The Stranger in the Woods

The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

By: Michael Finkel

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

For readers and listeners of Jon Krakauer and The Lost City of Z, a remarkable tale of survival and solitude - the true story of a man who lived alone in a tent in the Maine woods, never talking to another person and surviving by stealing supplies from nearby cabins for 27 years.

In 1986, 20-year-old Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the woods. 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 in winter, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store food and water, to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothes, 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 the why and how of his secluded life - as well as the challenges he has faced returning to the world. A riveting 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.

©2017 Michael Finkel (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"[A] fascinating account of Knight's renunciation of humanity.... Deeply compelling." ( Publishers Weekly)

A one-sitting listen

I had this on my wish list but until I heard the author interviewed on the Book Cougars podcast, I was on the fence about whether to listen to it or not. Halfway through the interview, I downloaded the book and started listening. And didn’t stop.

There are quite a few reviews for this book, so let me just say it was well-written, fascinating, absorbing. And the perfect length. Lately I’ve been finding that I want the occasional 6 hour book, instead of the long ones I usually crave. There’s no filler here.

Finkel puts himself in the story just enough--I enjoy books in which a journalist writes not only about the subject, but about the investigation. So while the focus is Knight, we get the bonus of learning something about the author—the how, the why, the delving into this unbelievable story. Because really, 27 years in the woods without human contact, without spending money, without even building a fire in the middle of winter in Maine?

Also, very good audio performance.

A bit boring

I think this book is too long for the story and ended up being slow and boring, repeating parts of the story over from different angles that were not that different. I guess after hearing how long he was out in the wilderness and what he did while he was there (not much) and how he got caught, it doesn’t seem like there’s much left.

The author really paints him as some sort of purist hero, and I think he was a thief. There’s all kinds of people who don’t want to have a job or don’t want to be around other people and prefer to “live off the land”, but this guy ripped off other people and took away their sense of safety and security on their property to maintain his chosen lifestyle.... but I repeat myself.

Captivating Then Exasperating

There's no doubt that Christopher Knight's story is absolutely captivating... at first. And Michael Finkel does his best to portray him as a hero of sorts. Knight was a man who simply decided to bow out of society. Right?
Well, not quite. I listened to "The Stranger in the Woods" twice, and the second time brought out a lot of the story's flaws, a lot of Knight's flaws. It's no wonder that true hermits are peeved about his "Hermit" status because the man brought society with him. He stole a television set, a radio with TV, trashy books. He lived off Marshmallow Fluff and Chimichangas. He had his own city dump style garbage pit of plastics and waxed cardboard trash.
Mostly, the man was no hero--the more I listened to it the more it became clear that Knight is a man completely lacking in empathy. He knew he was causing fear, knew he was taking that which did not belong to him, knew plenty but felt he was entitled to it all.
Finkel's book covers why someone would shun society: political reasons, philosophical reasons, biochemical reasons, etc. etc. But there's no answer for Knight. At first I found this to be unsatisfying then I didn't care. Sure, it's pretty hilarious that Knight used pages from John Grisham novels when toilet paper was running low, but no, it's not funny when you consistently screw over strangers, even family. Further, the Publisher's Summary says this is based on extensive interviews and such, but actually it was nine one-hour prison interviews and a couple of quick interactions with Knight.
Take your chance with this book, if you're interested. As someone who's worked the graveyard shift for a couple of decades, I can attest that you lose social skills, so it's interesting that Knight lost his ability to pick up on body/facial cues, make eye contact. But the more I listened to the book, the more it came to me that the man simply doesn't care about other people... except for stealing from them. God forbid he should try to live off the land. Not while he could steal from them, judging them harshly the whole time...

Outstanding book

My expectations of this book were not high. I had anticipated a fairly sensationalist treatment of a bizarre story. Instead, I found a beautifully written, sensitive and richly contextualized treatment, one that situates the fascinating story of Chris Knight within an informed rumination on the nature of loneliness and human connection.

Good story, occasionally makes your eyes roll

It was a pretty good story. I heard this story I a podcast and it seems like an interesting subject. The author seems to be a little too proud of himself, though. He likes to see himself in all of his subjects. it is, however, maddening to think this man was a thief for almost 30 years and some people ( including Michael Finkel) choose to ignore his crimes because they too have some fantasy of disappearing and freeing themselves from all responsibilities of life. That doesn't make you a wise old hermit, it makes you a thief and a coward. I would like to know how forgiving people would be if Christian Knight wasn't an average middle-class white guy.

Loved it

Amazing story. Very powerful trying to imagine what it really must have been like to experience what he did. Felt an strong connection and compassion for Mr Knight. Narration was excellent.

Facinating And True!

I really enjoyed this book. There were times I laughed out loud and others when I teared up.

What about the masks that you wear?

Finally, I found a book that grabbed my attention and would not let me go. Do you desire to be alone? Do you love solitude? What if you could take off all of the masks you wear? The one you wear for your spouse, each child, the teacher, the preacher, your church friends, your co workers, customers, neighbors, yourself when you look in the mirror, etc. Who would you be? I sure don't know. Being all alone is very desirable to me and that is why this book caught my attention. It is told in a very catching way. I like how Mr Finkel has delved into so much research on different aspects of this man's character. What caused him to be this way. I found no doubt in the fact that this story is true. Did you ever make a tree house or a pretend house in the woods or some sort of hiding spot as a child? Perhaps we might all have a longing to this hidden secret spot where no one can bother you. The author has brought so many deep thought provoking thoughts with his questions. The narrator did a fairly decent job. occasionally slipping into a faster paced speech when it should have been slower but overall was very enjoyable to listen to. I have not written a review on a book for a long time but was so delighted with this book that I had to. I even shared it on my facebook page.

Interesting. Not extraordinary, just interesting.

Would you try another book from Michael Finkel and/or Mark Bramhall?

Mark Bramhall was an excellent narrator. Michael Finkel seemed oddly and overly obsessed with Christopher Knight, who chose to live as a recluse in the woods for 27 years, surviving by stealing from locals and never getting in touch with his family to let them know how and where he was. Finkel started interviewing Knight while he was in prison, having finally been caught stealing food from a camp for kids. The book tells Knight's story as related to Finkel by Knight and by those few who knew Knight. I could not feel very sympathetic toward Knight, who criticized and rejected society and yet lived off the hard work of others by stealing their food and belongings. I found the author's obsession with Knight to be as strange as anything Knight had said or done. When Knight was released from prison, both he and his family asked the author to leave them alone. The author was so driven to maintain his connection to Knight that he did not honor their wishes. He practically stalked Knight. I don't see how that could be OK. So no, I won't be reading anything more by this author.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

This is supposedly a true story, so the ending was what it was. It wasn't constructed to please anyone.

What about Mark Bramhall’s performance did you like?

Evenly paced reading. Avoidance of hyper-drama or tedious droning.

Could you see The Stranger in the Woods being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Maybe this story could be a one hour TV documentary. I don't see it as movie material. Movie makers always morph a true story into something it was not, to suit their own ideas of drama. A Hollywood director or producer would no doubt try to make Knight into some kind of hero or villain. He was no hero and not much of a villain, just a selfish man who lacked sufficient regard for the feelings and rights of others, a petulant but not malicious parasite who wanted to be left alone.

Any additional comments?

No.

Crazy True Story - I Listened in a Single Day

The literal stranger in the woods obviously fascinated author Michael Finkel, and his ode to this stranger created an immediate fascination within me. At age 20, Christopher Knight disappeared into the Maine woods and lived a life of solitude for the next 27 years. Over that time, he committed 1,000 burglaries (a necessity for survival) and only spoke once. Finkel’s portrayal of Knight’s time in the woods, capture, and imprisonment is haunting, heartbreaking, and utterly human. I've shared this book with a few friends, and responses have ranged from, "what a nutter" to "this guy is my idol!" I love stories with that kind of power.

Mark Bramhall’s narration served as a great accompaniment to the story. His lilting delivery evoked the slowed-down life of a hermit, and his characterization of Knight captured the gravelly tone and halted nature of speech that one would expect from someone who has only uttered a single syllable in 27 years. But pro-tip, if you're an east coast speed talker (like myself), there will be times when you'll want to bump this one up to 2x.