The Little Prince
“What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Summary
A pilot crashes in the Sahara Desert, a thousand miles from any human habitation, and meets a small, golden-haired boy who claims to have fallen from a tiny asteroid called B-612. The Little Prince tells of his journey through the cosmos, visiting a series of bizarre asteroids inhabited by a king with no subjects, a vain man, a drunkard, a businessman counting stars, and a lamplighter—each one a parable about the absurdity of adult life. But at the heart of the story is a rose—the Little Prince's beloved, temperamental flower, the one he left behind. Through his encounters with a fox who teaches him the secret of taming, the Prince learns the truth that the story offers to every reader: what matters cannot be seen with the eyes. This deceptively simple fable, illustrated with the author's own watercolors, is one of the most translated and beloved books in human history.
Why Read This?
It is the rare book that can be read at age six and age sixty with equal reward. On the surface, The Little Prince is a children's story about a boy, a rose, and a fox. Underneath, it is one of the most piercing meditations on love, loss, and the blindness of adulthood ever written. Saint-Exupéry, a pilot who knew he was likely flying toward his own death, poured everything he understood about life into ninety-six pages. The genius of The Little Prince is its simplicity. Its wisdom does not require footnotes or interpretation—it arrives as directly as a child's question. If you have ever loved someone and lost them, if you have ever felt that grown-ups have forgotten something essential, this book will find you wherever you are.
About the Author
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944) was a French aristocrat, pioneering aviator, and writer who lived one of the most remarkable lives in literary history. He flew mail routes over the Sahara, survived crashes in the Libyan desert and the Guatemalan jungle, and wrote lyrical accounts of flight that made him famous across Europe. He wrote The Little Prince in New York during his wartime exile, illustrating it with his own delicate watercolors. In 1944, he disappeared over the Mediterranean on a reconnaissance mission for the Free French Air Force. His body was never found. The Little Prince, published the year before, became his epitaph—and one of the best-selling books of all time.
Reading Guide
Ranked #43 among the greatest books of all time, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry has earned its place in the literary canon. Originally written in French and published in 1943, this accessible read from France continues to resonate with readers today.
This book belongs to our Philosophy & Faith and Magical Realism collections, where you can discover more books that share its spirit and themes.
If you enjoy accessible reads like this one, you might also like The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, or Pride and Prejudice.
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