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booksofgayle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
4.0
... as from an enchanted garden set with flowers, low houses, and slow waters, the pilot had just skirted the edge of a cyclone which never masked from him a single star. Nine passengers, huddled in their traveling-rugs, had pressed their foreheads on the window, as if it were a shop front glittering with gems. For now the little towns of Argentina were stringing through the night their golden beads, beneath the paler gold of the star cities. And at his prow the pilot held within his hands his freight of lives, eyes wide open, full of moonlight.
the plot was barely plotting but the lyrical ability of Saint-Exupéry is really in a class of its own. I bow down to the winged poet
skaramouche's review against another edition
challenging
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
abilge's review
2.0
Küçük prens ile ikonikleşmiş yazarın bu kitabını ben çok sevemedim. Gece uçuşu yapan Patagonya kargo uçağı Arjantin civarında fırtınaya yakalanıyor ve olaylar onun etrafında gelişiyor.
Bu kitabın en ilginç yanı Saint Exupery ile kahramanın sonunun aynı olmazı. Kaç kitapta yazar kahramanıyla aynı sonu paylaşır ki?
Bu kitabın en ilginç yanı Saint Exupery ile kahramanın sonunun aynı olmazı. Kaç kitapta yazar kahramanıyla aynı sonu paylaşır ki?
ashleyend's review against another edition
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sic_corneille's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
briandice's review against another edition
4.0
A beautifully penned short novel, an elegy as eulogy - as if de Saint-Exupéry was writing the book that would foreshadow his own mortal struggle with metal, wind and altitude. The enemy isn't the Luftwaffe, it's nature's sinister insouciance - far more frightening than another mortal intent on one's personal destruction.
We do not pray for immortality, but only to see our acts and all things stripped suddenly of all their meaning; for then it is the utter emptiness of everything reveals itself.
tonyzale's review against another edition
3.0
Duty, honor, and a lack of levity are the hallmarks of the stereotypical war story. Night Flight has these in spades, though the subject is not combat. Rivière is the South American supervisor for Aéropostale, the French airmail organization that operated during the 1920s and 30s. He silently bears the burden of pushing his pilots on, insisting they fly through all but the worst weather. Dispatches from the sky describing storms are as dramatic as any from a battle: “inform Buenos Aires: we are cut off on all sides”. Still, Rivière is relentless, and though he has doubts about his tactics, he’d never share them with subordinates. He critiques every pilot’s decision, every mechanic’s turn of the wrench. “Am I just or unjust? I have no idea. All I know is that when I hit hard there are fewer accidents.”
Aerial navigation of the era was completely visual, so night flights were incredibly dangerous. Despite this, Rivière institutes them to further speed up deliveries: “the lead we gain on ships and railroads by day is lost each night.” The story culminates in a particularly challenging flight from Patagonia with a plane hemmed in by a cyclone. Rivière from the ground and pilot Fabien in the air each reflect on life, death, and man’s attempts to conquer death through great achievements. “We do not pray for immortality, but only to not see our acts and all things stripped suddenly of all their meaning.”
Night Flight is heavy and clearly originated in a different era. Rivière sees action and happiness in an endless war; progress can’t be made without human suffering. Self-fulfillment is not a concept that would resonate in this world, and it feels out-of-step with the mainstream thought of today. The writing is evocative; you can imagine smoke-filled rooms of radio operators, desperately trying to make contact with the lost plane. It’s lyrical, perhaps verging on overheated. Still, at a little over 100 pages, this could be enjoyed by anyone with a passing interest in the era and subject.
Aerial navigation of the era was completely visual, so night flights were incredibly dangerous. Despite this, Rivière institutes them to further speed up deliveries: “the lead we gain on ships and railroads by day is lost each night.” The story culminates in a particularly challenging flight from Patagonia with a plane hemmed in by a cyclone. Rivière from the ground and pilot Fabien in the air each reflect on life, death, and man’s attempts to conquer death through great achievements. “We do not pray for immortality, but only to not see our acts and all things stripped suddenly of all their meaning.”
Night Flight is heavy and clearly originated in a different era. Rivière sees action and happiness in an endless war; progress can’t be made without human suffering. Self-fulfillment is not a concept that would resonate in this world, and it feels out-of-step with the mainstream thought of today. The writing is evocative; you can imagine smoke-filled rooms of radio operators, desperately trying to make contact with the lost plane. It’s lyrical, perhaps verging on overheated. Still, at a little over 100 pages, this could be enjoyed by anyone with a passing interest in the era and subject.
verabaetas's review against another edition
4.0
Really good!! "The Little Prince was better, but I was expecting this. The author has an unique way with the words! He can take us on a journey through the skies using all of our senses. It's a melancholic book, but we are talking about Antoine Saint-Exupéry.