Le Petit Prince

A month ago I stumble upon a book on the school library called The Little Prince. I have heard of the book, and it was time for me to actually read it instead of just liking the pictures I've seen on the internet. I didn't really understand the book's storyline when I read the first part, but as I go on, I learned so much. 

If you guys have read the book, click the link below. If you haven't, well there will be spoilers so...

Yesterday I reread it (it is only 80 pages so you can read it in an hour), and I felt things during I read it. Both mourn and happy at the same time. I also told my mum about how this book explains a lot about adults (as in grown-ups) and children are very much different, and how children have more vision and goal rather than adults. 

"Are they chasing the first travellers?" asked the little prince.
"They're not chasing anything," the switchman said. "They're sleeping in there, or else they're yawning. Only the children are pressing their noses against the windowpanes."
"Only the children know what they're looking for," said the little prince. "they spend their time on a rag doll and it becomes very important, and if it's taken away from them, they cry..."
"They're lucky," the switchman said.

And how (obviously) children are much, much more imaginative and creative in use of words and questions rather than adults.

Grown-ups like numbers. When you tell them about a new friend, they never ask questions about what really matters. They never ask: "What does his voice sound like?" "What games does he like best?" "Does he collect butterflies" They ask: "How old is he?" "How many brothers does he have?" "How much does he weight" "how much money does his father make?" Only then do they think they know him. if you tell grown-ups, "I saw a beautiful red brick house, with geraniums at the windows and doves on the roof..." they won't be able to imagine such a house. You have to tell them, "I saw a house worth a hundred thousand francs." Then they exclaim, "What a pretty house!"

My mum actually laughed when I told her that part. But then she said "Oh I can imagine that beautiful red brick house with geraniums and doves!" I, myself, am not entirely sure that she is able to imagine such fairytale-y house, but what the heck. 

I also learned that you are responsible for what you have.

"Here is my secret. It's quite simple: one sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."
"Anything essential is invisible to the eyes," the little prince repeated, in order to remember.
"it's the time you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important."
"It's the times I spent on my rose..." the little prince repeated, in order to remember.
"People have forgotten this truth," the fox said. "But you mustn't forget it. You become responsible forever for what you've tamed. You're responsible for your rose..."
"I'm responsible for my rose..." the little prince repeated, in order to remember.

This book makes me happy because I love seeing the little prince discover how strange and complicated adults are. Why do you want to reign over the whole universe? Why are you owning something that you don't need, and that doesn't need you? Why do something that you're ashamed of? Why sit and wait when you can explore? Why are grown-ups so weird? 

I am still and adolescent, but at times I feel like a grown-up. I don't want to, but I can't help it. Sometimes I want to be a grown-up so fast I start thinking like one (numbers, facts, and all those stuff). But as soon as I realise I'm trying too hard being a grown-up, I feel guilty. If there is one thing I would like to be after reading The Little Prince is to be mature, open-minded, and not be a grown-up. But let's get real, adulthood is, inevitable, and I hope I can get through that stage without turning into the businessman, drunkard, geographer or the very vain man.

People might say the little prince died because he was bitten by the snake in the Sahara, but then again, he's not really dead is he? He's in asteroid B-612, taking care of his flower and sheep, and raking his volcanoes, even the extinct one, because you never know.

"You understand. It's too far. I can't take this body with me. It's too heavy,"
I said nothing.
"But it'll be like an old abandoned shell. There's nothing sad about an old shell..."
I said nothing.

You might not get the book based on this review, but I suggest you lovers to read it. I told my mum, dad and brother to read it, but unfortunately, none of them have started to read. 

If The Little Prince was to be made into a movie, I would suggest (but impossible) young Freddie Highmore to play the prince, Billy Connolly as the king who reigns over the universe, Woody Harrelson as the drunkard who is ashamed of drinking, Johnny Depp as the lamplighter who never gets to sleep, Nathan Fillion as the very vain man, Michael Imperioli as the businessman who never looks up at the things he's counting, Stanley Tucci as the geographer who sits and wait for information, Lucy Liu's voice as the flower, Alan Rickman's voice as the fox, Scarlett Johansson's voice as the group of roses, Lenny Kravitz as the railway switchman, Viola Davis as the salesclerk, and Joseph-Gordon Levitt as the pilot.

Therefore, is my review and thoughts on The Little Prince. Since I am reading from a library book, I have no choice but to return in. I am still in search of the book so I could own both the English and French version. Have a great day, my fellow dreamers.