The Little Prince

It is a philosophical tale; It is the most famous work of the French aristocrat, writer, poet and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; It is both the most-read and most-translated book in the French language; It was voted the best book of the 20th century in France; It was translated into more than 250 languages and dialects; It has become one of the top best-selling books ever published; It has been adapted to numerous art forms and media.

The Little Prince is a poetic tale, with watercolour illustrations by the author, in which a pilot stranded in the desert meets a young prince fallen to Earth from a tiny asteroid. The story is philosophical and includes social criticism, remarking on the strangeness of the adult world.

Tone and Writing Style The story of the Little Prince features a lot of fantastical, unrealistic elements. It was written during his 27 month being in North America. The logic of the story is based on the imagination of children, rather than the strict realism of adults. The French author frequently wrote at night, usually starting about 11 p.m. accompanied by a tray of strong black coffee. At such a time of night he felt "free" and able to concentrate, "writing for hours without feeling tired or sleepy" until he dozed off in a flash.

Inspirations

Events and characters The narrator, the pilot, tells the story of his being stranded in the desert beside his crashed aircraft. This account clearly drew on Antoine de Saint- Exupéry's own experience in the Sahara.

The Rose The prince's petulant, vain rose was inspired by Saint- Exupéry's wife Consuelo. The small home planet was inspired by her small home country El Salvador, also known as "The Land of Volcanoes”. According to the biographer Paul Webster, she was "the muse to whom Saint-Exupéry poured out his soul in copious letters…”

The Prince Saint-Exupéry may have drawn inspiration for the prince's character and appearance from his own self as a youth. During his early years friends and family called him le Roi-Soleil (the Sun King) due to his golden curly hair. Another possible inspiration has been suggested as Land Morrow Lindbergh, the young, golden-haired son of the pioneering American aviator Charles Lindbergh. Some have seen the prince as a Christ figure.

Dedication Saint-Exupéry met Léon Werth (1878–1955), a writer and art critic, in 1931. Werth soon became Saint-Exupery's closest friend. Werth was Saint-Exupéry's very opposite. Saint-Exupéry dedicated two books to him, Lettre à un otage (Letter to a Hostage) and Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince), and referred to Werth in three more of his works. 

Illustrations All the illustrations in the book were painted by Saint- Exupéry. Two or three of them were reported in the collections of New York artist, sculptor and experimental filmmaker Joseph Cornell. Seven unpublished drawings for the book were also displayed at the museum's exhibit, including fearsome looking baobab trees ready to destroy the prince's home asteroid, as well as a picture of the story's narrator, the pilot, sleeping next to his aircraft.

The Little Prince has been translated into more than 250 languages and dialects, including Sardinian, the constructed international language of Esperanto, and the Congolese language Alur, as well as being printed in braille for visually impaired readers. Some of the more than 250 translations of The Little Prince is displayed at the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan (2013).

The Little Prince was transferred into various art forms and media, including: Vinyl record, cassette and CD Radio broadcasts Film and TV Stage Graphic novel Opera and ballet Other: a number of musical references, game boards and a video game version of the novella have been released

Museums and Exhibits New York City's Morgan Library&Museum mounted three showings of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's original manuscript. Now, in 2014, the museum includes 35 watercolor paintings, 25 of the work's original 140 handwritten manuscript pages, a series of lectures, concerts and film showings, photos of Saint-Exupéry etc.

In Hakone, Japan there is the Museum of The Little Prince featuring outdoor squares and sculptures such as the B-612 Asteroid, the Lamplighter Square, and a sculpture of the Little Prince. The museum grounds additionally feature a Little Prince Park along with the Consuelo Rose Garden; however the main portion of the museum are its indoor exhibits.

Before France adopted the euro as its currency, Saint-Exupéry and drawings from The Little Prince were on the 50-franc banknote; the artwork was by designer Roger Pfund.

The Little Prince is a classic tale, which is definitely worth reading.