Papillon (Harper Perennial Modern Classics) by Henri Charriere

Papillon by Henri Charriere recounts the author’s experiences following his conviction in Paris in 1931. This edition is part of the Harper Perennial Modern Classics series.

Key details

• Author: Henri Charriere
• Series: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
• First published in France in 1968
• Written as an autobiography

Synopsis

Nicknamed Papillon for the butterfly tattoo on his chest, Henri Charriere was convicted in Paris in 1931 for a murder he states he did not commit. Sentenced to life imprisonment in the penal colony of French Guiana, he becomes focused on a single aim: escape.

Over many years he plans and carries out a series of dangerous attempts that do not succeed, before being transferred to Devil Island, described as a prison from which no one had escaped until him. First published in France in 1968, more than twenty years after his final escape, this autobiography was met with instant acclaim and has since been regarded as a classic account of endurance and determination.