If you've never read it, do yourself a favor and do so! It's quite short, and I hope you'll like it.
I also highly recommend the 2015 animated film adaptation. It has a rock-solid cast, and presents the classic story within entirely new layers of interpretation that speak to multiple generations at once. It's a real tearjerker that only gets more potent with age.
I'm also not sure why so many commenters here seem confused or negative towards The Little Prince. It is a timeless, culture-invariant treatise on the most precious and important facets of human existence.
My aim was to start a positive dialogue with zppln about why the book didn't land with him or why it was off-putting. I'm happy to discuss it with you as well, but if your comment was just meant to be negative then I'll pass.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Prince_(2015_film)#...
But don't read about the plot! Go in as blind as possible. The experience is much more meaningful if you don't know the story beats.
I would add that there is something in it for all ages. I have read it many times, between ages 6 and 25 and in different languages. The later readings were for language learning without any expectations but each time I finished it, I was deeply touched.
With that it’s also a great one to read with kids.
Soleure, that's the French name of the city where the museum opened. The place might just be in France if you don't look too close.
When I finally decided to give it a try, I found it to be a very interesting read.
So, you can bet people who show disdain for it probably haven't read it. Or they have weak character and are afraid to be considered dumb by association.
Who was the actress?
I cannot see that many dismissive comments. Those I can see are things like dismissing it purely because its not recent, or because the commentor has not read it which really say more about the person being dismissive than anything else.
It is very popular (in translation) in the UK (and other Engli8sh speaking countries) too.
I think the author would be very surprised if he'd been there to see what amount of fluff has been generated around his nice and simple quasi-autobiographical codebook.
Later it got more popular and adults found all kinds of deep things. It was so sentimental I've never got back to the book if I hadn't read it first as a children's book. In my mid twenties I got my own copy from a girlfriend who saw me as a little prince.
Now about a week ago I reread it again. Well, you can find all kinds of things in it but I think you should read it as a kid first time.
Children need to learn a lot of things they understand only as adults. It builds a real connection to the stories and ideas. Adults cannot absorb new thoughts anymore. They try but it's too late.
Like if you haven't read Nietzsche and Dostoevsky first time at the age of say 16 or 18 you will never be an intellectual. You didn't get the right impulses at the time. You cannot built on shallow experiences you can have after the childhood and youth.