Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a popular French author. He is known mostly for his book ‘The Little Prince’ which was originally written in French and titled ‘Le Petit Prince’ and has been translated into English, Spanish, German, and so on. We will take some time to talk about some of his best sellers.
Night Flight
Published as ‘Vol de Nuit’ in 1931, ‘Night Flight’ is the second novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This bestseller fiction of his went on to be adapted into a movie. The movie was released on October 6th, 1933.
Based on Antoine’s personal experiences, just like most of his books, ‘Night Flight’ tells the story of an aviation company that flies across Latin America and Europe. The aviation company based in Buenos Aires flew mail across. With 96 pages for paperback, ‘Night Flight’ is Antoine’s shortest novel. Short and powerful nonetheless. Just like his other books, ‘Night Flight’ has been translated into various languages, including German and English.
The Little Prince
Short as well, though not as short as ‘Night Flight,’ ‘The Little Prince’ was first published on April 6th, 1943. Suitable for adults but crafted mainly for children, ‘The Little Prince’ tells the story of a young man who crashes his aircraft into a desert in Africa. In this desert, he meets an interesting character who goes on to learn from him and teach him in return.
Most of Antoine’s remarkable quotes come from this particular book. It is a book with illustrations. The little prince (the protagonist), just like Antoine is an explorer and a voyager. Away from his own planet, the little prince spends time on several planets before he comes to Earth. On Earth, he meets the young man. Driven and fuelled mostly by curiosity, the little prince never lets things rest until he had answers.
The book has 116 pages in total. It has been translated into a number of languages, including Spanish and German. Movies have also been made from it. The latest is a 2015 animation directed by Mark Osborn and produced by Dimitri Rassam, Aton Soumache, and Alexis Vonarb. The movie stars the voices of Bob Persichetti and Rachel McAdams, amongst many others. 77.5 million USD were budgeted for this movie.
Another movie adaptation of the book was released in 1974 as a sci-fi and fantasy-musical film. It was directed by Stanley Donen.
Wind, Sand and Stars
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry published this biography/memoir in February 1939. The book won the Grande Prix du Roman de l’Académie Français award. It also won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. It is a collection of philosophical musings and experiences on flying, the universe, politics, Spanish Civil War, North African desert, and so on. It also gives an account of how he survived a crash in the Libyan desert and his rescue by Bedouins. Its paperback has 240 pages.
Not as popular as the three already talked about, his other written works include- ‘The Wisdom of the Sands’ [1948], ‘Flight to Arrass’ [1942], ‘The Aviator’ [his first book, a short story published in 1926], ‘Letter to a Hostage’ [1943], ‘A Sense of Life’ [1956]- an English translation of the French writer, poet and pioneering aviator’s ‘Un Sens à la Vie’ and Letters to His Mother [2018].
FAQs
Which of Antoine’s books was his first?
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s first book is ‘Courrier Sud’ published in 1929. It was translated into English and titled ‘Southern Mail’ and ‘Southern Carrier.’ ‘Courrier Sud’ has been adapted into a movie. It tells the story of an investigation into the disappearance of an aviator while flying over the Sahara.
Which book is considered to be Antoine’s best book?
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote a couple of masterpieces. Choosing one and leaving the rest out just won’t work. But, in terms of popularity, his book ‘The Little Prince’ wins hands down. ‘The Little Prince’ went on to become a best seller and has over 200 million copies sold worldwide.
Which of his books was the shortest?
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s shortest book is ‘Night Flight.’ With 96 hard copy pages, ‘Night Flight’ is a short and powerful novel. It is a fiction based on Antoine’s experiences as an airmail pilot and a director of Aeroposta Argentina Airline in Buenos Aires. Night Flight as it is [English], was published in 1932.
Which book won him the most awards?
Though ‘The Little Prince’ went on to become a best-seller, winning him several prestigious awards, Antoine’s lyrical writings about aviation- ‘Wind, Sand and Stars’ and ‘Night Flight’ also won him awards. However, if we are to answer the question without sentiments, it has to be ‘The Little Prince.’
