Lettre à un Otage = Letter to a Hostage, Antoine de Saint-ExupérySaint-Exupéry originally wrote this text for the preface to a novel by his best friend, Léon Werth: Thirty-three days. The latter then took refuge in the Jura in the fall of 1940 because of his Jewish origins. His book will not appear, however, and the writer then considerably revised his preface by removing any direct reference to his friend, who then becomes anonymous in the text, and thus symbolizes the French "hostage" of the o...

A beautiful letter to all that he loved and left behind. It's about friends and humanity, and what holds all of us together, and respect of men.Part II touched me the most. We all need someone to return to, and if we have lost them, the city becomes empty. We don't miss a place, we miss the people left there; and if this link with the homeland disappears, what is left?Sait-Exupery reminds us of the importance of diversity. The Nazis had a human ideal and they exterminated those who differed from...

Not the best writing from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry... there are a few jewels hidden, a few brilliant passages, but for the most part, the aim of this work is a little lost and out of focus. Even if Saint-Exupéry wanted to make a statement about the German occupation of France and how to resist, there are just a few glimpses of it. Perhaps it was the nature of this work, which originated from a preface to a book written by someone hiding from the germans, whose identity could not be disclosed, an...

As brilliant as his any other work.Only thing that I disliked is the length. Too short. But then again, a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts forever. Ask the Rose if you don't know that. :-)

Prior to reading this very short work, my only exposure to the writing of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was The Little Prince. (I spent a number of years in the French education system and no child gets out of a French school without reading that book. At least, that was the case when I was a child.) Now I really want to read more of his work. Saint-Exupéry wrote the book as a tribute to his close friend Léon Werth, a French Jewish writer and art critic to whom The Little Prince was dedicated*. At th...

That is impressive, the age of a man! That summarises all his life. This maturity of his has taken a long time to achieve. It has grown through so many obstacles conquered, so many serious illnesses cured, so many griefs appeased, so many despairs overcome, so many dangers unconsciously passed. It has grown through so many desires, so many hopes, so many regrets, so many lapses, so much love. The age of a man, that represents a good load of experience and memories. In spite of decoys, jolts, and...

At a time of wars and violence and while he was waiting in Portugal for a passage to the United States, the aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote an inspiring letter to his friend Léon Werth, a hostage. « Lettre à un otage » is about friendship and humanity. It is about homesickness healed by hope. It is about the importance of respect. Respect. Respect. And respect; the foundation of civilizations. It is about a smile..I normally underline in books but I gave up underlining in this book so muc...

Antoine de Saint-Exupery's "Letter to a Hostage" is one of many literary classics that I for a long time neglected until now, my 2021 reading challenge being a motivation to read as many of them as possible. This book is an odd reading experience as well, being a non-fiction polemical and philosophical work by the author of The Little Prince about the plight of Europeans living under fascist regimes in World War Two and what it says about the human condition in general. The "Hostage" referred to...

I wish I could have met him in person. Just to feel the depth of his thoughts. But again, in his own words, 'He will never again be here with me, but neither will he ever be absent.'

I found many striking similarities to the general situation in Lebanon, and loved the descriptions!

It's true when they say it's harder to write a short story than a longer story. In this case, it was an open letter (does it just mean a non-private letter?) and it was beautifully written. This is the kind of letter you would want to read every day - the imagery, symbolism and metaphors building up a wake-up call, a call for unity (the plight of Lisbon, the melancholy steamer, a rustic inn, a smile). I believe friendship and sharing are the main themes here and who better to weave a poignant an...

After reading Wind, Sand, and Stars, and having read in the past Vol de Nuit and Le Petit Prince, I wanted to read anything else by Saint-Exupéry. I was disappointed in this, though not for the writing or the thoughts expressed. To me it felt a bit hastily assembled, seemingly a collection of thoughts about humanity at the outset of WWII, and a letter to the French people and to one particular friend.I did not think it should have cost $3.00 on Kindle. Read Wind, Sand, and Stars.

A nice read but I feel that I should have read it after reading Le Petit Prince. It encouraged some deep thinking and made me re-evaluate some of my perspectives on certain things. I do love it when the author engages with the reader. I enjoy books where a real connection is established between the reader and the author. Essentially it was short and insightful. I most likely won't re-read it but I did enjoy it.

Well, if you read the little prince this boon is a surprise: you are not reading the optimist and innocent fellow, you are reading something like Connolly, maybe a Cioran, but definitely not the author of little prince.Camus, full of envy, read this letters and writings and said: where is the author of the little prince? Well, mr Camus, is the same author, only that you miss the clues.

That Saint-Exupéry was certainly a great writer was revealed even from this one brief essay Lettre à un Otage. His intellect, sentiments and command of the French language were all exemplary. This short essay, in which he let us know that the absurd disgusted him, was written in reaction to the German occupation of France during WWII, which was psychologically so traumatizing to him and many other people, He pleaded for Respect for Man because as humans we all have the same goals for friendships...

Beautifully written as always, and touching as usual. You can feel the emotion behind the words, and the author's feelings shine through clearly, despite the rather abstract focus.It is impressive that such a short work, written so long ago, can still provoke such an emotive response in you as a reader. It's a testament to Exupéry's skill as a writer, and it's why it's such a experience reading his works.As it is so short, I found it harder to immerse myself in his singular style, which is perha...

An incredibly relevant meditation on humanity. The message is simple but poignant. We share a common humanity. We must remember that.

I’m amazed at how much Saint-Exupéry is able to pack into so few words. The topics of friendship, homeland, respect and the deeper meaning of life are beautify explored and once again his imagery and writing style is stunning. A beautiful commentary on the meaning and essence of war as well.

Part One:But as Lisbon plaued at happiness, they played at believing that they would soon return. How easy is the absence of a prodigal son! It is a false absence, for, behind him, his home remains. It makes no difference whether you are absent in the next room, or on the other side of the earth. The presence of a friend who has apparently gone away may become more intense than an actual presence. It is the presence of prayer. Part Two:I needed to feel those I wanted to direct me more reliable a...

Favorite part of this piece"A smile is often the essential. One is paid with a smile. One is rewarded by a smile. And the quality of a smile might make one die. However, since that quality delivered us from the present anxiety, granted us certainty, hope and peace, I should like now, to tell the story of another smile."Short but beautiful.