antoine de saint-exupery: the little prince

i’ve been incredibly fortunate through my life to have had both the ability to read, and the wherewithall to be able to buy a wide range of books based on my interest. i read a lot some times and not so much at other times but the underlying habit of reading to find out about things, to experience experiences, to know knowings and especially to dream has always been with me.

the little prince is one of the more exquisite and special books i have experienced. written by antoine de saint - exupery, himself an incredible man, the little prince was actually written in a little village in new york state named asharoken which sits on long island’s north shore. published in 1943, it remains immensely popular among young and old alike with its whimsical drawings and other-worldly qualities.
taking some of the experiences which he presented in two of his other books night flight, and wind, sand and stars, both exquisite, beautifully written stories detailing his years as a mail pilot flying incredibly treacherous and lonely journeys across north africa and south america.

the little prince tells the story of the author being stranded in the sahara desert, thousands of kilometers away from the nearest inhabited place.
here he meets a young, extraterrestrial (though human-appearing) prince. it is through their conversations that saint-exupery expresses his own views about the follies of mankind and the simple truths that people seem to forget as they grow older. the essence of the book is contained in the famous line spoken by a fox to the little prince: "it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye". other memorable and lovely quotes from the book include: "you become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed" and "it is the time you have spent with your rose that makes your rose so important."

the entire text of the little prince along with the accompanying illustrations has been very generously uploaded here!

saint-exupery is also credited with the following thoughts: “a civilization is a heritage of beliefs, customs, and knowledge slowly accumulated in the course of centuries, elements difficult at times to justify by logic, but justifying themselves as paths when they lead somewhere, since they open up for man his inner distance.”
“a single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. to live is to be slowly born.”

many, many more quotes from the genius of saint-exupery can be found here.