Papillon by Henri Charrière (1970)

The story follows the protagonist's life of crime and imprisonment on Devil's Island. He is a habitual escape artist who repeatedly attempts to flee from prison. The novel explores themes of survival, hope, and redemption in the face of harsh conditions and brutal treatment by authorities.

By Henri Charrière · First published 1970 · Genre: Autobiography, Adventure, True Crime · 41 chapters · 214,086 words

First lines

To the Venezuelan people, to the humble fishermen in the Gulf of Paria, to everybody-the intellectuals, the militaryand all the others-who gave me the chanceto live again, and to Rita, my wife and dearest friend.

It was a knockout blow-a punch so overwhelming that I didn't get back on my feet for fourteen years. And to deliver a blow like that, they went to a lot of trouble.

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What this Textopian page supports

Papillon is listed on Textopian as a novel by Henri Charrière, dated 1970 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: Henri Charrière
• Date: 1970 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Autobiography, Adventure, True Crime, Memoir, Historical
• Length: 214,086 words
• Structure: 41 chapters, 4,296 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for Papillon by Henri Charrière
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

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Genres

• Autobiography — The book is a first-person account of the author's life and experiences, focusing on his imprisonment and escape.
• Adventure — The narrative is driven by the protagonist's daring escapes and survival against the odds, embodying the spirit of adventure.
• True Crime — The story revolves around the author's conviction for a crime he claims he did not commit, and his subsequent life as a fugitive.
• Memoir — The book provides a personal reflection on the author's life, thoughts, and emotions during his time in prison and on the run.

Tags

Biographical · Autobiographical · Memoir · Prison · Escape · Survival · Adventure · Historical · Non-fiction · True Story · French Literature · Literary Classic

Contents

• The Assizes
• The Conciergerie
• The Jail in Caen
• Saint-Martin-De-Ré
• Departure for the Bagne
• Saint-Laurent-Du-Maroni
• Escape from the Hospital
• The Île Aux Pigeons
• The Great Departure
• Trinidad
• Trinidad
• New Departure
• Curacao
• The Prison in Rio Hacha
• The Cavale from Rio Hacha
• The Indians
• The Prison in Santa Marta
• The Cavale at Santa Marta
• The Cavales at Barranquilla
• Return to the Bagne
• The Cavale of the Cannibals
• The Judgment
• The Arrival
• Solitary
• Life at Royale
• A Raft in a Tomb
• Second Solitary
• The Buffaloes
• Revolt at Saint-Joseph
• Carbonieri's Death
• The Madmen's Cavale
• Dreyfus' Bench
• The Cavale from Diable
• In the Bush
• Cuic-Cuic
• The Cavale with the Chinese
• Georgetown
• The Fishermen of Irapa
• The Bagne at El Dorado
• Freedom
• Glossary

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