What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
While Dickinson did have a healthy social circle, she would rarely welcome guests into her home, and instead maintained her relationships almost exclusively through correspondence. The poet spent the last 20 years of her life secluded on her family’s Massachusetts homestead, never leaving the premises and rarely accepting visitors.
After introducing his revolutionary theory of relativity to the world, Albert Einstein became one of the most famous scientists in history practically overnight. More than just famous in the intellectual sphere, Einstein reached a superstar-level of celebrity that found him being hounded by paparazzi, and being interviewed for things far outside the realm of science.
‘Wuthering Heights’ was the only novel published by Brontë, and it seems she spent most of the rest of her days walking the grounds of her family’s estate with her beloved dog, named Keeper, and did not develop much of a social life outside of her family.
Kubrick was so rarely seen in public, that during the 1990s a man named Alan Conway impersonated the director for weeks, and during this time conned members of the film industry into paying for meals and drinks, and even promised performers parts in future projects.
Known for creating film masterpiece after film masterpiece, from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968) to ‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1971), there is surprisingly little known about director Stanley Kubrick’s personal life. The filmmaker hated giving interviews, and wasn’t known for making public appearances.
Marcel Proust, author of the sprawling ‘In Search of Lost Time’ (also known as ‘Remembrance of Things Past’), is widely considered to be the greatest novelist of all time. But during his younger years, he was less concerned with writing and more concerned with securing his place in the exclusive circles of Paris’s salon circuit.
Salinger stopped giving interviews in 1980. Up until his death in 2010, the only proof of activity received by the public was the occasional lawsuit issued by his lawyers to prevent biographies be written or personal correspondence copied and printed for circulation.
Known as the most photographed model of the 20th century, Bettie Page gained superstar status nearly overnight, and maintained it for years, becoming the most famous pinup model of all time. However, her time in the spotlight came to an abrupt end.
After the death of his parents, however, Proust receded from public life, and rarely left his home for the last 17 years of his life. He wanted so little to do with the outside world that he even soundproofed his bedroom, which he allegedly didn’t leave even once for the last three years of his life. It was during these secluded years that the author wrote his magnum opus.
The famous American novelist, hailing from Monroe, Alabama, was famously reclusive for most of her long life. Only two books were published during her lifetime, most famous of which was 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' which hit the shelves in 1960.
Author of the legendary novel ‘The Catcher in the Rye,’ J.D. Salinger was rarely seen since the release of his 1951 masterpiece. While his book was gaining notoriety for being cited as a source of inspiration for John Lennon’s assassin, the enigmatic author continued to retreat from the public eye.
Franz Kafka, the prolific Bohemian writer most well known for his short story ‘The Metamorphosis,’ was famously tortured throughout his life. Unlucky in love and not very well equipped for the responsibilities of the world, Kafka described his time being treated for tuberculosis as possibly the happiest of his life, finally not expected to participate in society.
After years of vitriol, violence, and heartbreak, the fashion icon withdrew entirely. Longtime partner Pierre Bergé has been quoted as saying Laurent “entered depression as one enters a religion.”
After suffering a stroke in 2007, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author retreated even further from the outside world, living out the rest of her days in an assisted living center in her hometown. It seems one of the only people Lee kept in contact with through her twilight years was longtime friend and confidant Wayne Flynt.
One of the most recognizable names in fashion, equal parts fallen angel and boy genius, Yves Saint Laurent was known for his bad temper and fragile demeanor. While at the center of the Parisian fashion scene, Laurent retreated to the safety of his solitude whenever possible.
One of the three legendary Brontë sisters, Emily Brontë is known for penning the English literary classic ‘Wuthering Heights.’ Sheltered from a young age, and growing up on an estate in the English countryside, Emily left very little behind for biographers to analyze.
It’s said that Kafka was constantly tormented by an inkling that those around him found him repulsive, and this caused him to spend most of his time on his own, unless he was in the throws of one of his many ill-fated affairs.
One of the most famous American poets of the 19th century, Edgar Allan Poe is frequently credited as inventing the literary genre of horror and bringing it into the spotlight. Some of his most famous harrowing poems include ‘The Raven’ and 'The Tell-Tale Heart.'
However, after a trip to Zaire to (unsuccessfully) cover the famous Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, Thompson began to spend more and more time on his Colorado ranch and less time in public. His alcoholism worsened over the years, and the legendary writer took his own life, in solitude, in 2005.
Famed children’s author Dr. Seuss expressed a bright and goofy personality through the 60-plus books published in his lifetime. However, the real Dr. Suess was much less bubbly.
Frederic Chopin, one of the most highly respected composers and pianists of all time, led a generation of Romantic composers. But despite the universal admiration and respect he received during his lifetime, the virtuoso did not lead a particularly happy life and spent most of his time alone.
After the death of his wife, Virginia, Poe fell into a dark pit of depression and alcoholism, and retreated almost entirely from public life. He was rarely seen and seemed to cut off all ties he once had, until he was found dead under mysterious circumstances in 1849.
Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Geisel, wrote all of his books in solitude, and resisted making any public appearances. According to Susan Cain, author of 'Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking,' Seuss was “afraid of meeting the kids who read his books for fear they would be disappointed at how quiet he was.”
A bleeding heart, as can be heard in his melancholic piano movements, Chopin had not a single relationship that lasted more than a year, and this streak of unluckiness apparently took its toll on him, and he chose to spend most of his time in private. Throughout his long and illustrious career, Chopin played only 30 live concerts.
Despite, or perhaps because of, this level of stardom, Einstein relished the time that he was able to spend on his own. He chose to not keep a telephone in his house so that his alone time would not be disturbed. While not the most secluded person on this list, Einstein was a very reluctant public figure.
For the last 27 years of his life, Munch rarely left his Oslo home, unconcerned with the outside world, deciding instead to spend the latter part of his life surrounded by his beloved paintings.
Sources: (The New Yorker) (Virginia State University) (The Guardian)
Edvard Munch, the Norwegian artist most famous for his painting ‘The Scream,’ amassed a catalog of more than 1,700 paintings in his lifetime. He was known to consider his paintings as his children, and hated to sell or part with them.
Feeling that her photos were unfairly dominating the modeling scene, Bettie Page virtually disappeared overnight in 1957. She was rarely seen after retiring, and allegedly began struggling with her mental health. The public was so shocked by her disappearance, some publications even began offering cash rewards to anyone who could prove if she was dead or alive. When Bettie Page did die, in 2008, many were shocked, assuming she had already passed long ago.
Hunter S. Thompson, equally famous and infamous for his work as a writer and journalist in the American counterculture movement, was anything but reclusive for most of his life. Following the Hell’s Angels on the road for a year, diving headfirst into the 1960s counterculture movement, and even running for sheriff, Thompson barely had a moment to himself.
Some of the most familiar names in history belong to people who actively avoided the spotlight. The strong, courageous personalities that have created treasured and influential works of art were commonly coupled with sensitive souls who withdrew from the world. Sometimes tragedy would trigger their retreat, other times they never stepped out into the dizzying world to begin with. Whatever the reason, and despite their best efforts to hide away, the power of their work was impossible to ignore, and they will be remembered through the ages.
Intrigued? Read on to find out more about history's greatest recluses.
History's most famous recluses
The spotlight isn't welcomed by everyone
LIFESTYLE Curiosities
Some of the most familiar names in history belong to people who actively avoided the spotlight. The strong, courageous personalities that have created treasured and influential works of art were commonly coupled with sensitive souls who withdrew from the world. Sometimes tragedy would trigger their retreat, other times they never stepped out into the dizzying world to begin with. Whatever the reason, and despite their best efforts to hide away, the power of their work was impossible to ignore, and they will be remembered through the ages.
Intrigued? Read on to find out more about history's greatest recluses.