I have found throughout my life that serendipity — the happening upon or making fortunate discoveries when not in search of them — has often led me to unexpected good discoveries. This Spring, the good nature of serendipity brought to my desk book The Accidental Hermit with a request to review it. In the accompanying press release, the book and its author Noël Murchie are described as:
"A whimsical yet direct storyteller, Noël ponders some of the common themes of our hectic culture: materialism, aging, time, nature, freedom, loneliness, friendship, creativity, and individuality, coming to terms with her situation employing her wits, pluck, and a zany sense of humor."
At the time I received the book I had several projects in the queue, two of which were other book reviews. However, the press release told me that The Accidental Hermit was a book that should be of interest to Living Gently readers, and thus, I queued it so that I would have it read and reviewed for the Summer issue.
But late on a Friday evening, being in a restless frame of mind, I decided to read the first chapter just to get the flavor of the book. Well, serendipity struck again, and when my eyes finally gave out for the night, I had devoured the first five chapters. The Accidental Hermit had become the first "accidental gem" discovery of the year. Over the next few days, I pushed other work aside to continue reading the book.
Expecting to find the book typical of the "I left the rat race and found inner peace" genre, I instead found a hilarious look at how the author had "accidentally" — in her words — come through a year of turmoil and some pain to a better understanding of whom she was, or perhaps more correctly, had become.
The story the author tells with great self-humor, insight and a rapier wit not adverse to being politically incorrect describes her initial year living on one of the Washington State islands between the mainland and Vancouver Island. Her relocation to this island was from the Hawaiian Islands where she had resided for some 35 years. Wanting to live alone for a time to recover from a terminated relationship, Murchie chose a rundown shack at the end of a gravel road on a small island accessible only by water (ferry) or air travel. At the time, she was midway through her fifties and embarking on a lifestyle not common to women of that age. Gail Sheehy would likely call her "a pioneer" — one of those women born before the Second World War who would blaze a path that many female Baby Boomers would later follow.
Throughout the book, she describes the "trials and tribulations" and the not so simple task of living more simply (or at least the first steps in that direction). And although written from a woman's perspective, I think The Accidental Hermit speaks well to men because it encompasses may of our weaknesses, fear and confinements, even if we are loath to admit to them. The book, written nearly a decade later, has the advantage of hindsight giving Murchie a full vision of the humor in battling MENSA raccoons, power outages, isolation and non-functioning household amenities. To give a taste of her wit, here are a few of the 23 chapter titles:
- A Clean Desk Is A Sign Of A Diseased Mind or The Best Things In Life Ain't Stuff,
- The Alexander Graham Bell Toll-Free Dail-A-Life or The Telephone Connection,
- The Guglielmo Marconi Social Agenda or Nothing is More Companionable Than The Radio,
- Serenity Is Nothing More Than An Adult Diaper or The Post-Midlife Crisis,
- People Who Deliberately Roam About In The Rain Don't Carry Umbrellas or �Twas A Dark And Stormy Fortnight,
- You're Only Young Once But You Can Be Immature Forever or Conclusion.
While the overall style is humorous and often bitingly so, underneath Murchie tells the story of a women (herself) who undertook the unconventional. It is a tale of making lifestyle change through solitude (even if accidental) and "simplification" — if I may use this now cliched term. And might I add a good dose of serendipity. The year ends with Murchie finding a re-invented self. As she tells us:
"Reinventing only works if you transform yourself into a person you like for you, not for someone else....You must find the way to live with and make peace with the one person you're going to have to live with your entire life: you."
Unlike many books whose authors have followed Thoreau's advice and sought solitude in the woods, on island, or in monasteries, The Accidental Hermit is not a solemn recounting of a deep spiritual revival. It is a book that balances humor and anger, set-backs and advances, trials of body and spirit and laughter at the foibles of the human animal. Yes, there are calamities, but after coping with them and surviving, Noël Murchie finds the universe truly has a sense of humor. To again quote her: "The only difference between an ordeal and an escapade is your point of view." And this book is the story of an escapade in real living.
Needless to say, I loved this book and strongly recommend it unless you are one of those who takes the art of simplification way too seriously. Murchie's style of humor and ability to string words together in a most entertaining way makes the pages sail by. I am sure you will be entertained and enlightened.
Reviewed by Keith C. Heidorn
May 1, 2001
Living Gently Quartery Review: The Accidental Hermit ©2001, Keith C. Heidorn. All Rights Reserved.
The Accidental Hermit by Noël Murchie, is published by Nine Toes Press, PO Box 444, Orcas WA 98280, 170p, 2001, ISBN 0-9704807-0-9.
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