Papillon is an autobiography of a man sentenced to life in prison who continually tries to escape. He was convicted of life in prison in 1931 for a murder in Paris he claims he did not commit. He is sent to the penal colony of French Guiana. The book details the conditions, escapes, set backs, and eventual freedom.
The writing style is a bit choppy, although there are valid reasons for that - the book is set in the 1930s (written in the 1960s), it was translated from French, and the editors let Papillon's style of talking come through in the writing. It is a very long book, coming in at almost 550 pages. The book was very popular in France and eventually worldwide when it was released. The treacherous conditions are hard to fathom and was certainly eye-opening. Penal colonies are something worth researching if you don't know much about them. The story of escape is what captures the reader as you are constantly wondering how will he permanently escape.
This had potential to become a classic (and some may view it that way), but there are accusations that parts of his story are not his own. He was certainly a prisoner in French Guiana and he eventually escaped. But it seems he retold a few stories of other prisoners, escapes, and encounters as his own. On one hand, that is a disappointment, but on the other, these stories would never be heard without a masterful story line.
My rating for Papillon: 3 stars out of 5. Get it here!
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