Read "Papillon" by Henri Charrière online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
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.