The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel chronicles the tale of Christopher Knight who spent twenty-seven years living a life of seclusion in the Maine woods.
Finkel has written a fine book, but I don’t think he really gets at the heart of the reason why Knight left society. Part of this is not Finkel’s fault. Knight expresses his motivations very enigmatically, and tends to downplay his deeds. There is more to his story, and despite the fact that Knight tells Finkel he wants him to be his Boswell, you won’t find learn Knight's secrets in this book.
So, despite Finkel's wealth of detail, there is a curious hole in the center of this book.
Finkel has written a fine book, but I don’t think he really gets at the heart of the reason why Knight left society. Part of this is not Finkel’s fault. Knight expresses his motivations very enigmatically, and tends to downplay his deeds. There is more to his story, and despite the fact that Knight tells Finkel he wants him to be his Boswell, you won’t find learn Knight's secrets in this book.
So, despite Finkel's wealth of detail, there is a curious hole in the center of this book.
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