SYNOPSIS
A pilot stranded in the desert awakes one morning to see, standing before him, the most extraordinary little fellow. “Please,” asks the stranger, “draw me a sheep.” And the pilot realizes that when life’s events are too difficult to understand, there is no choice but to succumb to their mysteries. He pulls out pencil and paper and thus begins this wise and enchanting fable that in teaching the secret of what is really important in life, has changed forever the world for its readers.
WHAT I LOVE MOST
Honestly the theme of this book really moved me. This book I originally read as a young teen, and it is one of the few to make me cry. This book was originally written in French, and while I intend to read it as such someday, I have only read the translation by Richard Howard.
This book is a children’s book, yet it is quite introspective at times, questioning what exactly people find valuable in life and detailing the little prince’s interactions as he stumbles through an adult world that he finds bewildering. This bewilderment is the source of the book’s message as the little prince questions the established actions of people as they chase what the little prince sees as meaningless things, yet we ourselves can see ourselves and people we know in these adults, forcing us to wonder whether we chase things of little value.
I feel this book is for all ages, as its simple plot and illustrations make it a story digestible for children, who might find a sense of connection to the little prince’s wonder at the frivolous pursuits and rules of adults, yet it really can be a story of rediscovering the passions of youth that one leaves behind to fit in with a mature world. I personally find the book a fantastic view on children and adults alike.
LOVING CRITICISM
Honestly, this book is very satisfactory for children, though the tragedy may be harsh to them. Adults may find the book simplistic and the symbolism obvious, and they may find it ridiculous to read a book written for children’s comprehension level.
MY FAVORITE CHARACTER
My favorite character would have to be the pilot. The pilot’s role in the story is at first glance minimal. He acts as the storyteller for the little prince, nothing but a vehicle for us to have a glimpse into the story of the little prince and his rose.
On the second look, you realize what he is. The principle crux of his character is his fascination with the little prince. The pilot presents himself as a responsible adult who simply desires to fix his broken plane and escape the desert. He is the grounded realist, contrasting with the imaginative dreamer that is the little prince. Yet he becomes fascinated with the prince because he sees himself in the prince.
The prince asks him to draw a sheep, a task a young pilot would have enjoyed. But after the pilot’s dreams of artistry were crushed in childhood when his pictures failed to garner interest and were dismissed. The pilot, ready to get rid of him, hands a drawing he made as a child, but he is shocked when the prince correctly identifies the picture. This leads to the pilot seriously attempting to draw a sheep, and after that he begins their acquaintance.
The pilot sees in the little prince the imaginative wonder he once had, but was crushed when the grown-ups around him thought it wasn’t respectable. This is the first person that the pilot sees as truly understanding of him, and their friendship grows until the pilot repairs the plane and their sorrowful farewell.
SHOULD YOU READ THIS BOOK?
This question’s answer, to me, is yes. This book is an emotional journey for both adults and children as we look at what exactly is meaningful in life, and it shows the joys of youthful imagination.
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