A review by lieslindi
Papillon by Henri Charrière

I read somewhere that Patrick O'Brian translated Papillon and in a fit of nostalgia I reread this.

In a college history class, discussing the wool trade, the professor was trying to lead the class to why wool is so valuable in a damp climate. I remembered something and offered, "Because it keeps you warm even when it's wet?" The gratified professor asked if I knit. "No," I said, "I read." I don't know if at the time I remembered in what reliable source I'd gleaned that factoid but today I was reminded.

As a teenager of course I liked the sex and adventure but I'd forgotten about the bulls and a few other things, such as a thick wool sweater that retained lots of body heat even when you and it were soaked in sea water. (I also remember rebutting my eighth-grade history who complained that none of us read classics with this. He said, "Papillon is not a classic." But it was a grown-up book, and ... long?)

But Patrick O'Brian is not listed. Was it translated twice? Do I have to track down another edition?