Papillon

“A modern classic of courage and excitement.” —The New Yorker • The source for the iconic prison-escape film starring Steve McQueen

Henri Charrière, nicknamed "Papillon," for the butterfly tattoo on his chest, was wrongfully convicted in Paris in 1931 of a murder he did not commit. Sentenced to life imprisonment in the brutal French Guiana penal colony, he became obsessed with one goal: escape. After planning and executing a series of treacherous yet failed attempts over many years, he was eventually sent to the notorious prison, Devil's Island, a place from which no one had ever escaped . . . until Papillon. His flight to freedom in this true story of survival remains one of the most incredible feats of human cunning, will, and endurance ever undertaken.

Charrière's astonishing adventure memoir, Papillon, was first published in France to instant acclaim in 1968, more than twenty years after his final escape. Since then, it has become a treasured classic—the gripping, shocking, ultimately uplifting odyssey of an innocent man who would not be defeated.

“A first-class adventure story.” — New York Review of Books

How does a man framed for murder survive the world’s most notorious penal colony and plot an escape from a place no one has ever escaped before?

• A Prison Escape Classic: Henri ‘Papillon’ Charrière, marked by a butterfly tattoo and an unbreakable will, faces life imprisonment for a crime he didn't commit.
• Devil’s Island: After years of failed attempts, Papillon is sent to the inescapable island prison. His determination to be free leads to one of history's most daring feats of endurance.
• Based on a True Story: This gritty, shocking, and ultimately inspiring autobiography chronicles a relentless quest for freedom against the brutal horrors of the French Guiana penal system.
• Survival and Endurance: An uplifting odyssey of an innocent man’s refusal to be broken, a treasured tale of cunning and perseverance that inspired the iconic film starring Steve McQueen.

Henri Charrière, called "Papillon," for the butterfly tattoo on his chest, was convicted in Paris in 1931 of a murder he did not commit. Sentenced to life imprisonment in the penal colony of French Guiana, he became obsessed with one goal: escape. After planning and executing a series of treacherous yet failed attempts over many years, he was eventually sent to the notorious prison, Devil's Island, a place from which no one had ever escaped . . . until Papillon. His flight to freedom remains one of the most incredible feats of human cunning, will, and endurance ever undertaken.

Charrière's astonishing autobiography, Papillon, was published in France to instant acclaim in 1968, more than twenty years after his final escape. Since then, it has become a treasured classic -- the gripping, shocking, ultimately uplifting odyssey of an innocent man who would not be defeated.

“A first-class adventure story.” - New York Review of Books

“A modern classic of courage and excitement.” - Janet Flanner (Gênet), The New Yorker

“The greatest adventure story of all time.” - Auguste Le Breton

“[Papillon] is the ultimate hero defying the ultimate system of oppression and succeeding by dint of will, optimism...[and] a sense of honor given only to West Point graduates and Paris thieves.” - New York Times

“A marvelous adventure story told in a direct, colloquial style. . .by a a born teller of tales. . . . An account of incredible suffering and resourcefulness, in contrast to the average experiences of civilized life. . . . Charrière [is] a strongly marked personality with a tremendous fund of temperament and courage.” - Times Literary Supplement (London)