The Stranger in the Woods

Tell me a story… about a truly solitary life 

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel

Publication date: March 7, 2017

Date read: June 10, 2021

In 1986, a shy twenty-year-old man named Christopher Knight left his home, abandoned his car, and walked into the woods with nothing but the clothes on his back. 27 years later, he was arrested for stealing food. This book tells the story of his years of solitude, as well as what happened to him after his arrest. 

I thought that this book was a very interesting story about this man, who decided to just drop off the grid with no preparation. He had some survival skills going in, but also relied on a fair amount of luck along the way. 

Knight was not a survivalist, living off the land - he actually stole everything he owned, from shelter to food to a radio. His goal (as much as he had one) wasn’t to live without help, but to live without face-to-face interaction with other people. 

There are definitely some unanswered questions in his narrative, but it’s not the fault of the writer. He was only able to go off of what Knight was willing to give him in the four or five interviews that Knight agreed to. The author does, in addition to giving us Knight’s story, also give us some history about hermits in general and how Knight fits (or in some cases, doesn’t fit) into the history. 

A very interesting story about one man’s life off the beaten path. I wanted more, but found what we got worth reading.

Rating: 3/5 stars