# The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/little-prince/

15 people recommended The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in Hacker News comments, 3 had mixed feelings and 4 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 12 months, in 2 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

14 of the 15 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “A new Little Prince museum has opened its doors in Switzerland”.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for its layered meaning, which they say deepens with each reread and suits both children and adults. Some critics find it confusing, boring or banal.

Summary written by Claude from 24 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Deeper meaning on rereading (4 comments in the sample): "It's one of those books that strike you with a completely different meaning when you read it as an adult" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46093750)) "It has a rock-solid cast, and presents the classic story within entirely new layers of interpretation" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46095054)) "Each time I revisit it, I understand deeper layers about human nature and life itself." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46347085))
- Works for all ages (3 comments in the sample): "Very well written and will be relevant for all ages for another 100 years." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46093952)) "It is an adult book just as much as it is a children’s book." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46095625)) "there is something in it for all ages" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46095599))
- Universal themes across cultures (2 comments in the sample): "the themes loss, imagination, responsibility, friendship feel universal" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46108695)) "still it touches amongst cultures" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46096969))
- Poetic, beautiful, moving writing (2 comments in the sample): "it's a very beautiful read and when you have time, go and grab a sweet illustrated full text paper copy" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46097720)) "It's so creative, poetic and touching that I doubt you can read it and stay indifferent." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46094626))

## Other novellas people recommend

- [Animal Farm by George Orwell](https://hackerapproved.com/p/animal-farm/): 17 recommend, 4 mixed, 4 criticize
- [Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/notes-from-underground/): 6 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize
- [Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott](https://hackerapproved.com/p/flatland/): 5 recommend, 1 mixed, 0 criticize
- [A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck](https://hackerapproved.com/p/a-short-stay-in-hell/): 5 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry", https://hackerapproved.com/p/little-prince/ (15 recommend, 3 mixed, 4 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.