13.40 - How much do you know about 'Le Petit Prince' - 'The Little Prince'?
Le Petit Prince returns to Manhattan, 80 years on. Meet the Author & Sculptor & his personal sculpture garden - listed as a "Remarkable Garden" + Discover a small wine village in the Côte de Beaune
Recently published articles: MyFrenchLife™ Magazine
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a) Le Petit Prince - The Little Prince - 1943
Have you read ‘The Little Prince’?
‘The Little Prince’ by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is a classic piece of literature that has been passed down from generation to generation since it was published in 1943. This children’s tale is more than a book for kids; ‘The Little Prince’ is a lesson for life.
It is a novella written and illustrated by French aristocrat, writer, and military pilot, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
I read this book for the first time perhaps in my thirties, but I think everyone should read Saint-Exupéry’s unforgettable story, at any age.
It’s a book for children,
it’s a book for adults,
it’s a book for dreaming, and above all,
it’s a book to feed your imagination.
The Little Prince was written as a children’s book, as you know. It’s an honest and beautiful story about loneliness, friendship, sadness, and love. The prince is a small boy from a tiny planet (actually an asteroid), who travels the universe, planet to planet, seeking wisdom. On his journey, he discovers the unpredictable nature of adults.
All grown-ups were once children… but only a few of them remember it.”
The Little Prince is one of the most translated works of literature of all time, published in more than 550 languages and dialects to date.
The Little Prince is a thin book with only ninety-eight pages, but don’t be fooled; it’s a brilliant book meant to be deeply thought about and to encourage you to build castles in the air.
But few people know that ‘The Little Prince’ was conjured into existence in New York City and in Northport, Long Island, where the author Antoine de Saint Exupéry lived from 1940 to 1943.
b) Le Petit Prince - The Little Prince - 2023
Why am I talking about this book again now in 2023?
In 2023, 80 years after its publication during World War II, The Little Prince returned to New York!
On September 20, Catherine Colonna, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Olivier d'Agay, great-nephew of the author, Antoine de Saint Exupéry, inaugurated the bronze sculpture representing the Little Prince. Situated perfectly at the entrance to the garden of the Villa Albertine, the French bookstore and headquarters of the cultural services of the French Embassy in the United States, located at 972 Fifth Avenue, right across from The Met.
The inauguration was in the presence of members of the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation‘s American sponsorship committee, Vice President Lionel de Saint-Exupéry, author Stacy Schiff and filmmaker Mark Osborne, as well as members of the board of directors of the Souvenir Français and staff of the French Embassy in the USA.
c) The Cultural Icon
‘The Little Prince’ – a beloved cultural icon across the world and the perfect embodiment of France’s shared history with the U.S. – will be right at home on Manhattan’s famous Fifth Avenue.
80 years after the publication of this timeless classic, we are delighted to welcome the Little Prince to Villa Albertine, where thousands of visitors come every month to attend literary events and browse the shelves of Albertine Books. Now when they arrive, they will be greeted by this monument to cultural exchanges, creativity, and exploration – values that underpin everything that we do.
The French Embassy constantly strives to highlight remarkable stories like this one that celebrate the close societal and cultural ties between France and the U.S.” – Laurent Bili, Ambassador of France to the USA.
Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, a laureate of several of France's highest literary awards and a successful pioneering aviator prior to the war, Saint-Exupéry initially flew with a reconnaissance squadron as a reserve military pilot in the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force). After France's defeat in 1940 and its armistice with Germany, he and Consuelo fled Occupied France and sojourned in North America, with Saint-Exupéry first arriving by himself at the very end of December 1940.
His intention for the visit was to convince the United States to quickly enter the war against Nazi Germany and the Axis forces, and he soon became one of the expatriate voices of the French Resistance.
In the midst of personal upheavals and failing health, he produced almost half of the writings for which he would be remembered, including a tender tale of loneliness, friendship, love, and loss, in the form of a young prince visiting Earth.
The story of the Little Prince features a lot of fantastical, unrealistic elements.... You can't ride a flock of birds to another planet... The fantasy of the Little Prince works because the logic of the story is based on the imagination of children, rather than the strict realism of adults."
covered with fine lines of handwriting, much of it painstakingly crossed out, with one word left standing where there were a hundred words, one sentence substitut[ing] for a page..."
While the author's personal life was frequently chaotic, his creative process while writing was disciplined.
Jean-Marc de Pas isa landscape artist first of all. He has created a vast poetic setting, a 17-acre sculpture garden dotted with 70 of his famous works that celebrate nature, surrounding a family Château de Boisguilbert, listed as a “Remarkable Garden" by the French Ministry of Culture.
The artist and sculptor also creates works of art for public places, companies, and private individuals and holds contemporary art exhibitions on the ground floor of the chateau where he lives. His studio in Bois-Guilbert Normandy can be visited by appointment.
Come with Craig Healey to Sampigny-lès-Maranges, a small wine village nestled in the hills (Les Maranges) sitting above Santenay, in the far south of the Côte de Beaune. Enjoy the photos, commentary & recommendations. Read more…
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