Book Review

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince is a deceptively simple tale that goes far beyond a children’s story, emerging as a profound fable about love, innocence, and the true meaning of life. Narrated by a pilot stranded in the Sahara Desert, the story unfolds as he meets the little prince, a curious, gentle boy from a tiny asteroid B612, who has traveled the galaxy visiting various planets inhabited by absurd adult characters—a self-important king, a conceited man, a greedy businessman, a lazy lamplighter, and a narrow-minded geographer. These characters are sharp satires of adult society, where people are consumed by trivial, material pursuits and lose touch with the simple, genuine joys of life. The little prince’s journey is a quest for understanding, and his relationships—especially with a fragile, stubborn rose on his asteroid and a wise fox on Earth—reveal the book’s core truths. The fox’s line “What is essential is invisible to the eye” and the lesson of “taming” (forming deep, meaningful bonds) touch the heart of every reader. With delicate language and warm, whimsical imagery, Saint-Exupéry reminds us to hold onto the childlike innocence and sincerity that adults so often abandon. It is a book that can be read at every age, each time uncovering new layers of meaning about love, responsibility, and what it means to be truly human.