Facts about Papillon
- 10
Charrière's 1969 memoir was translated into 26 languages within five years of publication, establishing it as a global bestseller across multiple continents.
- 09
Charrière's original escape attempt from Devil's Island in 1941 failed when he was recaptured after only 3 weeks at sea, resulting in additional solitary confinement sentences.
- 08
In 1970, a sequel memoir titled Banco was published by Charrière, detailing his post-escape life and eventual settlement in Venezuela where he worked as a diver and nightclub owner.
- 07
Devil's Island, where Charrière was imprisoned, housed fewer than 250 inmates at any given time despite its notorious reputation as France's most secure penal colony.
- 06
Over 100,000 copies of Papillon sold in its first year after publication, making it one of the fastest-selling memoirs of the 1969-1970 period.
- 05
After his 1944 escape from French Guiana, Charrière spent 13 years evading capture across Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama before publishing his account in 1969.
- 04
Papillon's nickname derived from a butterfly tattoo on Charrière's chest, which he used to identify himself during his escape attempts from French penal colonies.
- 03
Charrière's 14-year imprisonment on Devil's Island in French Guiana between 1931 and 1945 formed the basis for his bestselling autobiography Papillon.
- 02
Henri Charrière's original memoir was published in 1969 and became an international bestseller, spending 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
- 01
The 1973 film adaptation of Henri Charrière's Papillon starred Steve Reeves and Dustin Hoffman and was filmed over 8 months in Spain and Jamaica.