How many times have you heard people say they would only learn French for having the benefit of reading “The Little Prince” in original language? Published in 1943, the book remains a manifesto of childhood purity and simplicity of life seen through young eyes.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery is a French aristocrat and aviator, who spent long time in North America exile after France had fallen during World War II. Its during that time that he wrote most of his works, including “Le Petit Prince” that will later become one of the most sold books in the history of literature.

Some might say that “The Little Prince” is about loneliness and looking for true friendship or love. But others find its text so tender and deep, focusing on the concepts of loss and gain, difference in perspective between various ages, population groups and even generations. It is a fairy tale that finds its way into each heart, strikes the readers with the depth of its thoughts and makes us feel warm and happy.

The thoughts of a little prince that has fallen on Earth from his small asteroid are very grown up. He has seen nine different planets each of them inhabited by different versions of boring and limited adults. At the desert on Earth he discovers that his own asteroid isn’t as unique, having only three volcanoes and one rose, and it makes him feel down. Luckily, he meets a fox and each of the lines spoken by the fox dwell upon nature of human interactions and relationships.

Despite common opinion, the kids might not understand how genius the text is. But the book is a must read for every adult trying to remember what it’s like to be a child. Make sure to spend some time admiring the illustrations in the book, which were drawn by the author himself.

One thing that every reader will agree upon having finished the book – its lines aren’t as simple as they seem at first. Dive into the depth of every sentence of “The Little Prince” that have their special meaning!

Author: Loretta Bowman