Point Books Supposing Papillon (Papillon #1)
| Original Title: | Papillon |
| ISBN: | 0061120669 (ISBN13: 9780061120664) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Papillon #1 |
| Setting: | Devil's Island(French Guiana) French Guiana Paris(France) |
Henri Charrière
Paperback | Pages: 544 pages Rating: 4.24 | 51984 Users | 1918 Reviews
Representaion Conducive To Books Papillon (Papillon #1)
Henri Charrière, called "Papillon," for the butterfly tattoo on his chest, was convicted in Paris in 1931 of a murder he did not commit. Sentenced to life imprisonment in the penal colony of French Guiana, he became obsessed with one goal: escape. After planning and executing a series of treacherous yet failed attempts over many years, he was eventually sent to the notorious prison, Devil's Island, a place from which no one had ever escaped . . . until Papillon. His flight to freedom remains one of the most incredible feats of human cunning, will, and endurance ever undertaken.Charrière's astonishing autobiography, Papillon, was published in France to instant acclaim in 1968, more than twenty years after his final escape. Since then, it has become a treasured classic -- the gripping, shocking, ultimately uplifting odyssey of an innocent man who simply would not be defeated.
Identify Containing Books Papillon (Papillon #1)
| Title | : | Papillon (Papillon #1) |
| Author | : | Henri Charrière |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 544 pages |
| Published | : | August 1st 2006 by William Morrow Paperbacks (first published 1969) |
| Categories | : | Nonfiction. Biography. Classics. Adventure. Autobiography. Memoir |
Rating Containing Books Papillon (Papillon #1)
Ratings: 4.24 From 51984 Users | 1918 ReviewsPiece Containing Books Papillon (Papillon #1)
I don't care if this book wasn't a 100% factual, honest-to-God documentary account of what actually happened to this guy - it was a magnificent adventure novel, full of blood and drama and action. From what I can tell, Charrière cobbled the narrative out of his own experiences as a prisoner in the pitiless camps of 1930s French Guyana, plus the stories of a few camp-mates, plus his own dramatic license, emerging with a masterpiece. There were many moments where the story is less than totallyAbsolutely fantastic read, what this man goes through is unbelievable.Honestly gets you from the 1st page and never lets go.
So fascinating, haunting; you feel the pain and ecstasy. No escape till the last page, you sail along all 'Cavale' with them.Even though the author is silent all throughout the novel, on the plot of his conviction for murder in France except by saying that he was innocent, we really feel that he was really innocent. This, the author succeeds to prove through various instances in the novel. We also feel many occasions unbelievable where we see he is recognized instantly, and many show sympathy
It's been a while since I cried "uncle" but today I had to do it again. In the past several years I have suffered through William Gibson's Spook Country AND - yes, I believe I may be a glutton for punishment - Zero History (a novel about...jeans?). I did my best to stay awake through Kazuo Ishiguro's galactically dull Never Let Me Go (but please, I do so want to let you go). I forced my way through The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (next time, YOU take it). Waded through Wicked, clumped through
Papillon was an enjoyable enough summer read; it was just a little hard to suspend my disbelief at times for a supposedly nonfiction endeavor. I was unsurprised to see in my post-reading research that large portions the story were disputed and that several of Charriere's fellow inmates have claimed over the years that he incorporated the experiences of other would-be escapees and presented them as his own story. I guess this book was a precursor of sorts to A Million Little Pieces in that both
I have been meaning to read this book for a long time so I decided to tackle the 600+ pages this week.I loved the film and enjoyed the book almost as much. I have read that there is a debate as to how much of the story is Charriere's own experiences but nevertheless it makes a great read. Even though some of the adventures do take a lot of believing he obviously lived an extraordinary life and this book is well worth reading.
My mother knew Papillon and another one of the characters in the book (Francoise). He was a customer of my uncle's restaurant Il Padrino, in Venezuela, back in the 60's,70's (after this story was told). My brother was just an infant/toddler at this time and they would take turns throwing him in the air, swinging him, etc.. I told this guy Neil about this and he was shocked that my family knew this guy. He had read the book and loved it so much. So as a gift, he gave me a copy of the book. This
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