Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16515 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-03
• Binding: Paperback
• 688 pages

Synopsis
A classic memoir of prison breaks and adventure -- a bestselling phenomenon of the 1960s Condemned for a murder he had not committed, Henri Charriere (nicknamed Papillon) was sent to the penal colony of French Guiana. Forty-two days after his arrival he made his first break, travelling a thousand gruelling miles in an open boat. Recaptured, he went into solitary confinement and was sent eventually to Devil's Island, a hell-hole of disease and brutality. No one had ever escaped from this notorious prison -- no one until Papillon took to the shark-infested sea supported only by a makeshift coconut-sack raft. In thirteen years he made nine daring escapes, living through many fantastic adventures while on the run -- including a sojourn with South American Indians whose women Papillon found welcomely free of European restraints! Papillon is filled with tension, adventure and high excitement. It is also one of the most vivid stories of human endurance ever written. Henri Charriere died in 1973 at the age of 66.

Customer Reviews

A MUST READ in your lifetime book - FANTASTIC
Having been recommended this book by someone I decided to see what the fuss what about myself. From the very beginning this book takes hold of you and doesn't let go until you reach the end. The book is based on the diaries of Henri Charriere who was wrongly accused of murder and sent to the penal colony in French Guiana to carry out his life sentence. The book follows Henri, or "Papillon" as he is nicknamed, through his life in these horrendous prison conditions that he has to endure. It takes you through his 9 escapes from various different prisons where he is captured every time he manages to escape to another country. There are times in the book where you really believe that he has made it, that he has escaped, only to discover his recapture. Along the way Charriere meets and makes new friends and some of those he loses along the way, but it is heartwarming to read that later on in the book he is again reunited with close friends in another prison in another country.

This book is really fantastic and has to be one of the best books I have ever read (I have read A LOT!). Although at times some of the stories or incidents seem unbelievable and at times it seems as though Charriere makes himself out to be some kind of hero or great man, this book is simply so engrossing that you overlook those small occurances and it doesn't even matter! Charriere's determination in wanting to escape makes you support him full on and urge him to succeed.

Having just finished this book, I am just about to buy "Banco" to really follow his journey after prison life for 13 years. If you never read a book in your life, let this be your first and you will be hooked on reading. Simply fantastic.

my top ten books to read in a life time!
This was a fantastic book to read , full of adventure, papillon seems to take you on his journey, His endurance of the french penal system and his outlook on life was never dampend by the way he was so brutally treated and his adventures when he managed to escape were full of bizzarre and wonderfull people he would meet, (the indians), If you are going to read this book then i would suggest reading his second book, Banco! brilliant reading from an extremly intelligent man.

Incredible Story Telling
This is a powerful tale of one man's struggle against the misfortune and inhumanity that life and the French Authorities has brought upon him.

Papillon the man, has a natural gift for story telling, but what shines through his converstaional prose more than anything else is his exceptional sense of honour, good humour and amazing determination to overcome adversity.

Papillon the book, is a must read for anyone who takes inspiration from the display of such positive human traits as these.

The person before me who gave the book 1 star amazes me. For me that rating says more about their attitude to life than a fair reflection of what is an amazingly powerful true story of hope and depth of the human spirit.