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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
If I had to describe this book with one sentence, I would say: This is a horrible tall-tale with a hopeful undertone where the protagonist goes through the worst and always comes out as a winner. It is debatable if Papillon is an autobiography or novelization of real events told mixing fiction and facts and other prisoner's experiences; either way, it is a gripping story, and Henri Charrière is an excellent storyteller. I was most at home with the prison scenes as they felt more real, but that might be my love for descriptions of how horrendous life can be.
Throughout the book, I kept wondering that this didn't happen so long time ago. That guillotines and penal colonies were part of the standard judiciary system in the thirties. And the more I thought about it, the less alien the concept felt. I didn't have to look too far for a similar thinking, maybe not the guillotines, but the idea of secluded islands where you keep those who you don't want. It has been suggested and used with refugees all over the world. It has been over eighty years since Papillon's story began from trial at French's soil and then transported to French Guiana to serve his sentence, and yet the world hasn't changed. Of course, the prisoner's rights have improved, (the official doctrine doesn't allow them to be punished by cutting off their food supply or feeding them only water and bread,) but isolation and shunning out of the society hasn't gone away.
But back to the book, underneath all the seriousness and injustice the inmates and Papillon had to go through, there is this hope. This idea that there is a future to be have and enjoyed. And this is the allure of the book, the hope for freedom and dignity Papillon isn't willing to let go. Few of us could survive what he went through and come back as a human who thinks there is something to look forward to and keep the initial part of us intact. Not at least being confined into a solitary cell for two years, not after losing friends, health, freedom, everything, being punished for nothing, and tortured out of a whim. Papillon is an excellent book with a compelling story about cruelties we can inflict our fellow humans in the name of justice and about human ability to survive even the worst.
Thank you for reading, and have a shark free day!
Throughout the book, I kept wondering that this didn't happen so long time ago. That guillotines and penal colonies were part of the standard judiciary system in the thirties. And the more I thought about it, the less alien the concept felt. I didn't have to look too far for a similar thinking, maybe not the guillotines, but the idea of secluded islands where you keep those who you don't want. It has been suggested and used with refugees all over the world. It has been over eighty years since Papillon's story began from trial at French's soil and then transported to French Guiana to serve his sentence, and yet the world hasn't changed. Of course, the prisoner's rights have improved, (the official doctrine doesn't allow them to be punished by cutting off their food supply or feeding them only water and bread,) but isolation and shunning out of the society hasn't gone away.
But back to the book, underneath all the seriousness and injustice the inmates and Papillon had to go through, there is this hope. This idea that there is a future to be have and enjoyed. And this is the allure of the book, the hope for freedom and dignity Papillon isn't willing to let go. Few of us could survive what he went through and come back as a human who thinks there is something to look forward to and keep the initial part of us intact. Not at least being confined into a solitary cell for two years, not after losing friends, health, freedom, everything, being punished for nothing, and tortured out of a whim. Papillon is an excellent book with a compelling story about cruelties we can inflict our fellow humans in the name of justice and about human ability to survive even the worst.
Thank you for reading, and have a shark free day!
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Epic. Exotic. Thorough. One sign of a yard spin is slight mystical anticipation of what happened. After reading Papilon, I dont know what was real and what wasnt!! Either way, a fantastic tale. Definitely enjoyed more as an audio book, that kept me involved the whole time.
Part travel memoir, part jail diary, and an interesting perspective on internstional affairs rolled up into a ball with a healthy drizzle of luck and opportunity thrown in. Very much recommend for the reader who likes their adventure yarns told straight up, without fluff or nonsense.
Part travel memoir, part jail diary, and an interesting perspective on internstional affairs rolled up into a ball with a healthy drizzle of luck and opportunity thrown in. Very much recommend for the reader who likes their adventure yarns told straight up, without fluff or nonsense.
Content Warnings
For the moderately aware person, his description of anyone not white, or French and Italian is rough to hear over and over. Sign of the times, but annoying nonetheless.
Amazing. Throughout the years, I've tried to get into this book before, but "busy" life got in my way. This time I was determined. The beginning was a little dry, but after the first chapter or two, I was hooked. His story is incredible. I had to keep reminding myself, "This is a true story!!! Wow." His description of his visit to the island of lepers was one of my favorite parts. And his two years in solitary. And his seven months with the native tribe in Columbia. There were just too many good things about this book. The movie was great too; I watched it afterward. I'm so happy to be able to say I've read this.
Found large portions of what I read extremely boring. It’s not well written so it was hard for me to stay focused. Didn’t like the people, didn’t like the story itself. Also if you were to cut the endless rambling down and only left what was actually relevant to the story, the book would be 250 pages long (maximum). Not for me at all.
adventurous
fast-paced
Good book about a guy who keeps escaping from prisons while being friendly to everyone. Pretty manly.
(on-hold at pg93)
maybe i’ll come back to this in a month, maybe it’ll be a year but for right now i know this is not for me:)
lil too intense & heavy(?) for me rn… safe to say i would NOT make it in prison LMAO
maybe i’ll come back to this in a month, maybe it’ll be a year but for right now i know this is not for me:)
lil too intense & heavy(?) for me rn… safe to say i would NOT make it in prison LMAO
It was an enormous achievement to read the whole book considering during the first few chapters I really doubted whether I wanted to continue. There were 2 main reasons to struggle with it Firstly although it is considered fiction these days[even if true fiction] it reads like a non fiction book I couldn't engage with the characters or feel any emotions towards them as despite some brutal and dramatic events they were told as a string of facts. With this lack of immersion into the story and the characters lives I found large portions of the book rather boring. Secondly, I didn't really like Henri Charriere himself. He lied a lot , used people to his own advantage and dumped them with little emotion when they were no longer useful to him. He believed all people who helped him were good and noble and those who didn't were evil. Even God [ who he professed not to believe in] was blamed for every bad thing that happened to him. Charriere was unable to take responsibility for anything he had done.and his thirst for vengeance was the driving force behind all he did
However I did make it to the end and so obviously I found it more interesting as I went along. Charriere did have some redeeming features . He had an irrepressible optimism that was undaunted no matter what crap was thrown at him and so deserves respect. He published this book I believe ,in the main, to highlight the inhumane and barbaric penal colonies used in the justice system of France. In this he succeeded and they were closed down . I won't be reading the sequel and neither will I recommend this to my friends but I am glad I read it- all of it.
However I did make it to the end and so obviously I found it more interesting as I went along. Charriere did have some redeeming features . He had an irrepressible optimism that was undaunted no matter what crap was thrown at him and so deserves respect. He published this book I believe ,in the main, to highlight the inhumane and barbaric penal colonies used in the justice system of France. In this he succeeded and they were closed down . I won't be reading the sequel and neither will I recommend this to my friends but I am glad I read it- all of it.