Papilion Film and Book

The thing that Henri Charriere desired most was his freedom. A French prisoner, he never stopped plotting ways to escape. The only time when he didn't have a plan in motion was when he was either in solitary, or upon personal request of the warden (they would request that he didn't escape so that they could finish their term, and not have their record/pension ruined by his escape).

This autobiography spares no details about the violence and horrors that surrounded the prisoners daily. He loses a number of his friends to disease, or murder. Papillon was generally respected by his fellow prisoners, and the administration. He was quick to criticize the administration to their face. Many of the wardens and doctors even agreed with how screwed up the French justice system was.

Henri is very detailed about his experiences and escapes. He remembers well the people who aided him before, during and after an escape. You will find yourself rooting for Henri with each escape attempt!

There has been some criticism that say that Henri took details from other prisoners' accounts or that some of the anecdotes are made up. Regardless, this autobiographical tale of escape is better than any work of prison escape fiction that can ever be written

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (Paperback and film
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If you have seen and enjoyed the John Huston film of the same name, and believe it to be one of the greatest films ever produced, then it is mandatory to procure and read this book.

This review is written from the perspective of someone who has seen the film at least a half dozen times before reading the novel for the first time. The film is mostly faithful to the novel, so no nasty surprises await those weaned on the film. While less dramatic in some ways, the book provides a better explanation for the motivations of the characters. This necessarily leads to significant, though not unpleasant, changes in some of their fates compared to the film (or perhaps, better said, vice-versa). Some of the more interesting scenes also are expanded, such as the encounter with the bandits at the camp, and more background is provided about the bandits themselves and the efficient and clever way that they are ultimately dealt with by the local people.

Though a little slow going at first, once accustomed to Traven's writing style and well into the meat of the story, the feeling of the realization that a very special experience is in store for you simply builds and builds and continues doing so until the satisfying conclusion of the book is reached. This is a masterpiece, a gourmet treat for the soul, a book to relish during a lazy morning spent in a soft bed, or sitting by a cozy fireplace.


Germinal book.


Blew me away. Engaging tale of a mining strike in France during the 1860's. It carries a heavy socialist message, but the characters are vivid and the writing evokes the difficult lives of miners above and below ground. Sort of like 'The Jungle' in that it exposes the abuse of the working class

Marlon brando Unzipped

While reading this book, it made me want to shower after each chapter read. Salacious, depraved detail after detail with dubious posthumous dialogue between Brando, his conquests/"f**k buddies", and friends. I don't know what to believe after reading this mess. This book will definitely have you not like Marlon Brando, even to the point of disgustful hatred. With all the screwing around he did, it's a wonder his genitals didn't rot off. If he lived today he would surely be HIV positive. Having been sexually molested/abused by a nanny, and purportedly his own mother, I could think of no other reason for him to have lived so pathologically promiscuous. Brando was definitely a very "unwell", psychically damaged man; this was well-proven up into his last days. I can't really say if this book was exaggerated to say the least, but it sure left me feeling like I discovered something I wish I hadn't. I will never see or look at another Marlon Brando film or photo the same way again. If you want to know more about Marlon Brando, I suggest you read elsewhere, as I will. I gave it a chance, but came to the conclusion of it being cheap, exploitative tabloid [...] instead.

This book just had me shaking my head in disbelief exclaiming "NOT MY MAN!", rendering me mortified...and saying a prayer for his immortal soul.

The infamous "picture" half-way through had me petrified. Just proves the author was banking on sleazy shock value to generate interest and sales. Mr. Porter obviously got my attention, but I'm glad I kept the receipt.

Sons and lovers Dh laurence



The story is brilliant. It is about how a woman (the mother, Gertrude) takes her son (Paul) as her lover instead of choosing her husband. She did not have the will to love the husband, and instead turned that will on a child. The title is not "Fathers and Lovers" or "Husbands and Lovers." The father is capable of being loved, but in Gertrude's mind, she is too good for the husband. Therefore, she turns her lover's heart towards a child ("Sons and Lovers"). In modern psychobabble, Gertrude doesn't recognize boundaries. The child is defenseless to the emotional power which penetrates him. He is absorbed and becomes one with the mother's heart and goals. It is similar to molestation but instead of a physical penetration, there is an emotional penetration. When the boy starts to grow up and should, rightly, begin to become whole with a woman, he is not free to take that step. His sexuality drives him towards an appropriate lover, and seemingly makes him appear available, but his emotional heart cannot take another woman into himself. There is already a lover who has penetrated his heart (i.e. his mother). For a man to be complete in love, he has to be able to enter a woman physically at the same time he takes her into himself emotionally. Paul can't allow another woman in emotionally because his mother is already there. Hence, even though he is able to enter a woman physically, the whole experience is deeply unsatisfying to both Paul and all the women in his life. The mother is not really satisfied because she can't have her lover completely (i.e. physically and as her life's mate), and the other women in Paul's life (with whom he could have a physical relationship) are left unsatisfied because he wills not to take them into himself emotionally, and thereby deprives these women of the experience of wholeness which accompanies surrender in love. Hence, the women he should be able to complete himself with (i.e. those with whom he can complete the physical act), he eventually wears out. They give up because he is not available. His heart belongs to another. E.g. Claire goes back to her husband even though Claire's husband is less refined, because Claire would rather have all of a working man, than only part of an artist. There are scads of women today who are throwing themselves at this inpenetrable wall of the mother's inappropriate molestation of her son's emotions, not really understanding why and how to work with it. Lawrence sheds insight into that process. The cure is to exchange the will to love the mother for the will to love the lover