Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
1943
Around 100 pages
Well, well, well. The Powers That Be have condescended to add a children's book to the proceedings. The Mighty Ones only do this when a book is so undeniably iconic that you simply have to mention it. Although with that reasoning in mind, some other books have been unforgivably excluded (The Water-Babies over Narnia? Seriously?).
We start with a discussion about how grown ups are unable to perceive certain things. I love stories that begin this way, implying that there is a magic around us if you aren't too much of a muggle to see it. Our narrator is a pilot who crashes in the Sahara desert and meets the Lil Prince. The Prince is visiting Earth after leaving his home planet/asteroid. The Prince recounts his trips to other planets, where he meets a wide variety of insufferable grown ups.
I don't know if it is possible to not be charmed by this story. Like the best children's stories, it is rich with metaphor. It takes me all the way back to the beginning of the blog with Aesop's Fables. I love a book that is respectful of its audience, especially when the audience are kids. Nothing was dumbed down, but when simplicity and directness is the goal, it can yield quality timeless results.
An excellent story, and probably the best entry we've had for awhile.
RATING: *****
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
An estimated 140 million copies have been sold worldwide, making it one of the best-selling and most translated books ever published.
Before France used the euro as currency, Saint-Exupéry and drawings from The Little Prince were on the 50-franc banknote
Since 2020, June 29 is International Little Prince Day. This date was chosen to commemorate Saint-Exupéry's birthday.
Translated into over 505 different languages.
UP NEXT: Dangling Man by Saul Bellow
No comments:
Post a Comment