47. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This is a beautiful book. I had NEVER read it before, and I did not know that the quote that inspired the name of this blog comes from THIS book! 

"What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) 

I knew it was by the author, but I assumed it was in his non-fiction.

Another favorite quote is said by the fox to the little prince when he is saying good-bye:

"Here is my secret. It's quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes." 

Here is a review from library thing with several of the quotes that I thought were good:

(By Kirankinny and found here: https://www.librarything.com/work/11883/reviews/170514328)

Wow, a true classic and masterpiece. Small book, easy language and fast read, but the ideas and messages are large, complex and hard to sink. Expected to be small children's book. But turned out to be a non-pretentious, genuine philosophy of life itself. I wanted to read it because of the 2015 movie. I loved the movie. The book is about the titular character whom the author meets in the desert. The author learns that he is from another planet. Then the story becomes the tale of journey of the little prince. 

The conversation he has with the various characters make up the story. My favourite conversation is with the businessman, where the little prince questions the boundary between need & greed. There is also a rose, the fox, snake, the king, baobab trees, sheep, hundreds of sunsets in a day, a lamplighter etc. Every character has something to tell, something to show. 

I love the book. It is about virtually everything. About growing up and forgetting, giving up, letting go, innocence, need/greed, adults, kids, friendship, love, life, death and eventually the cosmos itself.

Following are the some quotes. (Every sentence in the book is quotable.)

1) "One must command from each what each can perform," the king went on. "Authority is based first of all upon reason. If you command your subjects to jump into the ocean, there will be a revolution. I am entitled to command obedience because my orders are reasonable." -The King

2) "Where are the people?" resumed the little prince at last. "It's a little lonely in the desert..."

"It is lonely when you're among people, too," said the snake. 

3) “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - The Fox

4) "What makes the desert beautiful," said the little prince, "is that somewhere it hides a well." 

5) “All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it.”

6) “You're beautiful, but you're empty...One couldn't die for you. Of course, an ordinary passerby would think my rose looked just like you. But my rose, all on her own, is more important than all of you together, since she's the one I've watered. Since she's the one I put under glass, since she's the one I sheltered behind the screen. Since she's the one for whom I killed the caterpillars (except the two or three butterflies). Since she's the one I listened to when she complained, or when she boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing at all. Since she's my rose.” - Prince.

7) “Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies? " Instead they demand "How old is he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make? " Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.”

8) “A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.” 

9) “When you find a diamond that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you discover an island that belongs to nobody, it is yours. When you get an idea before any one else, you take out a patent on it: it is yours. So with me: I own the stars, because nobody else before me ever thought of owning them.” - The Businessman

10) “Why are you drinking? demanded the little prince.
"So that I may forget," replied the tippler.
"Forget what?" inquired the little prince, who was already 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!” - The Tippler.