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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Considering how much this book features daring prison escapes and adventure, it’s wild that I was bored for the large, large majority of it.
I think my main grievance with it is that it feels like a report. All throughout, the writing style is very much “I did this, and then I did that. Then I did this. Then we did that. Then this. Then that. Then this. Then that.” It gets repetitive, and that makes what should be an exciting adventure into more just a drab summary of events.
I think with some editing, this could be a wildly interesting story. This guy has lived an absolutely wild life, and it’s got all the makings of such an adventure. However, it’s visible that he just wrote up what happened and shipped it off. It doesn’t really feel like South America comes to life, and the detached, report-like tone creates a lack of suspense. I didn’t feel like I was alongside him, truly feeling that he might not survive these spectacles, and wondering what he would do.
Speaking of Papillon’s actions, it’s amazing that over the course of the 10ish years that take place throughout the novel, he doesn’t make a single mistake. If everyone else is sick, he makes sure to point out that he’s not. If others lose something, not him! He’s just built different, I guess. But it does make me feel like he’s leaving things out that would make him seem weak or imperfect. Even when his attempted escapes don’t go to plan, it’s not a fault of his.
Okay, fine, it’s his version of events. But there’s very little else to focus on in the novel because he himself is always in the spotlight - to the extent that others around him being flat cardboard cutouts of a person. He has multiple companions over his many escapes, but I couldn’t offer up a single adjective describing even one of them. They’re just a name on the page who mindlessly follow Papillon. They exist to follow and support him. This strikes me as one of the least believable things about the book. He is describing real people who really existed, yet they have nothing presented here to demonstrate who they were. Either his focus is so self-centred that he can’t be bothered to spare some description of who they were, or he is re-writing them to make them into vapid followers. Regardless, the result is that he is Big Guy In Charge at all times, and it makes the relationships and friendships here feel hollow.
And that brings me back to the original issue I have. He could give more attention to specific moments and specific characters, really carving out page time for them to shine and come to life, but when he’s reporting every event equally, nothing stands out. Editing would have really helped to form this into standout moments, creating heights and depths in the story that felt like the adventure that he experienced.
I do respect his tenacity in all the attempted escapes, and he’s clearly an intelligent person, but I just wished to experience more in this story.
Edit: Updated from 2 stars to 1 star because I just found out that he was never actually interned on Devil's Island (one of the locations of the book), and that he worked as a nurse in one of the penal settlements (never mentioned in the book), and that many say large parts of this story are fabricated, as he inserts himself into the stories he heard from other prisoners. What a fucking douchebag. This book is a good exercise in not trusting the narrator, since he was more full of shit than I realized.
I think my main grievance with it is that it feels like a report. All throughout, the writing style is very much “I did this, and then I did that. Then I did this. Then we did that. Then this. Then that. Then this. Then that.” It gets repetitive, and that makes what should be an exciting adventure into more just a drab summary of events.
I think with some editing, this could be a wildly interesting story. This guy has lived an absolutely wild life, and it’s got all the makings of such an adventure. However, it’s visible that he just wrote up what happened and shipped it off. It doesn’t really feel like South America comes to life, and the detached, report-like tone creates a lack of suspense. I didn’t feel like I was alongside him, truly feeling that he might not survive these spectacles, and wondering what he would do.
Speaking of Papillon’s actions, it’s amazing that over the course of the 10ish years that take place throughout the novel, he doesn’t make a single mistake. If everyone else is sick, he makes sure to point out that he’s not. If others lose something, not him! He’s just built different, I guess. But it does make me feel like he’s leaving things out that would make him seem weak or imperfect. Even when his attempted escapes don’t go to plan, it’s not a fault of his.
Okay, fine, it’s his version of events. But there’s very little else to focus on in the novel because he himself is always in the spotlight - to the extent that others around him being flat cardboard cutouts of a person. He has multiple companions over his many escapes, but I couldn’t offer up a single adjective describing even one of them. They’re just a name on the page who mindlessly follow Papillon. They exist to follow and support him. This strikes me as one of the least believable things about the book. He is describing real people who really existed, yet they have nothing presented here to demonstrate who they were. Either his focus is so self-centred that he can’t be bothered to spare some description of who they were, or he is re-writing them to make them into vapid followers. Regardless, the result is that he is Big Guy In Charge at all times, and it makes the relationships and friendships here feel hollow.
And that brings me back to the original issue I have. He could give more attention to specific moments and specific characters, really carving out page time for them to shine and come to life, but when he’s reporting every event equally, nothing stands out. Editing would have really helped to form this into standout moments, creating heights and depths in the story that felt like the adventure that he experienced.
I do respect his tenacity in all the attempted escapes, and he’s clearly an intelligent person, but I just wished to experience more in this story.
Edit: Updated from 2 stars to 1 star because I just found out that he was never actually interned on Devil's Island (one of the locations of the book), and that he worked as a nurse in one of the penal settlements (never mentioned in the book), and that many say large parts of this story are fabricated, as he inserts himself into the stories he heard from other prisoners. What a fucking douchebag. This book is a good exercise in not trusting the narrator, since he was more full of shit than I realized.
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Kept my interest from front to back, the twists just keep on coming.
adventurous
medium-paced
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
by total chance, this was my fiftieth book. i wouldve logged this earlier but i havent had internet for two weeks lol. anyway, where to begin with this. i just wanna say that i really love this book. memoirs are my favorite genre and the titular papillon has quite a tale for us.
it doesnt really matter to me if its a real story or not because it was just so entertaining. plus, the themes of redemption and civilization barbarically punishing criminals are incredibly compelling. i mean, if a convicted murder is tortured, will that bring their victims back? is that justice? is dehumanizing and vengeful violence the solution to protecting civilization? and can someone who did something heinous really ever be redeemed?
this sounds like a high school book report but he really does spell it out like this. its not exactly subtext.
the few things i have to criticize about papillon dont really detract from the message or the reading experience. its mostly because the author is (allegedly) a white french man with a white french man outlook on the world. the noble savage trope fucking sucks ass and thats everywhere in this book. and speaking of which, it needs to be said that his indigenous 'wives' are literal children. its uh. really fucking creepy. he doesnt seem too concerned about that which like. again, creepy and fucked. their ages are mentioned once and it was like 'o ok guess this guys a full on pedophile and its ok because thats their culture or whatever.' that part fucking sucked hard.
despite that last bit i really recommend papillon because its sort of like, the final boss of those survival lit for teens books we all read in the 90s like hatchet and island of the blue dolphins and stuff.
it doesnt really matter to me if its a real story or not because it was just so entertaining. plus, the themes of redemption and civilization barbarically punishing criminals are incredibly compelling. i mean, if a convicted murder is tortured, will that bring their victims back? is that justice? is dehumanizing and vengeful violence the solution to protecting civilization? and can someone who did something heinous really ever be redeemed?
this sounds like a high school book report but he really does spell it out like this. its not exactly subtext.
the few things i have to criticize about papillon dont really detract from the message or the reading experience. its mostly because the author is (allegedly) a white french man with a white french man outlook on the world. the noble savage trope fucking sucks ass and thats everywhere in this book. and speaking of which, it needs to be said that his indigenous 'wives' are literal children. its uh. really fucking creepy. he doesnt seem too concerned about that which like. again, creepy and fucked. their ages are mentioned once and it was like 'o ok guess this guys a full on pedophile and its ok because thats their culture or whatever.' that part fucking sucked hard.
despite that last bit i really recommend papillon because its sort of like, the final boss of those survival lit for teens books we all read in the 90s like hatchet and island of the blue dolphins and stuff.
This autobiographical odyssey is a astonishing testament to the capability of the human spirit. Sure, the movie was great, but it couldn’t possibly express the adversity of Papillon’s story and his resilience in regaining his freedom all the while maintaining his good-natured self. This is not a Pulitzer Prize winner but I think it’s a must-read.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced