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ememh_'s review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
debicates's review against another edition
2.0
Update 03/26/2024
I just watched this Youtube video by Magus and oh boy howdy. I missed so much in my reading of The Little Prince. I was reading "for" my granddaughters and I simply applied a much too limited view point. Lazy.
Time to re-read and re-consider.
Original 03/05/2024
It was OK. Yes, I know, a bunch of people will be aghast.
I bought it for my granddaughters and like all the books I've bought to give them, I read it first.
Being an adult (a senior one at that), I must have missed the open enrollment period needed to glean this story's magic. I found parts sweet and fun, like cleaning the volcanoes. I liked certain messages, like the one about gifts given out of love and with effort are an even more meaningful to receive; and was moved by the fox's unique ideas about "taming." I heartily agree we should encourage children to ask questions and to keep asking until they feel they understand the answers.
But it was a mixed bag. It was off-putting that a focus of the story was the moral strength of adults and children, with children being the superior of the two. The examples of bad adults was weak. What if a child likes counting? Likes geography? The message might be misconstrued, might give children the idea that those are silly things since adults like them. Too many of the messages (and it was full of messages) were, at least for my granddaughters ages 6 and 8, treated too superficially.
Oh my, the questions my Littles would have! I don't want to explain the author's meaning, especially since I'm not sure that I agree with them. On the whole, I didn't find it exceptional enough to go to that effort of sorting it all out to my own satisfaction.
I think I'll donate it.
Not burn it. Not ban it. Not sign any petition to have it taken out of our public library's circulation. Because that is very definitely an inexplicable thing that silly adults do.
I just watched this Youtube video by Magus and oh boy howdy. I missed so much in my reading of The Little Prince. I was reading "for" my granddaughters and I simply applied a much too limited view point. Lazy.
Time to re-read and re-consider.
Original 03/05/2024
It was OK. Yes, I know, a bunch of people will be aghast.
I bought it for my granddaughters and like all the books I've bought to give them, I read it first.
Being an adult (a senior one at that), I must have missed the open enrollment period needed to glean this story's magic. I found parts sweet and fun, like cleaning the volcanoes. I liked certain messages, like the one about gifts given out of love and with effort are an even more meaningful to receive; and was moved by the fox's unique ideas about "taming." I heartily agree we should encourage children to ask questions and to keep asking until they feel they understand the answers.
But it was a mixed bag. It was off-putting that a focus of the story was the moral strength of adults and children, with children being the superior of the two. The examples of bad adults was weak. What if a child likes counting? Likes geography? The message might be misconstrued, might give children the idea that those are silly things since adults like them. Too many of the messages (and it was full of messages) were, at least for my granddaughters ages 6 and 8, treated too superficially.
Oh my, the questions my Littles would have! I don't want to explain the author's meaning, especially since I'm not sure that I agree with them. On the whole, I didn't find it exceptional enough to go to that effort of sorting it all out to my own satisfaction.
I think I'll donate it.
Not burn it. Not ban it. Not sign any petition to have it taken out of our public library's circulation. Because that is very definitely an inexplicable thing that silly adults do.
gioculela's review against another edition
4.0
Este libro es muy bonito y te acompaña en todas las etapas, ya que acorde a tu edad vas dándole otros significados, aun así siento que esta bastante sobre valorado.
whimsy_and_rigor's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
heddas_bookgems's review against another edition
4.0
“All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it.”
When a pilot crash-lands in the desert he runs into a little boy. The boy is full of wonder and questions which reminds the pilot of his own childhood. But some questions are too difficult to answer, as a child and even as an adult.
There is that one moment in life when you realize you have lost your childhood innocence. All day wondering how things work and not having a care in the world. This book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who was born in France, explores just that. It’s told to be a mere children’s book, but I think this one transcends that level by miles as it’s multilayered, philosophical and intensely saddening. I couldn’t help but see the similarities of the life of the author and his protagonist, as they both share a same destiny, which made it even more sorrowful.
But besides it being sad it also had a wonderful message. It brushed on topics like keeping in touch with your inner child, living curiously and with an open mind and that everything is just how you perceive the world.
A wonderful read with even more wondrous drawings to admire, but be warned, although it’s a children’s book, it deals with some heavy themes.
When a pilot crash-lands in the desert he runs into a little boy. The boy is full of wonder and questions which reminds the pilot of his own childhood. But some questions are too difficult to answer, as a child and even as an adult.
There is that one moment in life when you realize you have lost your childhood innocence. All day wondering how things work and not having a care in the world. This book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who was born in France, explores just that. It’s told to be a mere children’s book, but I think this one transcends that level by miles as it’s multilayered, philosophical and intensely saddening. I couldn’t help but see the similarities of the life of the author and his protagonist, as they both share a same destiny, which made it even more sorrowful.
But besides it being sad it also had a wonderful message. It brushed on topics like keeping in touch with your inner child, living curiously and with an open mind and that everything is just how you perceive the world.
A wonderful read with even more wondrous drawings to admire, but be warned, although it’s a children’s book, it deals with some heavy themes.
kinnykiran's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, a true classic and masterpiece. Small book, easy language and fast read, but the ideas and messages are large, complex and hard to sink. Expected to be small children's book. But turned out to be a non-pretentious, genuine philosophy of life itself. I wanted to read it because of the 2015 movie. I loved the movie. The book is about the titular character whom the author meets in the desert. The author learns that he is from another planet. Then the story becomes the tale of journey of the little prince.
The conversation he has with the various characters make up the story. My favourite conversation is with the businessman, where the little prince questions the boundary between need & greed. There is also a rose, the fox, snake, the king, baobab trees, sheep, hundreds of sunsets in a day, a lamplighter etc. Every character has something to tell, something to show.
I love the book. It is about virtually everything. About growing up and forgetting, giving up, letting go, innocence, need/greed, adults, kids, friendship, love, life, death and eventually the cosmos itself.
Following are the some quotes. (Every sentence in the book is quotable.)
1) "One must command from each what each can perform," the king went on. "Authority is based first of all upon reason. If you command your subjects to jump into the ocean, there will be a revolution. I am entitled to command obedience because my orders are reasonable." -The King
2) "Where are the people?" resumed the little prince at last. "It's a little lonely in the desert..."
"It is lonely when you're among people, too," said the snake.
3) “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - The Fox
4) "What makes the desert beautiful," said the little prince, "is that somewhere it hides a well."
5) “All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it.”
6) “You're beautiful, but you're empty...One couldn't die for you. Of course, an ordinary passerby would think my rose looked just like you. But my rose, all on her own, is more important than all of you together, since she's the one I've watered. Since she's the one I put under glass, since she's the one I sheltered behind the screen. Since she's the one for whom I killed the caterpillars (except the two or three butterflies). Since she's the one I listened to when she complained, or when she boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing at all. Since she's my rose.” - Prince.
7) “Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies? " Instead they demand "How old is he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make? " Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.”
8) “A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”
9) “When you find a diamond that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you discover an island that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you get an idea before any one else, you take out a patent on it: it is yours. So with me: I own the stars, because nobody else before me ever thought of owning them.” - The Businessman
10) “Why are you drinking? demanded the little prince.
"So that I may forget," replied the tippler.
"Forget what?" inquired the little prince, who was already sorry for him.
"Forget that I am ashamed," the tippler confessed, hanging his head.
"Ashamed of what?" insisted the little prince, who wanted to help him.
"Ashamed of drinking!” - The Tippler.
The conversation he has with the various characters make up the story. My favourite conversation is with the businessman, where the little prince questions the boundary between need & greed. There is also a rose, the fox, snake, the king, baobab trees, sheep, hundreds of sunsets in a day, a lamplighter etc. Every character has something to tell, something to show.
I love the book. It is about virtually everything. About growing up and forgetting, giving up, letting go, innocence, need/greed, adults, kids, friendship, love, life, death and eventually the cosmos itself.
Following are the some quotes. (Every sentence in the book is quotable.)
1) "One must command from each what each can perform," the king went on. "Authority is based first of all upon reason. If you command your subjects to jump into the ocean, there will be a revolution. I am entitled to command obedience because my orders are reasonable." -The King
2) "Where are the people?" resumed the little prince at last. "It's a little lonely in the desert..."
"It is lonely when you're among people, too," said the snake.
3) “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - The Fox
4) "What makes the desert beautiful," said the little prince, "is that somewhere it hides a well."
5) “All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it.”
6) “You're beautiful, but you're empty...One couldn't die for you. Of course, an ordinary passerby would think my rose looked just like you. But my rose, all on her own, is more important than all of you together, since she's the one I've watered. Since she's the one I put under glass, since she's the one I sheltered behind the screen. Since she's the one for whom I killed the caterpillars (except the two or three butterflies). Since she's the one I listened to when she complained, or when she boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing at all. Since she's my rose.” - Prince.
7) “Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies? " Instead they demand "How old is he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make? " Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.”
8) “A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”
9) “When you find a diamond that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you discover an island that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you get an idea before any one else, you take out a patent on it: it is yours. So with me: I own the stars, because nobody else before me ever thought of owning them.” - The Businessman
10) “Why are you drinking? demanded the little prince.
"So that I may forget," replied the tippler.
"Forget what?" inquired the little prince, who was already sorry for him.
"Forget that I am ashamed," the tippler confessed, hanging his head.
"Ashamed of what?" insisted the little prince, who wanted to help him.
"Ashamed of drinking!” - The Tippler.
ackbearr's review against another edition
“You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.”
riebooked's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
moo_nyx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0