I have always known that I'm an easy crier when it comes to books. Probably about half, if not more, of all the books I read this year made me cry at some point. That's just how it goes. A book isn't good if it doesn't make me cry. Just kidding. But it is something I expect from most good books. However, i can't say I expected to have that reaction to The Little Prince, of all things.
Perhaps it was because I already knew the story well enough, or because I had read it once before (sort of, in pieces, and in French class), or because, I mean, it really is a children's book (though children's movies can get me to cry just as well, so I should have seen it coming) but I really did not expect to find anything in this book besides a sweet, short read, and an excuse to practice my French.
Of course I ended up finding a lot more.
It was really the story of the prince and his rose that got me. It's a sweet and simple metaphor, but a pretty powerful one. Above all, the prince loved his rose, and he loved it simply because he did.
Of course, there are other themes present in the book, and I found the prince's travels through different planets fascinating. It went to show how each person makes their own life their own, but many choose to focus on the silliest things - pride, greed, vanity - without even realizing how silly they look doing it.
The little prince stood as a contrast to them all, because his story was one centered on love for another being. Then there was his encounter with the fox, of course, and the narrator of the book, which I did not remember being so sweet also. Here's one of my favorite quotes of the book, which comes from when the two of them parted:
"All men have stars, but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems... But all these stars are silent. You-You alone will have stars as no one else has them.”
I will say, I enjoyed reading Le Petit Prince in French so much (shoutout to Google for helping me with the occasional word translations). It sounds lovelier in its original language. But even in English the message is beautiful, simple yet profound. Definitely a book that everyone should read at least once.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Comments