The Little Prince (Collectors Library) [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

You could be excused for thinking that this book is one containing a simple story for young children about a Little Prince. How wrong you would be! This is far from the truth: it is much more. It is a complex story containing lots of ambiguities about a child with golden hair. These are all eruditely discussed before the actual story begins, in a section entitled "How It All Began". "Is The Little Prince a story written for children or is it a meditation intended for adults?"

The Art of Living is discussed, along with a system of values, and the train of thought behind them is the unifying element. You are invited to "look at the book, and allow yourself to travel from one image to the next... " It was written and published more than 50 years ago in the USA, and the author was a Frenchman who illustrated the book himself; it was later translated by Kathryn Woods. The Little Prince is still very popular and has now been translated into many languages. Shortly after it was first written, the author died--disappearing together with his plane somewhere over the Mediterranean. This Gift edition contains all the original illustrations, plus some more original drawings that came to light later and have been published here for the first time.--Susan Naylor

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

I would like to recommend [...] the wonderful new translation by Ros and Chloe Schwartz of this modern classic.
--Francofil online forum

'All grown-ups were once children - although few of them remember it.' A pilot forced to crash land in the Sahara Desert encounters a little prince, who is visiting the Earth from his own small planet with its three volcanoes and a beautiful flower. Through this meeting, the aviator comes to discover many of life's universal truths which illuminate the human condition with all its foibles, cunning and eccentricities. This wonderful and remarkable book will enchant both children and adults alike. It is a strange and wonderful parable for all ages, championing the beauty and wisdom of childhood, which fades when one becomes a 'grown up'. Antione De Saint-Exupery's book has been translated into over 180 languages and sold over 80 million copies. Its magic is in its charm, its simplicity and its truths, which speak to people of many nations and generations.

There is a great deal of confusion over the different versions of The Little Prince on the Amazon website. When you click on "see inside" my translation (The Collectors Library edition)the book opens onto the Katherine Woods version. These books are very different and it is misleading for customers. Similarly the reviews are all jumbled. There are 4 different translations: Katherine Woods, Irene Testot-Ferry, Richard Howard's and my own. Please ensure that the reviews relate to the right versions and that 'see inside' also relates to the correct version to avoid misrepresentation under the trades description act, and breach of copyright.

Translated by Roz Schwarz, with an Afterword by David Staurt Davies. The black and white illustrations are by the author.