A review by sams84
Papillon by Henri Charrière

5.0

This is an absolutely amazing book and I can't believe it's taken me this long to read it (especially as I saw the Steve McQueen film as a kid). Charriere writes with ease and doesn't try to justify, explain or cover up anything he did during his time in the penal system. Yes he shows remorse and regret for some of his actions but this comes across as more for himself than the reader rather than the actions of a man seeking the approval of society, which this book could of ended up doing. He is utterly candid in how he felt during these times and why events went the way they did (where he can offer such explanations) and how such events guided him further in his future decisions. Not only that he manages to avoid the trap of spending the entire book berating the 'justice' system of the time and is surprisingly acquiescent about his fate. The writing itself is incredibly engaging and descriptive, taking the reader to the heart of the system, including the long long months in solitary confinement. The candid nature of Charriere's writing makes this a surprisingly easy read, despite it's length. I would definitely recommend everyone gives this a go!