Title The Little Prince

Author Antoine De Saint-Exupery

Year Published

Kind of Book Children's novel

How strongly I recommend it 4/10 

My Impressions This book focuses on the idea that children are wiser than adults in many ways. I like the idea, but didn't love the execution. Some of the morals it communicated felt forced and over-simplified.

Date Read December 2021

Big Ideas

• Children are wiser than adults in many ways

• Grownups love figures ie. rationality

• Grownups think they know about a person by collecting a bunch of figures about them, but The things that define a person's character are not figures like their age, weight, etc. but things like their likes and dislikes and hobbies

• People Drink because they are ashamed and they are ashamed because they drink

Notable Quotes

"grownups love figures. When you talk to them about a new friend they never ask questions about essential matters. They never say to you, 'what does his voice sound like? What games does her prefer? Does he collect butterflies?' They ask you, 'how old is he? How many brothers does he have? How much does he weigh? How much money does his Father earn?' It is only then they feel they know him."

"Why are you drinking?" the little prince asked. 'In order to forget' replied the drunkard. 'To forget what?' inquired the little prince….'To forget that I'm ashamed' the drunkard confessed hanging his head. 'Ashamed of what?' asked the little prince who wanted to help him. 'Ashamed of drinking' concluded the drunkard withdrawing into total silence."