The Little Prince
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéryby Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Ranked 2 of 8 novellas by recommenders
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.
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.
22 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 18
- criticize it
- 4
- approval share
- 82%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 18 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 4.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Deeper meaning on rereading
“It's one of those books that strike you with a completely different meaning when you read it as an adult”
Comment from 30 Nov 2025 in “A new Little Prince museum has opened its doors in Switzerland” “The book has been extremely transformative for me at multiple points in my life as I've aged.”
Comment from 30 Nov 2025 in “A new Little Prince museum has opened its doors in Switzerland” “Each time I revisit it, I understand deeper layers about human nature and life itself.”
Comment from 21 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What's a book that fundamentally altered your mental models” - Comment from 30 Nov 2025 in “A new Little Prince museum has opened its doors in Switzerland”
Works for all ages
“Very well written and will be relevant for all ages for another 100 years.”
Comment from 30 Nov 2025 in “A new Little Prince museum has opened its doors in Switzerland” “It is an adult book just as much as it is a children’s book.”
Comment from 30 Nov 2025 in “A new Little Prince museum has opened its doors in Switzerland” “there is something in it for all ages”
Comment from 30 Nov 2025 in “A new Little Prince museum has opened its doors in Switzerland” Universal themes across cultures
“the themes loss, imagination, responsibility, friendship feel universal”
Comment from 1 Dec 2025 in “A new Little Prince museum has opened its doors in Switzerland” “still it touches amongst cultures”
Comment from 30 Nov 2025 in “A new Little Prince museum has opened its doors in Switzerland” Poetic, beautiful, moving writing
“it's a very beautiful read and when you have time, go and grab a sweet illustrated full text paper copy”
Comment from 30 Nov 2025 in “A new Little Prince museum has opened its doors in Switzerland” “It's so creative, poetic and touching that I doubt you can read it and stay indifferent.”
Comment from 30 Nov 2025 in “A new Little Prince museum has opened its doors in Switzerland”
Other novellas people recommend
The four most recommended other novellas, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Farmby George Orwell | 22 | 5 | 81% | 10 | — | Approved |
| The Little Princeby Antoine de Saint-ExupéryThis page | 18 | 4 | 82% | 3 | — | — |
| Flatlandby Edwin Abbott Abbott | 6 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
| Notes from Undergroundby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 6 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
| A Short Stay in Hellby Steven L. Peck | 5 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
25 of the 26 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“It is very popular and a huge influence.”
“Each time I revisit it, I understand deeper layers about human nature and life itself.”
“the themes loss, imagination, responsibility, friendship feel universal”
“The experience is much more meaningful if you don't know the story beats.”
“It is very popular (in translation) in the UK”
“I read it and found a bit confusing and boring.”
“it's a very beautiful read and when you have time, go and grab a sweet illustrated full text paper copy”
“still it touches amongst cultures”
“Every time I do so, I learn something new.”
“It is an adult book just as much as it is a children’s book.”
“enough bad memory of some teacher wanting us all to read and ponder this thing in class”
“there is something in it for all ages”
“I found it to be a very interesting read.”
“if the quote below resonates with you, the rest of the book surely will too”
“I found it incredibly off-putting for some reason”
“It has a rock-solid cast, and presents the classic story within entirely new layers of interpretation”
“The book has been extremely transformative for me at multiple points in my life as I've aged.”
“I am personally very fond of it.”
“it just seems quite banal”
“It's so creative, poetic and touching that I doubt you can read it and stay indifferent.”
“ps: and to get a physical copy and to read it...”
“Very well written and will be relevant for all ages for another 100 years.”
“I got a lot out of the encounter with the fox, specifically”
“It's one of those books that strike you with a completely different meaning when you read it as an adult”
“Profound thoughts about the human condition don't become less profound when the next generation comes along.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.