The 80th anniversary of The Little Prince celebrated by a flurry of publications and events

On its 80th anniversary in France, The Little Prince is back in bookstores, exhibitions, and anniversary editions, but also with an old critical reflex: its sometimes very strong rejection. The paradox is a long-standing one. On the one hand, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's tale remains a global phenomenon with extraordinary sales figures; on the other, it provokes outright irritation in some readers, directed as much at its tone as at its status as an untouchable work. It is this contrast that Le Monde highlights at a time when Gallimard and the rights holders are strongly relaunching the book in the public sphere.

A global success that has become overwhelming

The power of The Little Prince lies first and foremost in its reach. The book has sold 300 million copies worldwide, including 18 million in France, and is among the most translated works in the world after the Bible, with translations into 650 languages ​​and dialects. In Le Monde, Anne Crignon points out the almost unreal scale of this dissemination, which partly explains the weariness it can provoke: when a work is everywhere, taught, quoted, given as a gift, adapted, and celebrated relentlessly, it eventually becomes irritating.

This anniversary further fuels its omnipresence. A new illustrated edition by MinaLima is being released, published in 22 languages, along with a facsimile of the manuscript, a graphic novel by Cédric Fernandez, a version read by Denis Podalydès, a series of stamps launched by the French postal service, and immersive exhibitions in Les Baux-de-Provence and Bordeaux. Over the decades, the book has also become a vast cultural and commercial franchise, with adaptations, shops, a theme park in Alsace, and a permanent exhibition in South Korea.

Why does the story annoy some readers so much?

If The Little Prince attracts so much rejection, it's also because it carries a reputation for being overly gentle. Le Monde clearly refers to this "Little Prince bashing," which is ready to resurface with every major celebration. For its detractors, the text is too tame, too sententious, too laden with conventional poetry. The more a work is sanctified, the more it elicits reactions of rejection. The case of The Little Prince is emblematic: its massive success, its continued presence in the cultural sphere, and its sometimes decorative or moralizing use have made it an ideal target.

This does not diminish its literary power or its history. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote this tale during his American exile, after the invasion of France, and first published it in New York in 1943. The writer-pilot, already known for Night Flight and Wind, Sand and Stars, was reportedly encouraged by his American publisher to write a children's story after seeing him sketching at a table. Lost on a mission in 1944, Saint-Exupéry never saw his book's French fate, published posthumously. Perhaps this is also what fuels its legend: The Little Prince is a text that has become a monument. And monuments, by definition, attract as much admiration as the desire to tear them down.