The Little Prince
Score Classic
What it's about
A pilot crashes in the Sahara and meets a strange young boy who says he's a prince from a tiny, distant asteroid, where he left behind a single rose. As the prince describes his travels among the planets and the grown-ups he met there, the story becomes a gentle and sometimes heartbreaking meditation on love, loss and what really matters.
Why it's worth reading
It's one of the best-selling books ever written, with about 200 million copies sold, and it's on the BBC's Big Read, PBS's Great American Read and Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century. Children love it as a story, and adults find more in it every time.
You'll love it if you liked
Charlotte's Web, The Hobbit or The Alchemist
Good to know
It's short, illustrated with Saint-Exupéry's own drawings, and readable in an hour. Richard Howard's translation is the one most American readers know.
Quick answers
Is The Little Prince worth reading?
Yes. It's one of the best-selling books ever written, with about 200 million copies sold, and it's on the BBC's Big Read, PBS's Great American Read and Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century. It ranks #175 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 84.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Little Prince about?
A pilot crashes in the Sahara and meets a strange young boy who says he's a prince from a tiny, distant asteroid, where he left behind a single rose. As the prince describes his travels among the planets and the grown-ups he met there, the story becomes a gentle and sometimes heartbreaking meditation on love, loss and what really matters.
How long does it take to read The Little Prince?
About 3 hours (136 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Little Prince?
If you liked it, try Charlotte's Web by E. B. White, The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien or The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
By the numbers
- Readers88 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller85 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On 3 canon lists, including PBS Great American Read. One of the best-selling books ever (about 200 million copies).
Where it ranks
Bestseller
- One of the best-selling books ever (about 200 million copies)
On the lists
- PBS Great American Read
- BBC's The Big Read
- Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century