A copy of The Little Prince sold for EUR 90,000

The copy of The Little Prince which belonged to its author, pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery, with four drawings and his dedication to a friend, was sold at a Paris auction for around EUR 90,000.

The book sold is the first French language edition published in the USA. One of the best selling and most translated books of all time was written in 1942, during the author’s stay in the country, and it was first published in New York in 1943.

The book, which Saint-Exupery had given to his friend, future French air force General Lionel-Max Chassin, was estimated at EUR 80,000 to EUR 100,000. Its new owner acquired it for precisely EUR 89,467, reported the Paris auction house Cazo.

The Little Prince has been translated in 250 languages and sold in 145 million copies, making it one of the best selling books in the world. An American-British feature film based on the book was made in 1974, followed by a Japanese TV series four years later, and the book has also been adapted for the stage.

The Little Prince

literature

Antoine de Saint Exupery

Paris

auction

auction house

New York

Lionel Max Chassin