The Stranger In The Woods
Author: Michael Finkel
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What could there possibly be new to say about The North Pond Hermit? If you live in most any part of Maine, but especially Central Maine, you were bombarded with news about The Hermit/Christopher Knight when he was captured by the Maine Warden Service in 2013. Then, you were bombarded with news about him as he went to trial. And again when Michael Finkel published his GQ article on the topic. Finkel expanded that article to bring the world The Stranger In The Woods, a tale of the hermit and of Finkel’s relationship with him.
The book tells the story, as much as it can be known, of Christopher Knight’s decades of living in the Maine woods, stealing supplies from local camps, surviving Maine winters, and generally evading notice by humanity. Finkel also dots the book with discussions on Knight’s possible motivations, anecdotes about his family, the history of hermits, and general thoughts on solitude. The end of the book tells the story of how Finkel got Knight to agree to talk to him. It also includes a conversation that happened between the two after Knight requested Finkel stop contacting him, but he showed up at the home in Maine where Knight was living anyway.
Overall, there isn’t much new information in the book with the exception of what Knight’s up to now and how Finkel found that out. That doesn’t mean Stranger In The Woods isn’t captivating, though. It is, particularly if you’re the type of person who is drawn to solitude, or on the other extreme and simply can’t begin to understand why someone would want to leave everything behind. If you followed the story of the hermit closely as it unfolded, or knew of the legend because of a connection to the lakeside communities in Kennebec County that he stole from, you will probably still find it a tale worth revisiting. Information like how Knight kept himself alive during the winter - waking up and walking during the coldest part of the night - or what he did with his trash do answer some questions and round out this man’s intelligence and personality a little bit more. Rounding out Knight’s personality and what he actually did for 27 years is the fascinating part of this book. The musings on other hermits, potential diagnoses, and Finkel’s somewhat overbearing attempts to reach Knight aren’t not interesting - they’re just not why you want to read a book about The North Pond Hermit. Though Finkel’s efforts to speak with Knight can be grating, the information he gleans during the conversations are essential to depicting the idiosyncratic Knight and add depth to the book that wouldn't otherwise be there.
TL/DR: It’s worth the read to find out a few more details about Knight’s life as the North Pond Hermit, as well as his life before and after his 27 years in the woods. Finkel also provides an interesting look into Knight’s possible motivations, his impact on the community, and his and other hermits’ impact on the world. You’ll come away understanding Knight a little more, and perhaps pondering the nature and value of solitude.
Maine Thoughts: Finkel takes a fairly stereotypical, unnuanced approach to Maine, but as much of his story revolved around the woods and lakeside homes and camps, it works okay. He includes some history about Albion towards the end, some geologic/geographic information throughout, and offers some descriptive text about the areas he visits during his trips to see Knight:
“Augusta, Maine is picturesque but a little melancholy, the downtown streets empty, the factories along the Kennebec River that once produced broom handles and headstones and shoes now giant brick skeletons.”
And about Albion: “...2,000 people and 4,000 cows.”
And the region in general: “Central Maine still lives on the honor system.”