The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Little Prince
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Classic | Fantasy | Fiction
96 Pages
Released January 1943

Rating: ★★★ 1/2
Goodreads
Content Warnings

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This year, I wanted to dive more into classic literature. So then, what better way to start than with a timeless piece of children’s fiction? It felt like an appropriate place to start.

This novella follows the story of a man, stranded in the desert. Whilst there, he happens upon an unusual person, a boy he calls “the little prince”, who has travelled to Earth from his small asteroid planet from far away.

At a mere 96 pages, this book is incredibly short and easy to read. Written in simple prose, and layered with meaning and metaphor, it conveys the world through the eyes of a child. At first read, I thought it was charming, though a bit unusual. If I am being completely honest, I did not love the story as much as I thought I would (given the stellar reviews you’ll find by countless others). There’s definitely a sort of world-building that happens but it initially lacked depth for me. And while the characters were all thought-provoking, I felt a little confused at times.

That said, I strongly feel this is the type of story that requires several re-reads to fully glean the author’s intent. I have a feeling, it will be the type of story that improves the more you read it because each time, you will pull away something new. I also feel that there could be a lot gained from reading this book with a child - something I intend to do later in the year.

I can definitely see why this one is a classic. It’s a simple, moving story, accessible to readers of any age. Even though I didn’t not love it the first time around, I think everyone would benefit in some way from reading it. With how short it is, there’s really no excuse not to!