I didn’t understand The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry at all. I guess I’m not a child. A pilot has crashed his plane in the desert. While striving to repair it, he meets a young boy from a asteroid-star planet. The little prince’s planet has 44 sunsets a day, and the little prince is full of ideals and love. He shares his story with the pilot.
The bottom line was, I think, that adults don’t make the right priorities. I guess I also don’t make the right priorities: while I wanted to like this story of random childhood weirdness, I didn’t.
I read The Little Prince in English, but I imagine it’s a good starting point for scholars of the French language because it’s not too intimidating and the language is repetitive and easy. If I ever learn French, I’ll revisit it.
For now, however, I don’t consider it the classic, life-changing book I’ve heard it suggested that it is. What do you think?
I didn’t get it either, the first time I read it (when I was a teenager). But I loved it when I read it a second time. I think it’s a book that needs to be re-read to be fully understood.
As far as translations go, I read it in Italian, which (I suppose) must be a very good translation, considering how many Italians love that book (and since I don’t know French, my only way to approach this book).
Yep! Totally agree 100%. It took me a week to read this little book. I guess that shows how “into” it I really was.
@Alessandra: Maybe I’ll reread it sometime! and learn French or Italian…
@Natasha: It took me a little while to get through too. It just seemed to get weirder and weirder…
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I’m one of those wierdos who LOVE The Little Prince. However, I haven’t read it in years and I am a bit afraid to do so for fear that it will ruin my love of it.
@Lisa:
Yes, that is a problem with reading negative reviews of books I like: I start wondering if I really liked it as much as I thought. Hope it keeps its magic for you!
The Little Prince is pop-trash much like Jonathan Living Seagull. The title could be changed to The Effed Pilot. It is a Death Experience. The pilot is dying and dies. What we read is one individual’s dying process. The snake is a penis. The rose is a vagina. Duh. Stupid book. Hated then and hate it now.