My first review after a long while. What more appropriate than to start with the late Monsier Antoine de Saint-Exupery's tale of chidlike innocence and charm as evidenced by the main hero?
It was a while back that I read the book. At that point in time, the book did not affect me that much save for the fact that it is a good enough story to warrant a second read. And I am the type that once I come across a real good book, I can read that over and over again, even after I memorise every word and every character and their actions, I will still read the book again!
I finished the book within slightly more than an hour last night. And this time, the messages stick in my mind. Perhaps now that I am reading this as an adult, and seeing the story through the eyes of a child, but somehow the story hits me more intensely this time than previous time.
Lessons learnt from the cute little prince :
1. Adults frown upon children being artistically-inclined. Any budding artist will be put down and told to concentrate on mathematics, geography and grammar. As a result, kids grow up forgetting how to draw, and not being able to see the actual beauty of pictures.
2. Kids are inquisitive. They will ask lots of questions, but sometimes expecting no answers. Adults tend to brush kids off when they ask questions, and then kids will start to wonder why the adults are so odd and impatient.
3. When doing a presentation in one's native village wear, no one will believe you even if the facts are accurate. However, if the same person does the same presentation wearing a Western suit and tie, everybody will believe.
4. When children meet someone new, they will ask, "What games do you prefer?"
When adults meet someone new, they will ask, "How much do you earn?"
5. Adults will not understand if children describe a house as having a beautiful garden full of geraniums. However, if the house is described as being ten thousand pounds, adults will understand.
6. Wait for the sun to set. Watch the twilight falling whenever one feels like it, because when one is terribly sad, one loves sunsets. (And so do I! I prefer sunset to sunrise anytime!)
7. Adults always brush kids aside, saying they are busy with "serious matters". But they do not stop to smell the roses.
8. If someone loves a flower of which there is only one on the millions and millions of stars, it is enough to make him happy when he looks at them for he can say to himself, "My flower is out there", the same flower which tried to love him back in its own way, but which caused him to leave it due to its pride. (And such is love among two people.)
9. Adults think of themselves as having magnificent air of authorities and expect the children to succumb to their words with no questions asked, simply because they said so.
10. Adults are conceited. They think only of having admirers and will never imagine if their hats or heads will ever be lowered.
11. Adults do things they are ashamed of, yet they continue doing the same thing to forget their shame.
12. Adults are so busy with doing business and making money that they have no time to pay attention to the beauty surrounding them. And they own things which may not be useful to them, simply because they want to own them.
13. Adults follow rules and regulations simply because they were told to follow, even if all else no longer makes sense.
14. Men actually occupy very little space on Earth. If everybody on Earth is to stand upright and crowd together, they can easily live on a tiny islet in the Pacific. But adults will never believe as they think they take up a lot of space.
15. To tame is to establish ties and make someone or something unique to you. Otherwise, it will just be one in hundreds, no need for any one.
16. Men have no time to understand anything as they buy ready-made things from shops. But since there are no shops where one can buy friends, men have no friends.
17. Friendship requires patience, speaking with your eyes and just keeping quiet and being there.
18. An ordinary passer-by would think that one's rose is just like any other's rose, but to the person, the rose is unique as the rose was the one he / she has watered, put in a glass dome, killed caterpillars for. And it was the rose that the person listened to and boasted about, because the rose belongs to the person. (Just like love, the guy / girl can be just anyone on the streets, but to the partner, he / she is the one that belongs as each other is the one the other has nurtured, talked about and developed.)
19. It is only with one's heart that one can see so clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye. (Very true!)
20. It is the time you lavished on your rose that is so important. (Again, very true! It is the time spent with people that render them so important.)
21. Adults will sleep in a carriage, but it is the children that will press their faces against the glass panels and see the scenery outside, as it is the children that know what they are looking for.
I probably do not make much sense here, but the essential message is that a child's innocence somehow do not get retained in an adult. Is it because throughout the process of growing up, everything we used to love since young, the simple things that make our lives happy and satisfied, are all forgotten in the thrive of work and materialism?
I will recommend this book to everyone, kids and adults alike. Kids will be able to read and understand the messages better, and adults will be able to read and get in touch with the lost child in them. May everyone not lose touch with their child-like side!
It was a while back that I read the book. At that point in time, the book did not affect me that much save for the fact that it is a good enough story to warrant a second read. And I am the type that once I come across a real good book, I can read that over and over again, even after I memorise every word and every character and their actions, I will still read the book again!
I finished the book within slightly more than an hour last night. And this time, the messages stick in my mind. Perhaps now that I am reading this as an adult, and seeing the story through the eyes of a child, but somehow the story hits me more intensely this time than previous time.
Lessons learnt from the cute little prince :
1. Adults frown upon children being artistically-inclined. Any budding artist will be put down and told to concentrate on mathematics, geography and grammar. As a result, kids grow up forgetting how to draw, and not being able to see the actual beauty of pictures.
2. Kids are inquisitive. They will ask lots of questions, but sometimes expecting no answers. Adults tend to brush kids off when they ask questions, and then kids will start to wonder why the adults are so odd and impatient.
3. When doing a presentation in one's native village wear, no one will believe you even if the facts are accurate. However, if the same person does the same presentation wearing a Western suit and tie, everybody will believe.
4. When children meet someone new, they will ask, "What games do you prefer?"
When adults meet someone new, they will ask, "How much do you earn?"
5. Adults will not understand if children describe a house as having a beautiful garden full of geraniums. However, if the house is described as being ten thousand pounds, adults will understand.
6. Wait for the sun to set. Watch the twilight falling whenever one feels like it, because when one is terribly sad, one loves sunsets. (And so do I! I prefer sunset to sunrise anytime!)
7. Adults always brush kids aside, saying they are busy with "serious matters". But they do not stop to smell the roses.
8. If someone loves a flower of which there is only one on the millions and millions of stars, it is enough to make him happy when he looks at them for he can say to himself, "My flower is out there", the same flower which tried to love him back in its own way, but which caused him to leave it due to its pride. (And such is love among two people.)
9. Adults think of themselves as having magnificent air of authorities and expect the children to succumb to their words with no questions asked, simply because they said so.
10. Adults are conceited. They think only of having admirers and will never imagine if their hats or heads will ever be lowered.
11. Adults do things they are ashamed of, yet they continue doing the same thing to forget their shame.
12. Adults are so busy with doing business and making money that they have no time to pay attention to the beauty surrounding them. And they own things which may not be useful to them, simply because they want to own them.
13. Adults follow rules and regulations simply because they were told to follow, even if all else no longer makes sense.
14. Men actually occupy very little space on Earth. If everybody on Earth is to stand upright and crowd together, they can easily live on a tiny islet in the Pacific. But adults will never believe as they think they take up a lot of space.
15. To tame is to establish ties and make someone or something unique to you. Otherwise, it will just be one in hundreds, no need for any one.
16. Men have no time to understand anything as they buy ready-made things from shops. But since there are no shops where one can buy friends, men have no friends.
17. Friendship requires patience, speaking with your eyes and just keeping quiet and being there.
18. An ordinary passer-by would think that one's rose is just like any other's rose, but to the person, the rose is unique as the rose was the one he / she has watered, put in a glass dome, killed caterpillars for. And it was the rose that the person listened to and boasted about, because the rose belongs to the person. (Just like love, the guy / girl can be just anyone on the streets, but to the partner, he / she is the one that belongs as each other is the one the other has nurtured, talked about and developed.)
19. It is only with one's heart that one can see so clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye. (Very true!)
20. It is the time you lavished on your rose that is so important. (Again, very true! It is the time spent with people that render them so important.)
21. Adults will sleep in a carriage, but it is the children that will press their faces against the glass panels and see the scenery outside, as it is the children that know what they are looking for.
I probably do not make much sense here, but the essential message is that a child's innocence somehow do not get retained in an adult. Is it because throughout the process of growing up, everything we used to love since young, the simple things that make our lives happy and satisfied, are all forgotten in the thrive of work and materialism?
I will recommend this book to everyone, kids and adults alike. Kids will be able to read and understand the messages better, and adults will be able to read and get in touch with the lost child in them. May everyone not lose touch with their child-like side!
5 comments:
Might not have been forgotten.
Beaten out of the person by "the real, harsh world we live in" is more likely. The "innocent doe" would be the first one to die to a tiger. It is a matter of survival.
I would like to be able to "stop and smell the roses" more often. But in Singapore at least, doing so might just mean that that I would not have enough provision to go further along the journey.
As for point 14, I have said similar things in recent post. With this exception: Humans in general occupy little space, but they have to move around. Cramming them like that would drive them all crazy.
And such is the harsh reality of the world we live in!
You choice in books sounds similar to mine.
After an earlier post, I may have to read the Little Prince (I am told my avatar resembles him). I tried watching the movie version years ago, but it did not hold my attention.
Ooops! And I can't put a comment to the right blog entry. sigh.
Your avatar? Yes, do resemble a little.
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