What is essential is invisible to the eye....
When you allow yourself to be tamed, you run the risk of weeping a little.....
The whole idea for this write-off is to choose a single phrase that impacted you and write a review of the movie, book, etc. from which it came. Unfortunately, I could not seem to choose between the two lines above. Fortunately, they both come from the same book - The Little Prince.
The Little Prince is a fable about love and innocence. The author examines the difference between what we, as adults, view as important, and what is truly important. It is full of little bits of wisdom that everybody has heard before, but to which very few actually pay any attention. It is an eye-opener and spirit refresher.
The basic plot is simple: Pilot is lost in desert, pilot meets little boy, boy tells pilot of his adventures. It is a slim volume, and there are many pages that are occupied mostly by the author’s own charmingly simple illustrations. This may deceive you into thinking this is a
simple book intended to delight a child for a few minutes and no more. This is far from true - yes, it will delight a child, and is categorised as a child's book, but it certainly goes well beyond that.
The author pokes gentle fun at many of our foibles throughout, introducing us to such single-minded types as the businessman who thinks he owns the stars and the tippler who drinks because he is depressed because he drinks. He is at his best, however, when discussing the boy’s love for his single rose and when he tells of how the boy learns about the true meaning of love from a fox.
This is where the impact of the two lines with which I began this review comes in. What or who you love may appear to others to be one among many, but it is your own
experience of them as an individual that makes them special. When you love, you risk pain, but it is a worthy thing to do all the same. These two themes are what make the book sing, and that give it a depth that is unexpected from such a charmingly simple little tale.
I first read this book when I was a teenager, and I have read it again every couple of years since then. Each time I come away with something new, and each time m spirit is
refreshed. I would suggest that you read this for yourself, whether you have children or not. If you have children, share this with them so that you can get the full impact of the importance of a sense of wonder. Either way, you will be charmed and delighted - I promise.
This review is part of the great on-liner write-off hosted by caleo and Elvisdo. Please be sure to check out the other contributions by:
Akamum, Bijou, Bluehawq, Caleo, dandj, Dannyzmom, Debbie26, Dlamarrx, Elvisdo, Eplovejoy, itztru, Jkkelley, KateTPZ, KingJFS, Kristinafh, kurt_messick, ladydagney1, Lagavulin, Lessaleigh, Levda, Lkvanvoorhis, machkick, mellkinwa, Nicholmere, NFP, nobody_knows, porcelina22, Prfstars, Repulsemonkey, Sloucho, smithswoodside, Solid_Snake,
Vemartin, Zeira
Recommended:
