France - 50 francs (1993)
France - 50 francs - 1993 - P157
This one is an odd note in this space and astronomy theme blog but I couldn't resist mentioning it here. The note depicts French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. He was born in Lyon in 1900 and disappeared in an air mission on 31 July 1944 off Corsica. His most famous story is Le Petit Prince, first published in 1943. The novella is both the most read and most translated book in the French language, and was voted the best book of the 20th century in France. It was translated into more than 250 languages.
Le Petit Prince is a poetic tale, with watercolour illustrations by the author, in which a pilot stranded in the desert meets a young prince fallen to Earth from a tiny asteroid. The prince begins by describing life on his tiny home planet: in effect, an asteroid the size of a house (which the narrator believes to be the one known as B-612). The story is philosophical and includes societal criticism, remarking on the strangeness of the adult world. For a synopsis of the story, please read the wiki article on the book.
No comments