Review: "The Stranger in the Woods" by Michael Finkel

The story Michael Finkel tells in his new nonfiction book The Stranger in the Woods is, as someone in the book says, a true once in a lifetime story to tell. On one hand the story is simply about Christopher Knight, a Maine resident who, in 1985 when he was just 20 years old walked into the woods near North Pond and stayed there, pretty much undisturbed until 2013. But delving deeper than that, it is about our relationship to the world around us, the push-pull dynamic of society and social interaction and what happens to those unfortunate few who don’t fit in to society at large. It is at times an exciting book a fascinating one and ultimately, I believe a sad one. It is both an account of an anomalous person who did something that most of wish we could do but are too afraid to attempt, but it also acts a strange funhouse mirror of the public at large or anyone who picks up the book. It is very easy to put ourselves in Knight’s shoes, and some people, me included, will come away from the book envious of his position and what he is capable of, but after a while the cost of us making the same decision as Knight did makes it an impossible one to make. The book begins with a few chapters detailing Knight’s capture and arrest in 2013. The people who catch him find his story hard to believe initially, but they are soon convinced that what Knight said is true. In 1985, he drove to North Pond from his home in Massachusetts, parked his car, through his keys on the driver’s seat and walked into the woods with only what he had on him. For almost 30 years, with the exception of one brief exchange with random hiker, Knight did not speak a word or interact with another human being. He survived by breaking into summer houses on the weekends, stealing unopened food, the right clothing and whatever books he could find. He had a makeshift campsite only a few hundred feet from where he could here other people. This story fascinated Finkel, a journalist living in Montana, who becomes determined to tell Knight’s story, even though his reluctance, which walks a fine line between plain rudeness and hostility (both unintentional on Knight’s part), makes it a challenge for Finkel. The book tells briefly of Knight’s home life, which was solid but eccentric and seemingly fostered his need to leave society behind. When Finkel isn’t dictating Knight’s story, he explores the idea of hermits through other pieces of literature, such as the Tao Te Ching and Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground. I won’t spoil what happens to Knight after he gets arrested, but I will say it doesn’t leave much hope for his future. While not a total indictment of modern society, Finkel does pontificate on what kind of place people like Knight have in this world. Unfortunately, he doesn’t come up with a solid answer. This is an amazing book on a truly fascinating subject, one that should be talked about, discussed, dissected and ultimately understood. 

Rating: 5/5