"Come back after you read this book," my Professor in Advanced Philo told me. "You will take an exam after." he added.
I was very skeptical of what this book has to do with me. Except for being the major requirement in one of my minor subjects in the graduate school, I really couldn't understand why I have to read this 27-chaptered novellete. With all the rush tasks, work overload and time constraints, this is really not a perfect time to savor a good literature. Yet, there is another problem, there's just one copy in the library and it's not allowed to be taken home.One more thing-- the book looks very OLD and I'm sure there'll be a scarcity of copy on the nearest bookstores... what shall I do then?
I have no choice but to find ways to unlock this difficulty. I ended up searching this book on the net. The first encounter began with the book's author- Antoine de Saint-Exupery... who is he?
A pilot, a journalist, a writer. Not to mention, a military man. The author's profile is quite interesting! That made me go on browsing for additional information. The novel was created sometime in 1943 one year before his death. The Little Prince is the most well-known of his novels. It appears to be a simple children's tale, with simple illustrations, but you'll see more than that when you read it. According to one interpretation, it is a deeply moving book written in riddles laced with philosophy and poetic metaphors.
"So, what could I get from this book except for a possible A grade for my subject requirement?," I asked myself. There's no other way but to find out.
At first I thought I would take the sacrifice reading it through the net. Thanks God, I got an old book from a generous student Thus, I read it... chapter by chapter, page by page, word for word. Until I found myself reading the literature over and over again...
I couldn't stop! It's irrisistible. It's amazing!
No wonder why it became the famous novel at that time.
It's keeping your soul connected with what you read... with what you've realized!
It's no child's story. It's a children's book intended for thinking adults!
It's keeping your soul connected with what you read... with what you've realized!
It's no child's story. It's a children's book intended for thinking adults!
You would appreciate the philosophy behind each line.
The logic behind each metaphor.
The reality behind each magic.
And that truly is- the MAGIC of THE LITTLE PRINCE!
Here are some famous lines taken from the book.
"What makes the desert beautiful," says the little prince, "is that somewhere it hides a well."
-Chapter XXIV
-Chapter XXIV
"You're beautiful, but you're empty.... No one could die for you".
-Chapter XXI
"One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."
-Chapter XXI
“Why are you drinking?” demanded the little prince.
“So that I may forget,” replied the tippler.
“Forget what?” inquired the little prince, who already felt sorry for him.
“Forget that I am ashamed,” the tippler confessed, hanging his head.
“Ashamed of what?” insisted the little prince, who wanted to help him.
“Ashamed of drinking!”
"That is the hardest thing of all. It is much harder to judge yourself than to judge others.
If you succeed in judging yourself, it's because you're truly a wise man."
"If I were to command a general to turn into a seagull, and if the general did not obey, that would not be the general's fault. It would be mine."
"Language is the source of misunderstandings."
--At the end of this reading task I said to myself, "I'm so glad to have it." My Professor just knows how to teach me what real philosophy is. Thanks to him, I met the LITTLE PRINCE! This is more than the A mark that I am expecting to get. Learning the essence of life is a great achievement. Isn't it?
By the way, I got a real A from my Prof. He gave me 1.1 which means 99% average grade for this subject!Thanks, Little Prince! Thanks, Sir Egay!
