Papillon - Henri Charriere Reviews

Papillon is one of the most interesting books I have read in a very long time. It is autobiographical and follows the difficult life of Henri Charriere in the French penal colonies. The penal colonies are harsh. the solitary confinement is torturous and Charriere paints the picture of boredom and the slowness of time passing ...  Read the complete review

Like many in their twenties, I first read this book on recommedation from my dad, and I've since read it over and over. Papillon is the autobiography of Henri Charriere. Sent to a penal colony for life in the early 1900s, the book charts the amazing tales of his escapes and re-captures. Originally written in French, the ...  Read the complete review

This paperback book was originally published in 1969 and 34 years later it's a stunning read. I found it when we moved house last year, in the loft there was a bag of books which Mark brought down for me to sort through. I hadn't got a book on the go (due to a library fine which I keep forgetting to pay I can't get a book out at the ...  Read the complete review

This book is one of the best books i have ever read, it is a story of Henri Charierre, a man who was convicted of a crime he did not commit. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in a penal conoly in the French Guiana, in his time spent there he attempted numerous escapes, some of he which very nearly achieved. When reading this ...  Read the complete review

Until I was fortunate enough to read this book in my own early years, I thought that I had been enduring a ‘tough’ life in the streets of Glasgow. I can honestly say, that this tale of courage, perseverance and sheer dogged and unrelenting spirit to survive, through and against ‘all odds’, forever changed my own ...  Read the complete review