryner rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
In 1986 20-year-old Chris Knight drove his Subaru deep into the remote forests of Maine. He abandoned the vehicle and set out into the wilderness with virtually nothing. Over time he erected a camp for himself, where he lived in solitude…
Mar 21, 2020red_falcon_729 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The Stranger in the Woods is a pretty good book that follows author Michael Finkel learn about Christopher Knight, a man who lived in solitude for 27 years. At some parts, Finkel writes more about himself than necessary, but all in all the…
Mar 20, 2020
"The Stranger in the Woods" is an intriguing book about a hermit in the woods of Maine who survived for 27 years without any human contact. He stole only necessary supplies from nearby cabins, but was eventually apprehended while during…
Feb 20, 2020AAntosz rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A bit of silence and solitude will do our souls some good.
Feb 16, 2020NANCY ELIZABETH WHITLATCH rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book was a very interesting true story about a twenty year old man, who waked away from society and chose to live in the woods. This takes place in a remote area, of the state of Maine. The story about Chris Knight is interesting,…
Feb 13, 2020CMLibrary_sally rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Fantastic non-fiction book about a man who wanted to escape our modern world. Super fast read that makes you think about your own life and those you love.
Feb 10, 2020Fuzzy_Slippers rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A little dry at some parts but so full of information. I really enjoyed the story of Christopher Knight.
Feb 03, 2020
Though the bones of this story were covered in a long- form GQ Magazine article from 2014, Finkel’s book is much more in depth, providing a fascinating examination of solitude and why people seek it. He skillfully interweaves references in…
Dec 06, 2019peacebenow rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Wasn't sure I was going to like this book but I was a bit sad when it ended. Not only does Finkel tell us the story of Chris but the story of people over time who have chosen or been forced onto solitude. Possible reasons why people chose…
Nov 19, 2019Luckybe rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I began reading this book and could not stop until it was completed....not something I normally do. This story of the need for solitude is utterly captivating especially when contrasted with those who suffer from being alone such as…
Oct 31, 2019red_eagle_1193 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The Stranger in the Woods overall is a good book. My complaints about it are simply that it talks too much about topics other than Christopher Knight and that it has a long introduction. Despite that, some of the topics in the book that…