Customer Reviews

The Accidental Hermit

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Accidental Hermit is the engaging, true story of how Noel Murchie, while in her middle fifties and with little advanced planning, moved herself to an island off the coast of Washington State. There she found a host of problems and circumstances she had never expected, including pesky raccoons, wacky plumbing, foot infections, do-it-yourself medical treatments, capricious weather, the effects of loneliness, and the simple beauties of a quiet life. Written with great good humor and a genuine knack for storytelling, Noel Murchie writes with wit, candor and self-revelation that will engage the reader's interest from first page to last. Before taking off for your own version of some Walden's Pond, give a careful and entertaining reading to Noel Murchie's The Accidental Hermit.

You say life hasn't turned out like you wanted. You're looking for another road. Read about what another woman did. It may not make you move to the San Juans but it could make you move somewhere.

Noel lives on the next island over from me and I knew her book was coming out. When it arrived I took it down to the local bar to show it to some friends. Someone started reading it aloud. For two hours the place was full of laugher and shouts of recognition. This may not be great literature but she sure knows about life in the San Juan Islands; or any other isolated rural community in America. And she describes it well. (My favorite character was a very drug free young lady who joined a narcotics support group because they seemed to have fun at their meetings.)

Noel's move from Hawaii to a shack in the damp, green forest of Puget Sound was not a life choice many would make. Being in her middle 50's, single, and somewhat burned by life made her decision even less likely. But she made it work and wrote about it in a very entertaining way.

PS Our local book club is doing this book soon. I think I'll drop in. It should be a riot.

I took my time reading The Accidental Hermit, because it is a book to savor rather than devour. The lovingly crafted humor springs from real life experience. Wonderfully, the author is not afraid to show her seamy side as well as her pretty one. The honesty expressed in this book makes it poignant as well as funny. I particularly enjoyed her characters and their delineations, and I found myself hoping to hear more of what happened to them once the spotlight was no longer on them. Many times my husband came into the bedroom because he heard me cackling wildly to myself. He'd want to know what was funny and I'd wind up reading it to him too. Her flair for descripton helps create unforgettable images that reflect her artistry with words. Good humor is a rare commodity; Noel Murchie has gifted us with a prize winning example.

I loved this book. Noel Murchie is very funny, writing in a style reminiscent of Bill Bryson. At the same time, it's a serious and touching memoir. It takes a great deal of courage to go live in a cabin in the woods for a year by yourself. The author explores this journey to the self in great depth. An excellent read!

What would it be like to pick up roots, and move someplace new? This story is about just that. The author does a great job describing island living, and it is a very entertaining story.

In the Accidental Hermit, Murchie tries a little too hard to be clever. The laughs, such as they are, are stale and predictable. She could have brought an interesting perspective to a situation many dream of, but was too busy trying to be funny. I was disappointed and wish I'd just looked at this book in the library rather than buy it.