Reviews - Der kleine Prinz

18.9k reviews for:

Der kleine Prinz

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

4.26 AVERAGE

readerorwateva's review against another edition

5.0

reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

luciiag_s's review against another edition

5.0

En el fondo, solo quiero que me amen como el principito amaba a su rosa

shubaby's review against another edition

5.0

cried on the way to work I love this book so much

the_b00k_n00k's review against another edition

3.0

An over-simplified version of a classic novella that falls a little short of the original but has the foundations for discussions about personality types.

Coutesy of Netgalley I received a free copy of this book to review shotly after it was first published.

Originally written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince was published in 1943. Hailed as a notable work of fiction, the novella has gone on to inspire Corrine Delporte to write The Journey of the Little Prince in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the original piece of work. In this latest children’s picture book, the little prince finds himself bored on his own planet so decides to visit another, and another, and another. The reason for his multiple trips is a lack of appreciation for the people he comes across, spurring him to continue his journey.

Read the full review on my blog: https://thebooknook.papergirl.info/the-jouney-of-the-little-prince

pkachiu's review against another edition

4.5

what is essential is invisible to the eye. [9/10]

at this point, everything there is to say about the little prince has already been said - but this classic has gained its reputation for a reason. i personally grew up with the animated movie (the one with the girl), and i barely remember anything about the book... so picking it up now, many years later (as a scary grownup) is very nostalgic!! it's comforting!! saint-ex's writing style is magical, very whimsical, and lots of fun, and the translation by katherine woods does it justice i'd say.

All grownups were once children—although a few remember it.

and because everything there is to say has already been said, i'm going to go on a personal tangent. this isn't really a review, but more of a log... like all of my other ramblings on other books here :)

anyway!! admittedly, i was also one of those children full of wild and very unrealistic dreams. i remember being scared of adulthood, of the future, terrified that i'll be locked into a life completely devoid of creativity and only focusing on "matters of great consequence" such as work, taxes, being rich... the movie made me cry because of it. i felt the same pressure the girl was facing - given my own personal context of my parents wanting to shove me into graduate studies that would make the family rich. i didn't want to give up that childish part of me who held onto stories, and art, and drawing my silly pictures, and all that stuff!! i didn't want to be like the geographer, too busy with his study and his books to the point where the act of experiencing the wonderful world around him is nothing but a waste of time.

i'd like to think, through luck, that i've barely escaped that path. yes, i'm worried about the current job market given AI, and yes, i don't have the most prestigious and the most high-profile job in the whole world. what i do is simple, not requiring a fancy license you get from passing extremely difficult examinations. sometimes i feel shame in the fact that my parents might think i'm "wasted potential", haha. but at the end of the day, i'm glad that i have enough time - not a lot - to pick something like this up and read through it. i'm glad that i still have little time to spare to engage with all the wonderful works of art in the world!! it's a luxury not a lot of grownups get to have.

and so it really hits hard when the book really urges you to revisit that imaginative, curious child you once were. we were all once the little prince. we see ourselves in him, and which is why, like the pilot, we can't help but feel an attachment for him. the little prince is a reflection of all the children in the past, present, future. and in his adventures into the world of adulthood, we get an exploration through the different aspects of their life... we see figures who are conceited, obsessed with matters such as money, power, responsibility, self-hate and destruction... it paints a bleak picture. and an important thing to note was that all these men were alone. they were isolated without friends or families or loved ones, because they hold their consequential matters of high importance over these "trivial" things. ironically, it was a fox of all things that thought the little prince the importance of companionship. it was a fox that taught the prince how to be more human, what really matters and sticks in this lifetime after we're all gone: love. art, stories, fond memories of loved ones.

personally, that's what i think the ending is trying to convey. as much as we get to explore the lives of different adults, we also get to explore death and passing. everyone eventually grows up, and everyone eventually dies. at one point or another we'll have to experience grief, and it's a scary thing!! even the little prince finds himself crying at the end of it all!! but at the same time, he's learned in his journeys that the pain of loss and saying good bye is worth it because it proves you've loved someone so dearly. it may look like he's dying, but as long as the pilot remembers the sound of his laughter whenever he looks at the stars, the little prince's memory is alive. and similarly, we may grow up, but we shouldn't let our childhood self fade away into forgetfulness.

very sweet book! i think i'll come back to it every now and then :)

jenwesner's review against another edition

1.0

I think I need to read the other translation of this book. I just didn't get it. There was a lot of great observation and profound truths in this, but overall at the end I just sat back and said "huh?" I feel like I'm missing something in the telling.