Hermits – The Insights of Solitude by Peter France: book review

In Hermits: Insights of Solitude (1996), Peter France brings to life over 2,000 years of hermit history, from the Desert Fathers, Leonid, Macarius, Ambrose, Ramakrishna, Thoreau, de Foucauld, and Merton to the modern day Robert Lax.

France’s introduction explains that “many thousands of recluses have lived their solitary lives and gone to their graves in silence.” His book is about those who passed on their experiences to visitors, preserved their thoughts in writing, or gave up solitude to present their views to the world. Hence, interspersed between the narratives is an intellectual study, a personal collection of quotes from hermits that explain their reasoning, purpose, philosophies, and daily life.

Typically society views hermits as anti-social, but hermitage is about living in loneliness rather of being loners or outcasts. Some live in austere conditions, some live totally alone, and some live in monastic communities. Some take a life of hermitage seasonally – either in summer or winter – and some are static (living in caves) while others are migratory travelers. Some speak often, while others are infrequent talkers - “to speak little is natural.” The common thread is that theirs is a contemplative life.

“Paradoxically, these men and women who fled from human society developed, in their solitude, a uniquely subtle awareness of human psychology.” Hermitage is therefore not seen as an escape from life’s problems, for “if you haven’t first conducted yourself well among men, you won’t conduct yourself well in solitude.” Hence, often solitude is not a permanent separation from society, but a preparation for taking an active part in it.

This is an interesting insight into solitude and aloneness from a philosophical perspective that entices the reader into their world.

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