Book Club: The Little Prince (+ September Book Pick)
I'm awful.
So much for a chill reading month, I guess that was the first sign of my rapid descent into the hell of unproductivity. It's a shame. SHAME. I was doing so well, and now it doesn't even matter anymore.
Our Review
No Spoilers:
This was a magical step in our journey of book reading, especially after the state-of-the-fact research-based As Nature Made Him. The Little Prince is considered a classic children's book, and I've noticed that many of you guys had already read it in school as kids. Personally, I'd never heard of it until it showed up on our reading list, and I think I appreciate reading it as an adult to fully delve into the layers and analysis of the book. That being said, I think it's unfair to classify the book as a children's book, because it stops adults like me who had never been exposed to this book from reading it. It's a mature and deep piece of writing, and if you haven't read it, you should. Is it a fantastical experience for the children who read it? Of course! Having read the book, though, we wonder what the general age group is of children who read this book, just out of curiosity, because the story addresses a lot of serious issues through subtle satirical humor. It would be really cool to ask kids who read it what they understood or learned from the book. Possibly psychology research paper? Maybe. "The Effects of The Little Prince on Children's Cognitive Behavior"
The fantastical elements of the book are so imaginative, and beyond what most of us would have expected, so the author is definitely the king of creativity points here. The writing style is a fun and creative satire of human nature hiding behind a wild and quirky children's story. All in all, reading the book is like a cozy tuck in the bed of childhood wonder, while at the same time having your emotional strings pulled in every direction, causing you to laugh at times and honestly cry at times. It's even more impressive that the book was originally written in French, and translations are often considered to be diluted experiences. That Katherine Woods is an absolutely wonderful translator, and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is obviously a fantastic writer, to have written something that could be seamlessly translated into different languages.
Plot-wise, the story leaves a lot of questions unanswered, which I guess adds to the mystery and fantasy of it all. The Little Prince also has a lot of dark moments, partially resulting in our wondering what age groups often read this book. You definitely leave the book a little sadder than when you started, and that's a good thing.
We can all see why The Little Prince is a classic. It's a short read that you can finish in one to two sittings, so NO EXCUSES.
TL;DR Our Review
Bader: 3.5 Stars
Noor: 3.5 Stars
Reem: 3.5 Stars
Ali: 5 Stars
3.9/5 Stars
SEPTEMBER + HALF OF OCTOBER BOOK CLUB PICK (Yes, I'm still pretending there's time for you to read along):
Alex + Ada (Vol. 1 - Vol. 3) by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn (2013-2015)
- Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Romance
THANKS FOR READING IF YOU ACTUALLY READ EVERYTHING!
Let us know what you think. Do you hate us? Do you disagree with every single thing I said? TELL ME.
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