A review by hottoddie
Papillon by Henri Charrière

3.0

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.