Papillon

Written by Henri Charriere

Narrated by Michael Prichard

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 would not be defeated.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jun 12, 2012
• ISBN: 9780062228765

Henri Charriere

Born in 1906, and imprisoned in 1931, Henri Charrière finally escaped in 1945 to Venuzuela, where he married, settled in Caracas, and opened a restaurant. He died in 1973.

Reviews for Papillon

[Stephen Geiman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the movie and the book was really amazing.

[John Totaro · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the movie with Steve Mcqueen but this book was much better. One of my top choices.

[Bill Bellair · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Remarkable epic. A man I would love to have met and shared a coffee and a smoke. Henri's story makes me wonder what life was and is like outside of my small 4 walls.....

[David Koch · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An absolutely amazing story of one man's journey through life being lonely convicted in his age of 21 in his adventures to grown up to being a man. Best book I have listened to in the last 10 years

[Ezequiel ✔️ · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What captivated me most about Papillon was the protagonist's unyielding will to regain his freedom. Despite the inhumane conditions and constant obstacles, Papillon never loses hope and manages to devise increasingly bold escape plans.
The novel also impressed me with its stark realism. Charrière does not sugarcoat or romanticize life in prison. He vividly describes the violence, corruption, and degradation that prevailed in the penal colonies.
Papillon is not just a story of survival, but also a reflection on human dignity and the price of freedom. It is a read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page and leave you contemplating the human capacity to overcome the most extreme adversities.
In summary, Papillon is a masterpiece of French literature that will move you and make you think. It is a must-read for anyone interested in history, criminology, or simply a good story. (Translated from Spanish)

[joan21 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not just a story of a man willing to do anything to survive and gain freedom, but also a story of solidarity among people from different worlds and a story of friendship as well. Highly recommended, exciting though some parts (few) are somewhat tedious. (Translated from Spanish)

[Monika · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I took longer than I thought to read it because, honestly, it felt a bit long. I can't help but acknowledge that the story is very entertaining and quite eventful, as a lot happens to the poor man. What slowed my reading the most was the amount of descriptions, some of which I sometimes thought were unnecessary, but then you realize they aren't, as they help you better understand everything surrounding our protagonist—places, anecdotes, people—all that had to do with his life. Admirable is the willpower to want to escape from whatever prison he was in, which he achieved... He was unwilling to lose his freedom because he was innocent, and he had a strong personality that meant he was always or almost always surrounded by people who cared for him. (Translated from Spanish)

[magy83 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Papillon
It is a very rich book, full of multiple emotions, adrenaline, amazing discoveries, courage, strengths, and sincere friendships.
Papillon
A book that is impossible to stop reading from its first page; it is amazing, gripping,
Highly recommended.
Every two pages is a new and very interesting experience.
The ending let me down because Papillon stayed silent; in my opinion, it lacked his story in freedom. But
Despite his silence, it is impressive from its first page to the last. (Translated from Spanish)

[CesarVelasCo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful book where it gives an example of fighting for ideals beyond what the law imposes on us. The ideal of justice and freedom is very similar to Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. (Translated from Spanish)

[Bety1424 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Imprisoned in the Cayenne prison, Papillon, as he was called by his companions, was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and determined to escape from there, he endured the most horrifying atrocities until freedom finally arrived. A masterful novel written with great skill. (Translated from Spanish)

[MafuyuSan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, if you don't fall in love with the tenacity and charisma of Papillon, did you really read it? (Translated from Spanish)

[Claudiavale42 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very graphic, expressive, based on a true story. (Translated from Spanish)

[alansh05gmailcom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow, it's a beautiful book that I was lent and read in my adolescence. Pure adrenaline and pure feeling. From start to finish, it is moving, and if you don't finish it, you can't put it down. I would love to read it again. (Translated from Spanish)

[Asterion74 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A journey through the experiences of a truly fascinating character, narratives that immerse you in wanting to know what else happened, an incredible adventure of Papillon, one of those books that must be read at least once in a lifetime. I loved it. (Translated from Spanish)

[Keybra · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read this book twice, and I am still delighted with the story. The first time, I believed the incredible experiences the character went through. Then, over the years, I think it's not that real (especially the fact of coming out alive), but it's still just as exciting. (Translated from Spanish)

[Atticus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From my adolescence. From the first books that hooked me. (Translated from Spanish)

[Ana02 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read Papillon in my adolescence, and it captivated me from the very first pages. I always remembered it, and recently I read it again and recommended it to my teenage children that they read it; it is a great life story. (Translated from Spanish)

[RosaElenaCarrera · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Papillon has always been my favorite book. Since I was very young, I eagerly awaited the school vacation in August to reread Papillon written by Henry Charrière (the protagonist and author of the book). I was always very impressed that it was based on a real-life case, and I loved reading again and again the unimaginable escape plans to regain his freedom. I love this book. I have it in a thin-covered printed edition, and it is already old and worn out from how much I have read it. I love it. (Translated from Spanish)

[RoniCoral · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I heard about it from him when I finished high school; when I was in military service four years later, I found it on the nightstand of one of the girls in a brothel. Since then, the book has been with me... I've read it more than 20 times, and each passage still impresses me. (Translated from Spanish)

[Lucia03 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I liked it, entertaining until the end!!! (Translated from Spanish)

[JUAN PEDRO PABLO · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Papillon.
A French prisoner in French Guiana.
Sentenced to life.
In a region where prisoners have lost all their rights... they have lost their dignity, one might say they have also lost their humanity.

Papillon may have lost all that, but he has not lost his life, and as long as he is alive, he will try by all means to regain his freedom... this work narrates all his attempts to escape until he finally succeeds.
They made a remarkable movie with brilliant performances by Steve McQueen, who played Papillon; Dustin Hoffman, who played the role of Vega, Papillon's friend, arrested for counterfeiting.

I recommend this work and the movie.

Papillon means butterfly, in French and Catalan. (Translated from Spanish)

[Gonza83 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Super gripping! Later, while researching the story of Henri Charrière, I found doubts about the truthfulness of the account or whether some parts were plagiarized. It does not affect the development of this great work at all. For informational purposes, there is a second part called "Banco" for those who want to continue with the story. (Translated from Spanish)

[Miguel parra · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Exciting tale of Papillon (butterfly). A true story of how he was able to escape from the most horrifying prison on the planet. (Translated from Spanish)

[Airam2018 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Accused of a crime he did not commit, Papillon is sentenced to hard labor in a penal colony in French Guiana. Forty days after his arrival, he makes his first escape attempt and is confined to a solitary punishment cell and sent to the worst place on earth: Devil's Island. No one has ever escaped alive from there, but he will not give up on his attempts to regain his freedom, outsmarting his brutal jailers, crossing a shark-infested sea in a precarious boat, delving into the jungle, and facing superhuman challenges… Although some doubt its authenticity as an autobiographical work, it is interesting for its vivid description of the often inhumane conditions endured by the inmates, as well as the protagonist's yearning for freedom. (Translated from Spanish)

[Aurora2020 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A great adventure novel, I read it a long time ago but I still fondly remember the hours it made me spend. (Translated from Spanish)

[untraveller · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fast-paced book, for sure. I originally read the book nearly 50 ears ago when it came out. Thought it was amazing then, think the same now. it ma have been part of the impetus to get me traveling, although that probably has other origins.
It is a bit hard to believe at times, but taken on the whole, I suspect tis mostly right and true to Charriere's memory. As we get older people do tend to dramatize and egotistically remember how things played out. If even a small portion of what he's written is true, he led a charmed life. Good adventure book that speaks poorly of the French.
A birthday present from Sarah.

[Lucio10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Libraoooo. Told in the first person by the author about his life in prison and the daily struggle to try to escape. The second part is called Bank and while I recommend reading it, it doesn't come close to Papillon. (Translated from Spanish)

[AnaSantoyo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book that captivates you. (Translated from Spanish)

[Alexander3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delirious! (Translated from Spanish)

[AntonMiralles · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A prisoner sentenced in France to a prison in Guiana. He popularized the novel about the experiences of prisoners in horrifying situations. And his escape. (Translated from Spanish)