Oct 19

Oct 19 The Lemon Book Club - The Little Prince

Growing up, I always had a copy of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince at my house. What may, at first sight, appear to be a children’s book, is actually a deeply meaningful book, one that people of all ages can appreciate, and in my experience, one that will be appreciated in different ways as one goes through life.

I was very lucky to find myself in a high school French class that had a teacher who was very focused on educating us about life, and not only grammar. In this context I was able to read Le Petit Prince in its original language, and gain a deeper understanding of its wisdom. The essence of the book can be described in one of its most famous quotes: « On ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. » In English: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

The Little Prince is full of wisdom such as this, and there are innumerable lessons contained within its pages. At the surface, the story tells of a lost pilot, a page from the life of the author himself, who encounters a strange little prince who is also lost in the desert. As they talk together, the pilot learns of the Little Prince’s adventures and the characters he has encountered on his journey. With each story there is a lesson, a wisdom that we can take from it, as long as our heart is open to see what wisdom is waiting there.

The Little Prince is a book that can, and should, be read straight through. But after that initial reading, one is also able to return to the book, especially when there is a specific lesson one needs to remember. Not infrequently do I find myself revisiting some of these lessons that were instilled in my heart during my formative teenage years. The lessons of the lamplighter, the warning of the baobobs, the taming of the fox. These lessons have stayed with me through the years, through travels and meeting all sorts of characters in my own journey.

I have read The Little Prince countless times, and in three languages. I also began collecting translations of the book from places that are important to me. Every time I open the book, there is something new that I receive, and I feel a twinge at my heart just thinking about it. If you have not yet read The Little Prince I highly suggest you do, and I hope that you will do so with an open heart, ready to read beyond the lines and deeply into the essential wisdom that this story has to offer.