"The Little Prince" by Antoine De Saint-Exupery

This book was just a random pick on one of my many trips to the library. However, I
didnt expect that I would become one of my favorites and alter my perception of
words and writers for the rest of my life.

The Little Prince was originally published in 1943. It is one of the most popular
books in the world having been translated into more than 250 languages and selling
over 140 million copies (at the rate of a million per year) to make it, also, one of the
best-selling novels of all time.

The novel tells the story of the narrator, a pilot who has crashed in the Sahara
Desert and the Little Prince, whom he meets while trying to repair his plane. With
only 8 days of water, the pilot is approached by The Little Prince, a curly-headed,
blond child who claims he comes from another planet and never answers direct
questions.

During the course of the story, we learn that the Little Princes planet is very small,
occupied by the dangerous baobabs which if left unchecked, can over-run the
planet, as well as, a beautiful, singular rose with 4 thorns that the Little Prince
learns to love dearly.

We also learn that the rose is very vain and unappreciative of the Little Princes
constant attention causing him to feel used and unwanted and he eventually leaves
her alone to explore other planets.

On his travels, he comes across a King with no subjects, a business man who only
cares for numbers, a drunkard, a lamp-lighter whose planet is so small he is
constantly turning the singular lamp off and on and a geographer.

Each of these adults add to the Little Princes disillusionment with grown-ups and
his gradual acknowledgement that he has made a mistake by leaving his rose alone
to fend for herself.
This point is brought to the fore-front of the book by the fox that the Little Prince
meets and, eventually, tames. It is the fox that recites the most important themes
of the novel, such as, One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is
invisible to the eyes and You become responsible forever for what youve tamed.

The book ends with the Little Prince deciding to go home , leaving the narrator,
once again, with the wonder of childhood and the ability to hear laughter in the
stars.
Always considered a childrens book, the story of the Little Prince has very serious
themes about the importance of childhood innocence, relationships and
responsibilities.
It is one of those rare books that surpasses any specific readership, transcends the
passage of time and affects all those who get lost within its pages.