If you've never read it, do yourself a favor and do so! It's quite short, and I hope you'll like it.
I also highly recommend the 2015 animated film adaptation. It has a rock-solid cast, and presents the classic story within entirely new layers of interpretation that speak to multiple generations at once. It's a real tearjerker that only gets more potent with age.
I'm also not sure why so many commenters here seem confused or negative towards The Little Prince. It is a timeless, culture-invariant treatise on the most precious and important facets of human existence.
My aim was to start a positive dialogue with zppln about why the book didn't land with him or why it was off-putting. I'm happy to discuss it with you as well, but if your comment was just meant to be negative then I'll pass.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Prince_(2015_film)#...
But don't read about the plot! Go in as blind as possible. The experience is much more meaningful if you don't know the story beats.
I would add that there is something in it for all ages. I have read it many times, between ages 6 and 25 and in different languages. The later readings were for language learning without any expectations but each time I finished it, I was deeply touched.
With that it’s also a great one to read with kids.
Soleure, that's the French name of the city where the museum opened. The place might just be in France if you don't look too close.
When I finally decided to give it a try, I found it to be a very interesting read.
So, you can bet people who show disdain for it probably haven't read it. Or they have weak character and are afraid to be considered dumb by association.
Who was the actress?
I cannot see that many dismissive comments. Those I can see are things like dismissing it purely because its not recent, or because the commentor has not read it which really say more about the person being dismissive than anything else.
It is very popular (in translation) in the UK (and other Engli8sh speaking countries) too.
I think the author would be very surprised if he'd been there to see what amount of fluff has been generated around his nice and simple quasi-autobiographical codebook.
Later it got more popular and adults found all kinds of deep things. It was so sentimental I've never got back to the book if I hadn't read it first as a children's book. In my mid twenties I got my own copy from a girlfriend who saw me as a little prince.
Now about a week ago I reread it again. Well, you can find all kinds of things in it but I think you should read it as a kid first time.
Children need to learn a lot of things they understand only as adults. It builds a real connection to the stories and ideas. Adults cannot absorb new thoughts anymore. They try but it's too late.
Like if you haven't read Nietzsche and Dostoevsky first time at the age of say 16 or 18 you will never be an intellectual. You didn't get the right impulses at the time. You cannot built on shallow experiences you can have after the childhood and youth.
“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add. But when there is nothing left to take away.”
It is relevant in so many contexts in life.
If one were to apply it to life in general, it seems even less fitting. Although we can never achieve perfection, I think most people would agree that a meaningful life is lived through growth and gain towards a particular ideal or goal. The more we grow, the closer we come to that unattainable perfection. Removing what's harmful or a hindrance is a part of this, but if all you do is take away and not add, you just end up with nothing.
Ultimately, I think it's lacking because while you can err both due to deficiency and excess, it only considers excess and denies deficiency. It serves more to assuage feelings of inadequacy in the face of unattainable perfection than to give an accurate representation of life. And even if you don't believe in perfection, this quote doesn't deny that it exists, it merely claims that it can be achieved solely by treating excess, while ignoring deficiency.
I'm sorry if this is all very pedantic.
You may not be able to remove anything, but that doesn’t mean nothing needs to be added, ergo it’s not perfection.
It is not unlikely that a decent number of the intended audience will have grown up that "perfection" is equated to having everything, with nothing left to want. New parents especially would have feelings of inadequacy when they are trying to be "perfect" for their kids.
If anyone's interested in an analysis of Saint-Exupéry's psychology via the symbolism of The Little Prince, the book "The Problem of the Puer Aeternus" by Marie-Louise von Franz [1] is absolutely fascinating.
[1]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1404609.The_Problem_of_t...
I've yet to revisit it as an adult, but I think maybe it's time?
Every time I do so, I learn something new.
- I scroll
Why do you scroll?
- To forget
To forget what?
- That I am boring and bored
Why are you boring and bored?
- Because I scroll!
I like it. I got a lot out of the encounter with the fox, specifically, and that helped me in how I relate to a lot of my friends and lovers.
This is the second most translated book after the Bible
The number for the Bible is a bit misleading because it is "at least one book translated". I think the number for the most translated "book" would be preferable. Its a bit inconsistent with how it treats series too.
There are quite a few things that surprised me in the list (either a lot more or far fewer translations than I expected, especially relative to other works in the list)
It wouldn't surprise me if the number for the four Gospels is higher than the full New Testament number.
Yes, and that number is too low because some single books you be translated mroe times.
> So it's still #1, since #2 (Le Petit Prince) is at 610.
I am not disputing that. The Bible is far ahead of anything else.
> It wouldn't surprise me if the number for the four Gospels is higher than the full New Testament number.
As there are separate translations of the gospels (e.g. the Lindisfarne Gospels) that must be true. I would be interested in know things such as whether any particular gospel has more translations.
interesting. may I ask which region of the world you live in?
> I don't think it's as popular as the article claims.
that may be telling more about the region you live or yourself.
I suggest go to it's Wikipedia article and check the books impact.
ps: and to get a physical copy and to read it...
I've even seen people wearing shirts with the drawing of the snake that ate the elephant.
for schools in a "humanistic" tradition I dare to bet it's canon.
it's a very beautiful read and when you have time, go and grab a sweet illustrated full text paper copy in your language of choice, it has been translated in all languages of the world, and there are wonderful editions of the book. I treasure a large pop up one.
At first glance it looks and feels like a childrens book, but really, is it? Antoine de Saint-Exupéry offers a very unique and poetic look at humankind and a truly timeless masterpiece, touching not so children topic's like different types of vanity, several perspectives on the rat race, addiction, love of course, both "caritas" and "amor" and at an idealistic level also "eros", responsibility for nature, it even touches on assisted suicide, but all of these little essays which are woven into a story arc are told with deep love and tenderness and clarity.
fine dining, if you wish, a gourmet story, really.
you can tell I like it :-D