"The Little Prince", a reading for all children, from 1
to 100 years
The Little Prince is a short novel by the French
writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944). The work was published
in April 1943, in English and French, by the American publisher Reynal &
Hitchcock; the French publisher Éditions Gallimard did it in 1946, after the
liberation of France. Saint-Exupéry, winner of literary prizes of France and
military pilot in the Second World War, wrote and illustrated the manuscript
while he was exiled in the United States after the Battle of France.
The Little Prince is considered as a children's
book because of the way in which it is written, but in fact it deals with deep
issues such as the meaning of life, loneliness, friendship, love and loss.
The Little Prince is among the best books of the
twentieth century in France, and in the world it is known so much that it has
been translated into more than two hundred and fifty languages and
dialects, including the Braille reading system. It is also one of the
best-selling books of all time, with more than 140 million copies worldwide.
The universal acceptance of The Little Prince is
not left alone in the work itself. The numerous adaptations and derivative
works extend the good influence over time in the continuous generations. There
are films, musicals, animated series, plays, audio versions transmitted by
radio, operas and songs with allusions to the plot of the novel. The work is
also "updated" to be more in tune with the children of the 21st
century.
In addition to the adaptations, The Little Prince
has inspired for the creation of works like video games of the series of Super
Mario; an episode of the Lost series, or as iconic figures that promote actions
for the protection of the environment (Toshiba) or against smoking (Veolia
Environnement)
Since its publication in 1943, The Little Prince
has captivated millions of readers around the world; and it is one of the most
beloved books on the planet; It is one of those rare jewels that contain a
piece of wisdom without limits of time, space or age in the case of readers.
What he says reaches everyone, children and those who were children and have
not forgotten.
The original drawings
Shortly after publishing The Little Prince, Saint
Exupery put the drawings in a bread bag and handed it to his friend Silvia
Hamilton. He then left for Algeria as a military pilot of the French Air Force.
On July 31, 1944 he went on a reconnaissance mission and never returned. He was
44 years old when he died.
In 1968, the Morgan Library in New York purchased
the original manuscripts and watercolors. The drawings are full of crossed out
words, cigarette burns and coffee stains, which only the most real, most human.
References
