Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s most beloved tale, Le Petit Prince, was first published in 1943 and to this day remains one of the best-selling books of all time. This deceptively simple book is filled with charming drawings, but the story’s keen insight into the human condition resonates with readers young and old.

Daring, brave, philosophical, and a pioneer of flight, Saint Exupéry wrote Le Petit Prince while living in exile in America after France fell to Germany in 1940. The Lost Generation’s quest for meaning echoes through this tale that wears the guise of a children’s book, and the tumultuous, deadly shadow of WWII can be seen in the pondering of human existence.

On the surface, Le Petit Prince is a delightfully imaginative tale about a pilot stranded in the Sahara who meets an extraterrestrial traveller, the titular Little Prince, and hears of what he has learned in venturing from his home asteroid. The theme of the Little Prince’s adventures is simple yet powerful: Do not lose sight of beauty, of small everyday pleasures, of the necessity of connection. Losing sight of these essentials allows life to chip away at our capacity for love, imagination, and friendship.

Beautifully poetic yet bittersweet, allegorical without ever being heavy-handed, Le Petit Prince has the gentle, symbolic tone of a classic fable. This is essentially a tale about innocence laced with the poignant knowledge that understanding brings us closer to loss. Saint Exupéry’s story has ensured its long-standing as a classic with its resonating attempts to tackle age-old questions, its heartfelt and lyrical tone, and its universal and whimsical appeal.

Highly recommended. Il est très simple: on ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.