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The Little Prince
The Little Prince
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Richard Howard (Translator)
Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as The Little Prince. Richard Howard's new translation of the beloved classic-published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's birth-beautifully reflects Saint-Exupéry's unique and gifted style. Howard, a...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780156012072
ISBN-10: 0156012073
Publication Date: 5/15/2000
Pages: 83
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Rating:
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 8

4.3 stars, based on 8 ratings
Publisher: Harvest Books
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

lambkins avatar reviewed The Little Prince on
Helpful Score: 4
I first read this book fifteen years ago as part of a college course requirement. It has stayed with me since then, and I have given both of my sons a copy of their own. I have read it several times since then and would say that it is a book everyone should read, as a child and then again as an adult.
reviewed The Little Prince on + 29 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This is my very favorite book, which says quite a bit. The book is very metaphorical (and quite quotable).
ocicat avatar reviewed The Little Prince on + 114 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
A wonderful classic. Look deeper than the surface story and you'll find treasure.
reviewed The Little Prince on + 10 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
delightful
reviewed The Little Prince on + 16 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
one of my favourite books of all time
Read All 35 Book Reviews of "The Little Prince"

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reviewed The Little Prince on + 9 more book reviews
This is not my review but a review from Amazon. I received this as a gift (15.99 on Amazon) and had not read it but here is the review.
Amazon.com Review
This is not a children's book. The work is, in fact, far too tragic for younger children, even if they don't grasp all of the imagery presented in the story. The ending is simply too difficult to try to explain to small children.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry first published The Little Prince in 1943, only a year before his Lockheed P-38 vanished over the Mediterranean during a reconnaissance mission. More than a half century later, this fable of love and loneliness has lost none of its power. The narrator is a downed pilot in the Sahara Desert, frantically trying to repair his wrecked plane. His efforts are interrupted one day by the apparition of a little, well, prince, who asks him to draw a sheep. "In the face of an overpowering mystery, you don't dare disobey," the narrator recalls. "Absurd as it seemed, a thousand miles from all inhabited regions and in danger of death, I took a scrap of paper and a pen out of my pocket." And so begins their dialogue, which stretches the narrator's imagination in all sorts of surprising, childlike directions.

The Little Prince describes his journey from planet to planet, each tiny world populated by a single adult. It's a wonderfully inventive sequence, which evokes not only the great fairy tales but also such monuments of postmodern whimsy as Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities. And despite his tone of gentle bemusement, Saint-Exupéry pulls off some fine satiric touches, too. There's the king, for example, who commands the Little Prince to function as a one-man (or one-boy) judiciary:
reviewed The Little Prince on + 77 more book reviews
This is a paperback edition.
reviewed The Little Prince on
This is one of the most charming and heartfelt books I've ever read. I hope that someday it is a story that my future children will know and love.
harmony85 avatar reviewed The Little Prince on + 982 more book reviews
A classic!
reviewed The Little Prince on + 5 more book reviews
I heard that this was one of James Dean's favorite books, that's why I read and enjoyed it.
ophelia99 avatar reviewed The Little Prince on + 2527 more book reviews
Ive had this book around for ages and never read it. I finally sat down with my 5 yr old son and started reading this. I thought it was an interesting read, but my son thought it was incredibly boring...so I ended up finishing it on my own.

The story is about a Little Prince who ends up stranded in the desert with a man whose plane has crashed there. The Little Prince tells the man about the little planet he calls home. Then he talks about the journey he took to get to Earth through a variety of different planets, each one inhabited by someone more silly than the last planet.

The book basically is using all these different planets as a way to look at the strange things adults do. For example one planet is inhabited by a drunkard (which wasnt all that easy to explain to a 5 yr old), one is inhabited by a businessman, and one is inhabited by a vain man. The whole book basically looks at the things we do as adults (business, vanity, amassing power) and at how silly that looks to a child and at how small these goals are in relation to the whole world and life.

Its a decent story but one of those that is so very obviously packed with additional messages that you can tell its more of a social commentary than a fantasy story. Which is fine. As a childrens book though it left a bit to be desired. The pacing is very slow and many of the things discussed were things my son didnt understand. For example drunkards and vanity. It did give us a chance to discuss these things.

Initially my son was intrigued by the idea of the Little Prince traveling to so many planets, but as time went on even he realized this was more of a social commentary than a story. It got to the point where even he was all like, Oh so now this planet is about someone who is selfish. He got what the book was doing, but after he learned that each planet wasnt a cool new place but instead another example of adult foolishness his attention started to wander and I ended up reading the last twenty pages or so on my own.

The illustrations are well done and match the tone of the story well. The story is decent but obviously meant more as a social commentary than as a fantasy story.

Overall this is a decent read, but not something I would read again. Its more of a social commentary than a fantasy story, even my 5 year old recognized this. The pacing is fairly slow as well. The book has aged okay over the years but some of the terminology was out of date and I had to explain it to my 5 year old. This is one of those classics that is interesting to read, but I didnt necessarily find it all that enjoyable of a read.
reviewed The Little Prince on + 223 more book reviews
A wonderful classic
reviewed The Little Prince on + 8 more book reviews
Just wonderful.
reviewed The Little Prince on + 3 more book reviews
Every body should read this book. it is one of the most imaginative and emotional children's books I've ever read. The imagery is beautiful, the message is simple, but the means are fantastic! Every time I read it, I feel like my eyes are opened a little bit more. This book goes to show that there are some things that are best told from a child's point of view.
reviewed The Little Prince on
Excellent book with great lessons. Perhaps a bit dated, but makes it all the more fun to explore.
eleven avatar reviewed The Little Prince on + 11 more book reviews
This is a book that I think everyone should read. It's a short but wonderful story, full of humor and wisdom. The Little Prince will change the way you see the stars...


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