Having not known anything about this gem of a book up until two months ago or so, I’m so happy that I was steered to it by one of my nearest and dearest.
When my friend Will came to visit me before I left for China, he told me about this book and how it was one of his all-time favourites. We were contemplating what to watch on Netflix one night and he found an animated version of The Little Prince on there. So, I happily obliged. It is a great tale. However, the book is definitely worth a read. The Netflix adaptation is great and conveys the message well, but the book is an eloquent and easily digestible read in around thirty minutes or so.
To put it plainly; the story is about a pilot who crash lands in the desert. By complete coincidence the pilot meets a small boy from a distant planet and from then on, their curious relationship unfolds. This is the basic premise of the book; but it offers so much more than just a story of friendship. It is thought provoking and makes you question the ideals and societal pressures that are put on us as we mature and navigate through life. The ‘Little Prince’ is unashamedly persistent with his questions, not stopping till he finds the answers he seeks, the curiousness and innocence he provides is refreshing. It makes you question what you personally value, what matters to you. It comes back to perception, the age-old thought that ultimately everyone will view each other differently and how other people see you will not be how you see yourself. Societal and environmental pressures impact us and mould us into the individuals we are today; whether that be subtly or not so subtly.
If you think about it too much, how insignificant you can feel in this big ol’ world it can completely swallow you up, (I try to avoid it, but sometimes it can creep up on you) but we’re here! You must make the most of it and make the most of it however you feel and however you want! There is far too much emphasis placed on ‘how to’ and guilt if you’re not doing what everyone else is doing, or also if you are doing whatever everyone else is doing. I’m going off on a tangent; but my main point and I think from the book (take from it what you want, of course) is that, no matter what it is that you love and cherish if it’s important to you; then… it matters.
My favourite quote from the book is that from the fox who the Little Prince encounters on his travels;
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
(21.34-36)
Take from that what you will, but ultimately the things of highest value to me and what matters the most isn’t if I have or own something that I can physically see or have, it’s the interactions and relationships you have with people and the moments that you spend with them. Not to take away anything from anyone who finds happiness in material things, because that is okay too!
If you’ve ever watched ‘The Secret Life of Four-Year Olds’ you’ll one hundred and ten percent appreciate how honest children can be, and at times how wonderfully pleasant and enlightening they can be. As adults I think we can sometimes forget and lose the magic of what being a child means, taking people for what they are, at face value, rather than making preconceptions about individuals. Throughout the book, the Little Prince describes how adults can be strange and we really can be at times!
With this review, I didn’t want to give too much away but, I highly recommend giving this story a crack, it is a wonderful observation on the human condition.
Every now and again in certain situations; I do wonder… what would the Little Prince think?
Beans on toast blog 