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The Tale of the Rose: The Love Story Behind The Little Prince
In the spring of 1944, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry left his wife, Consuelo, to return to the war in Europe. Soon after, he disappeared while flying a reconnaissance mission over occupied France. Neither his plane nor his body was ever found. The Tale of the Rose is Consuelo’s account of their extraordinary marriage. It is a love story about a pilot and his wife, a man who yearned for the stars and the spirited woman who gave him the strength to fulfill his dreams.
Consuelo Suncin Sandoval de Gómez and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry met in Buenos Aires in 1930—she a seductive young widow, he a brave pioneer of early aviation, decorated for his acts of heroism in the deserts of North Africa. He was large in his passions, a fierce loner with a childlike appetite for danger. She was frail and voluble, exotic and capricious. Within hours of their first encounter, he knew he would have her as his wife.
Their love affair and marriage would take them from Buenos Aires to Paris to Casablanca to New York. It would take them through periods of betrayal and infidelity, pain and intense passion, devastating abandonment and tender, poetic love. Several times in the course of their marriage they would go their separate ways, but always they would return. The Tale of the Rose is the story of a man of extravagant dreams, and of the woman who was his muse, the inspiration for the Little Prince’s beloved rose—unique in all the world—whom he could not live with and could not live without.
Written on Long Island in a quiet spell of reconciliation, The Little Prince was Antoine’s greatest gift to the woman he never stopped loving, the only child to emerge from their union. The Tale of the Rose is Consuelo’s reply—the love letter she never could write to her husband—a fable of its own, just as magical, poetic, and tragic as The Little Prince.
Praise for The Tale of the Rose
“We find in these pages all the tenderness and patience, but also the tenacity, of a woman who loves. Consuelo does not seek to explain or even to understand her husband, she accepts him and leads him to what he must be. . . . Written with a strong and authentic voice, The Tale of the Rose is a book to read for its strength of character, and for the adventure that it offers.” — Elle
Consuelo Suncin Sandoval de Gómez and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry met in Buenos Aires in 1930—she a seductive young widow, he a brave pioneer of early aviation, decorated for his acts of heroism in the deserts of North Africa. He was large in his passions, a fierce loner with a childlike appetite for danger. She was frail and voluble, exotic and capricious. Within hours of their first encounter, he knew he would have her as his wife.
Their love affair and marriage would take them from Buenos Aires to Paris to Casablanca to New York. It would take them through periods of betrayal and infidelity, pain and intense passion, devastating abandonment and tender, poetic love. Several times in the course of their marriage they would go their separate ways, but always they would return. The Tale of the Rose is the story of a man of extravagant dreams, and of the woman who was his muse, the inspiration for the Little Prince’s beloved rose—unique in all the world—whom he could not live with and could not live without.
Written on Long Island in a quiet spell of reconciliation, The Little Prince was Antoine’s greatest gift to the woman he never stopped loving, the only child to emerge from their union. The Tale of the Rose is Consuelo’s reply—the love letter she never could write to her husband—a fable of its own, just as magical, poetic, and tragic as The Little Prince.
Praise for The Tale of the Rose
“We find in these pages all the tenderness and patience, but also the tenacity, of a woman who loves. Consuelo does not seek to explain or even to understand her husband, she accepts him and leads him to what he must be. . . . Written with a strong and authentic voice, The Tale of the Rose is a book to read for its strength of character, and for the adventure that it offers.” — Elle
308 pages, Paperback
Published January 14, 2003
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About the author
Consuelo de Saint-Exupéry
8 books13 followersConsuelo de Saint Exupéry, officially Consuelo Suncín, comtesse de Saint Exupéry, was a Salvadoran-French writer and artist, and the wife of the French aristocrat, writer and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consuel...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consuel...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
May 13, 2021
NO SPOILERS!!!
Having finished the book, I have added a few comments at the end.....
I am reading The Tale of the Rose: The Love Story Behind The Little Prince, and opposite to all the negative reviews given here at GR, I like it. I like it A LOT!!!! I am shocked and dismayed and annoyed by what I read in the GR reviews! First of all, the prose is GOOD. People complain about the translation since Consuelo wrote it in French, yet she is originally Spanish speaking. I don't agree at all! What I will say is that these people who have written the reviews do not really love The Little Prince. Why? Because you recognize the similarity in prose style, in how Antoine and Consuelo thought. The prose is simple, plainspoken and full of naive thoughts, and yet it says so much. THAT is its charm.
"His (Antoine's) images had extraordinary charm, and there was a wild note of truth to even his most fantastical stories." (page 17)
And then the reviewers think Consuelo is weak and a doormat. Forget that! She loved Antoine and she KNEW what she was getting herself into when she chose marriage to him. She says:
"I was being offered the role of a wife in a play. Was I right for the part? Did I really want to play it?" (page 34)
She LOVED him. She chose to marry him. She was willing to take the bad with the good.
I am halfway through the book. I cannot keep my mouth shut any more. I assume Antoine is going to get even more mean and crazy and wound up in his own world. People with daring and imaginative qualities are NOT easy to live with, but a life with them brings marvelous experiences too! Life will be intense and never dull. I believe they fit each other.
Let me backtrack a bit and show you how they met, one evening at a party, and what they said to each other:
"I beg your pardon," Crémieux replied. "I forgot to introduce you. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, pilot and aviator. He'll show you Buenos Aires from above, and the stars too. You see, he adores the stars."
"I don't like to fly," I said. "I don't like things that go fast. I don't like seeing too many faces at once. And I want to leave." (the party)
"But faces have nothing to do with stars!" the dark-haired man (Antoine) cried.
"You think our heads are so distant from the star?"
"Oh," he exclaimed in surprise. "You have stars in your head, do you?
"I have yet to meet a man who has seen my true stars," I confessed with a touch of melancholy. "But we are talking nonsense. I told you. I don't like to fly. Even walking to fast makes my head spin." (page 13-14)
But were they talking nonsense? Do you see the similarity in this and The Little Prince?
I am going out on a limb b/c I haven't finished the book yet. I am just so darn annoyed about all the negative things said about the couple and the book. I thoroughly enjoy it. Jeez, I am annoyed!
You really get to know who these two people are, both Consuelo and Antoine. If you want a fairy tale, pick up a book by Grimm.
I just had to spurt a little bit.
***************************************************************
On completion:
Who ever said love was easy?
I like the prose style of this book. I like its simplicity. And I like and sometimes hate the characters. Yes, both. If The Little Prince speaks to you, you will love this book as I do. Antoine was one hell of a person to live with. To read and understand this book you must be willing to change your time-frame and not judge the people by modern standards. Women today think you are a doormat if you act as Consuelo did! Even Consuelo's friends could scarcely understand her love for a man who hurt her as no one else did. Antoine could not live with nor could he live without Consuelo. The same is true for Consuelo's feelings for her husband! This book should be read with The Little Prince.
P.S. If you are going to be driven crazy by Antoine's terrible behavior, if you are going to logically get frustrated by Consuelo's inability to protect herself, then maybe this book isn't for you. I think people are crazy and do illogical things. The middle road is oh so comfortable, but you miss out on a lot that life offers.
Having finished the book, I have added a few comments at the end.....
I am reading The Tale of the Rose: The Love Story Behind The Little Prince, and opposite to all the negative reviews given here at GR, I like it. I like it A LOT!!!! I am shocked and dismayed and annoyed by what I read in the GR reviews! First of all, the prose is GOOD. People complain about the translation since Consuelo wrote it in French, yet she is originally Spanish speaking. I don't agree at all! What I will say is that these people who have written the reviews do not really love The Little Prince. Why? Because you recognize the similarity in prose style, in how Antoine and Consuelo thought. The prose is simple, plainspoken and full of naive thoughts, and yet it says so much. THAT is its charm.
"His (Antoine's) images had extraordinary charm, and there was a wild note of truth to even his most fantastical stories." (page 17)
And then the reviewers think Consuelo is weak and a doormat. Forget that! She loved Antoine and she KNEW what she was getting herself into when she chose marriage to him. She says:
"I was being offered the role of a wife in a play. Was I right for the part? Did I really want to play it?" (page 34)
She LOVED him. She chose to marry him. She was willing to take the bad with the good.
I am halfway through the book. I cannot keep my mouth shut any more. I assume Antoine is going to get even more mean and crazy and wound up in his own world. People with daring and imaginative qualities are NOT easy to live with, but a life with them brings marvelous experiences too! Life will be intense and never dull. I believe they fit each other.
Let me backtrack a bit and show you how they met, one evening at a party, and what they said to each other:
"I beg your pardon," Crémieux replied. "I forgot to introduce you. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, pilot and aviator. He'll show you Buenos Aires from above, and the stars too. You see, he adores the stars."
"I don't like to fly," I said. "I don't like things that go fast. I don't like seeing too many faces at once. And I want to leave." (the party)
"But faces have nothing to do with stars!" the dark-haired man (Antoine) cried.
"You think our heads are so distant from the star?"
"Oh," he exclaimed in surprise. "You have stars in your head, do you?
"I have yet to meet a man who has seen my true stars," I confessed with a touch of melancholy. "But we are talking nonsense. I told you. I don't like to fly. Even walking to fast makes my head spin." (page 13-14)
But were they talking nonsense? Do you see the similarity in this and The Little Prince?
I am going out on a limb b/c I haven't finished the book yet. I am just so darn annoyed about all the negative things said about the couple and the book. I thoroughly enjoy it. Jeez, I am annoyed!
You really get to know who these two people are, both Consuelo and Antoine. If you want a fairy tale, pick up a book by Grimm.
I just had to spurt a little bit.
***************************************************************
On completion:
Who ever said love was easy?
I like the prose style of this book. I like its simplicity. And I like and sometimes hate the characters. Yes, both. If The Little Prince speaks to you, you will love this book as I do. Antoine was one hell of a person to live with. To read and understand this book you must be willing to change your time-frame and not judge the people by modern standards. Women today think you are a doormat if you act as Consuelo did! Even Consuelo's friends could scarcely understand her love for a man who hurt her as no one else did. Antoine could not live with nor could he live without Consuelo. The same is true for Consuelo's feelings for her husband! This book should be read with The Little Prince.
P.S. If you are going to be driven crazy by Antoine's terrible behavior, if you are going to logically get frustrated by Consuelo's inability to protect herself, then maybe this book isn't for you. I think people are crazy and do illogical things. The middle road is oh so comfortable, but you miss out on a lot that life offers.
June 27, 2011
While I was reading "The Little Prince," Natalie lent me her copy of this book to read.
For those of you unfamiliar with The Little Prince, it is about a little prince who lives on a small planet all alone. The only companion he has on his small island is a rose - a beautiful, delicate rose with an attitude problem. From the prince's perspective, the rose seems to demand a lot of attention and work, which starts to get on his nerves. He decides he can't take it any more and leaves his planet. He travels to other planets, meeting interesting people along the way. He finally ends up on planet Earth. While on Earth he meets and becomes friends with a pilot who has crashed in the desert (and who is also the narrator of the story). After spending some time with the pilot, the little prince realizes how much he loves and misses his beautiful rose. He decides he'd rather be with her, thorns and all, than without her - so he returns to his planet and his rose.
As I stated above, right after reading The Little Prince, I read the book "The Tale of the Rose: The Love Story Behind The Little Prince" a memoir written by the wife of the author of "The Little Prince." The memoir details the tumultuous (and 'tumultuous' is putting it mildly) marriage of the two authors. This marriage was the inspiration for the story of the little prince - a story about two people in love who, after expecting perfection from one another, learn that an imperfect life is better with each other (thorns and all) than it is apart.
The moral of both of these stories impressed me. Often, the ones we love the most are the ones that have the ability to annoy and bother us the most - just like the beautiful rose and the little prince. A lot of the time, we tend to think that breaking away from these people will make us happier...and sometimes it might. But I also believe that, often, the people we love the most can annoy us the most precisely because we love them the most. These people, thorns and all, are the pretty roses that make our own little planets warm, beautiful, and complete.
For those of you unfamiliar with The Little Prince, it is about a little prince who lives on a small planet all alone. The only companion he has on his small island is a rose - a beautiful, delicate rose with an attitude problem. From the prince's perspective, the rose seems to demand a lot of attention and work, which starts to get on his nerves. He decides he can't take it any more and leaves his planet. He travels to other planets, meeting interesting people along the way. He finally ends up on planet Earth. While on Earth he meets and becomes friends with a pilot who has crashed in the desert (and who is also the narrator of the story). After spending some time with the pilot, the little prince realizes how much he loves and misses his beautiful rose. He decides he'd rather be with her, thorns and all, than without her - so he returns to his planet and his rose.
As I stated above, right after reading The Little Prince, I read the book "The Tale of the Rose: The Love Story Behind The Little Prince" a memoir written by the wife of the author of "The Little Prince." The memoir details the tumultuous (and 'tumultuous' is putting it mildly) marriage of the two authors. This marriage was the inspiration for the story of the little prince - a story about two people in love who, after expecting perfection from one another, learn that an imperfect life is better with each other (thorns and all) than it is apart.
The moral of both of these stories impressed me. Often, the ones we love the most are the ones that have the ability to annoy and bother us the most - just like the beautiful rose and the little prince. A lot of the time, we tend to think that breaking away from these people will make us happier...and sometimes it might. But I also believe that, often, the people we love the most can annoy us the most precisely because we love them the most. These people, thorns and all, are the pretty roses that make our own little planets warm, beautiful, and complete.
September 25, 2018
I’ll never look at "The Little Prince" the same way again.
Antoine Saint-Exupery sounds like a selfish, appalling, and emotionally abusive character.
.
Antoine Saint-Exupery sounds like a selfish, appalling, and emotionally abusive character.
.
December 27, 2015
...that just being pretty isn't enough for a woman to become and remain part of a man's life.
Their relationship pretty sucks but they are absolute soulmates. It doesn't mean that I understand them. They are bounded by obligation, commitment, promise or whatever you call when something is holding you from getting a divorce. I have my utmost respect to Consuelo. She is truly martyr or loyal even if it wrecks her.
It started off so sweet that I cried for the sugary feels. A whirlwind romance that "survive" until the end. I like it because it certainly is black and white. They are one of those couples who are total opposites that fall in love and fall out of love and found companionship but feels that it is on the verge of having a divorce but they get back together. I just hope that Consuelo did not found any regrets even in her last breath.
Their relationship pretty sucks but they are absolute soulmates. It doesn't mean that I understand them. They are bounded by obligation, commitment, promise or whatever you call when something is holding you from getting a divorce. I have my utmost respect to Consuelo. She is truly martyr or loyal even if it wrecks her.
It started off so sweet that I cried for the sugary feels. A whirlwind romance that "survive" until the end. I like it because it certainly is black and white. They are one of those couples who are total opposites that fall in love and fall out of love and found companionship but feels that it is on the verge of having a divorce but they get back together. I just hope that Consuelo did not found any regrets even in her last breath.
June 26, 2025
Una grata sorpresa estas memorias. Conocer esta tormentosa relación y cómo era el autor de El principito, me ha encantado. Además, nos transporta a una época muy convulsa en Europa y de primera mano vemos cómo era la vida y con quiénes convivían Consuelo y Antoine.
July 15, 2023
Una de las grandes disyuntivas de la literatura, es la de poder separar al autor de su obra. Se tiende a englobar y a valorar a un escritor según los principios que refleja su texto, y ha quedado más que demostrado que no tiene por qué ser así. Es una bofetada de realidad, cuando tras un texto bello, encuentras a un autor que en su faceta personal está cargado de sombras, o viceversa.
El principito, de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, se ha convertido en una de las grandes obras de la literatura universal. Nos acerca la historia de un príncipe niño que vive en su pequeño planetoide con la única compañía de una rosa a la que debe cuidar y mimar. Una obra que exalta el amor puro, la inocencia, la libertad, la bondad y una lista interminable de grandes valores universales con frases tan bellas que forman ya parte de tazas, bolsos y eslóganes personales. ¿Pero quién se esconde tras esta obra?
Antoine fue una persona ególatra, prepotente, llena de pueriles comportamientos y cargado de egoísmo. Volcó en su principito, lo contrario a aquello que su vida reflejaba. Memorias de la rosa no es más que el testimonio de Consuelo, la mujer artista y escritora escondida tras la sombra del autor, la rosa evocada en su obra magna y pisoteada en la realidad, la historia de un brutal maltrato psicológico de años que relegó a Consuelo al más oscuro olvido. Cuesta asimilar hoy en día tal nivel de aguante y resignación, de espera, de sometimiento, hay que extrapolar mucho a la época histórica para aún así, seguir sin entenderlo. Estas memorias os harán sacar lo peor como lectores y no os dejarán indiferentes, Antoine os hará hervir la sangre, pero Consuelo también.
No esperéis tampoco encontrar una biografía propiamente dicha. Consuelo vomita hechos y sentimientos sin ton ni son, apenas hay ambientación histórica y por veces nos perdemos incluso en la línea temporal. Es un libro por y para dar voz a una mujer y a su mundo interior de sentimientos y a un dolor que ni ella misma asumía. Traducción directa del francés, estas memorias, son como abrir de cuajo y ver dentro del alma de una persona. Gracias a @espinaseditorial por su labor de rescate de tantas voces femeninas acalladas.
El principito, de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, se ha convertido en una de las grandes obras de la literatura universal. Nos acerca la historia de un príncipe niño que vive en su pequeño planetoide con la única compañía de una rosa a la que debe cuidar y mimar. Una obra que exalta el amor puro, la inocencia, la libertad, la bondad y una lista interminable de grandes valores universales con frases tan bellas que forman ya parte de tazas, bolsos y eslóganes personales. ¿Pero quién se esconde tras esta obra?
Antoine fue una persona ególatra, prepotente, llena de pueriles comportamientos y cargado de egoísmo. Volcó en su principito, lo contrario a aquello que su vida reflejaba. Memorias de la rosa no es más que el testimonio de Consuelo, la mujer artista y escritora escondida tras la sombra del autor, la rosa evocada en su obra magna y pisoteada en la realidad, la historia de un brutal maltrato psicológico de años que relegó a Consuelo al más oscuro olvido. Cuesta asimilar hoy en día tal nivel de aguante y resignación, de espera, de sometimiento, hay que extrapolar mucho a la época histórica para aún así, seguir sin entenderlo. Estas memorias os harán sacar lo peor como lectores y no os dejarán indiferentes, Antoine os hará hervir la sangre, pero Consuelo también.
No esperéis tampoco encontrar una biografía propiamente dicha. Consuelo vomita hechos y sentimientos sin ton ni son, apenas hay ambientación histórica y por veces nos perdemos incluso en la línea temporal. Es un libro por y para dar voz a una mujer y a su mundo interior de sentimientos y a un dolor que ni ella misma asumía. Traducción directa del francés, estas memorias, son como abrir de cuajo y ver dentro del alma de una persona. Gracias a @espinaseditorial por su labor de rescate de tantas voces femeninas acalladas.
April 6, 2018
3.5*
Thank goodness I eventually managed to finish with this one; it was taking a bit too long. So, having read most of the book's reviews around here, I was kind of determined to hate Saint-Ex. once I finished the book, but while reading it I realized those two had something most of us wouldn't bear: a kind of love-and-hate relationship that would destroy both partners if they were separated for too long and eat them inside if they stayed too much together. So basically, they just went with the flow. Head over heels when they met, some quiet moments, then storms, he left, she suffered, he came back, they separated, he got injured, she looked after him, together, separated and so on.
I don't agree with all those who pity Consuelo. From where I'm standing, she's a strong woman, quite determined and very intelligent. So I believe it was her choice to put up with all his whims, cheating, childish behaviour and all that. And if, after 13 years of marriage, one can write such a delicate and powerful love letter, then it's no doubt: there was love all along.
P.S. Unfortunately, Consuelo wasn't as talented a writer as her husband, but she was, nevertheless, a wonderful woman.
Thank goodness I eventually managed to finish with this one; it was taking a bit too long. So, having read most of the book's reviews around here, I was kind of determined to hate Saint-Ex. once I finished the book, but while reading it I realized those two had something most of us wouldn't bear: a kind of love-and-hate relationship that would destroy both partners if they were separated for too long and eat them inside if they stayed too much together. So basically, they just went with the flow. Head over heels when they met, some quiet moments, then storms, he left, she suffered, he came back, they separated, he got injured, she looked after him, together, separated and so on.
I don't agree with all those who pity Consuelo. From where I'm standing, she's a strong woman, quite determined and very intelligent. So I believe it was her choice to put up with all his whims, cheating, childish behaviour and all that. And if, after 13 years of marriage, one can write such a delicate and powerful love letter, then it's no doubt: there was love all along.
P.S. Unfortunately, Consuelo wasn't as talented a writer as her husband, but she was, nevertheless, a wonderful woman.
July 19, 2021
- minor editing done -
"...One never ought to listen to flowers, one should only look at them and breathe their fragrance. Mine perfumed all my planet. But I did not know how to take pleasure in all her grace... the fact is that I did not know how to understand anything! She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her... I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little stratagems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her....."
How to rate this one, being such a personal,unique tale?
For style of writing I would say a 3.5 but for what it showed me i will give it a 5.
I doubt there´s that many people around that haven't heard of Saint Exupery and his Little Prince tale - the aviator stranded in the desert that meets a young prince on a voyage across the stars - and of this young prince´s devotion/love for his rose, the most beautiful perfect rose in the universe, that he cant live with/ without.
Well, did you know that the rose is real?Yes, she is....or was.
The inspiration for this rose came from Antoine Saint-Ex (as his friends called him), from his life and his very intense relationship with his wife - Consuelo.
The tale of the rose is precisely what its tittle says - the rose (Consuelo) tells her tale of how she met this larger than life character, how she loved him, was loved, was abandoned and picked up again..and again...and again..till the one faithful day when the aviator left on his airplane for one more trip and never came back.
Thus the rose was left to spend the rest of her life remembering, writing this tale that began as a letter to him 2 years after his disappearance, and preserving the memory of her Tonio (as she called him).
The manuscript was found only after Consuelo´s death, she had written it down and put it aside - to painful?too much?...one can only wonder.
My own reaction to reading this was at first, from my 2017 couch, astonishment, fury, anger, frustration - how could a woman, any woman, put up with all the affairs, the ups and downs of Antoine´s character, the lack of money, the never ending roaming from place to place since the day they met in Buenos Aires in 1930 to the day they said goodbye in New York in the spring of 1944?
I found myself hating him,him!! the creator of one of my all time favorite stories! I wanted to punch him in the face for being so selfish and hurting her so much, and to slap her hard so she would snap out of it and leave him for good...but can I really judge? can anyone of us?
So what you have here dear reader, should you choose to try this one, is a tale of love, of passion, of pain, sadness, obsession and misery all thrown together in the shape of a man and a woman who I do believe shared a deeply strong bond and who, to a certain extent, were always there for each other - in Consuelo´s case beyond his death.
This may not fit the pattern of a "healthy/normal" relationship, but who are me and you to judge what makes our fellow Man happy?...as long as no one gets killed, its really none of our business.
Some people come into this world only briefly, to show us something, to makes us feel more than what many times we allow ourselves to feel. They shine bright, so so bright and suddenly, they are gone.
Life with a genius is never easy, never simple and straightforward...it am not saying he should be excused, but I do believe Consuelo in the end had no regrets and I applaud her courage and honesty in telling it all and leaving it behind so we would get to know The Tale of the Rose....
Extra Note - Saint Exupery disappeared somewhere over the Mediterranean in July 1944, his body and airplane were never found but, in 1998, a diver in the Mediterranean Sea recovered a bracelet inscribed "Antoine/Consuelo" ......
Happy Readings!
"...One never ought to listen to flowers, one should only look at them and breathe their fragrance. Mine perfumed all my planet. But I did not know how to take pleasure in all her grace... the fact is that I did not know how to understand anything! She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her... I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little stratagems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her....."
How to rate this one, being such a personal,unique tale?
For style of writing I would say a 3.5 but for what it showed me i will give it a 5.
I doubt there´s that many people around that haven't heard of Saint Exupery and his Little Prince tale - the aviator stranded in the desert that meets a young prince on a voyage across the stars - and of this young prince´s devotion/love for his rose, the most beautiful perfect rose in the universe, that he cant live with/ without.
Well, did you know that the rose is real?Yes, she is....or was.
The inspiration for this rose came from Antoine Saint-Ex (as his friends called him), from his life and his very intense relationship with his wife - Consuelo.
The tale of the rose is precisely what its tittle says - the rose (Consuelo) tells her tale of how she met this larger than life character, how she loved him, was loved, was abandoned and picked up again..and again...and again..till the one faithful day when the aviator left on his airplane for one more trip and never came back.
Thus the rose was left to spend the rest of her life remembering, writing this tale that began as a letter to him 2 years after his disappearance, and preserving the memory of her Tonio (as she called him).
The manuscript was found only after Consuelo´s death, she had written it down and put it aside - to painful?too much?...one can only wonder.
My own reaction to reading this was at first, from my 2017 couch, astonishment, fury, anger, frustration - how could a woman, any woman, put up with all the affairs, the ups and downs of Antoine´s character, the lack of money, the never ending roaming from place to place since the day they met in Buenos Aires in 1930 to the day they said goodbye in New York in the spring of 1944?
I found myself hating him,him!! the creator of one of my all time favorite stories! I wanted to punch him in the face for being so selfish and hurting her so much, and to slap her hard so she would snap out of it and leave him for good...but can I really judge? can anyone of us?
So what you have here dear reader, should you choose to try this one, is a tale of love, of passion, of pain, sadness, obsession and misery all thrown together in the shape of a man and a woman who I do believe shared a deeply strong bond and who, to a certain extent, were always there for each other - in Consuelo´s case beyond his death.
This may not fit the pattern of a "healthy/normal" relationship, but who are me and you to judge what makes our fellow Man happy?...as long as no one gets killed, its really none of our business.
Some people come into this world only briefly, to show us something, to makes us feel more than what many times we allow ourselves to feel. They shine bright, so so bright and suddenly, they are gone.
Life with a genius is never easy, never simple and straightforward...it am not saying he should be excused, but I do believe Consuelo in the end had no regrets and I applaud her courage and honesty in telling it all and leaving it behind so we would get to know The Tale of the Rose....
Extra Note - Saint Exupery disappeared somewhere over the Mediterranean in July 1944, his body and airplane were never found but, in 1998, a diver in the Mediterranean Sea recovered a bracelet inscribed "Antoine/Consuelo" ......
Happy Readings!
January 3, 2013
Interesting perspective about the author of The Little Prince. What he has to say about love in his book - seems less wonderful when you read about him through the eyes of his wife. I suppose that's life...
September 11, 2023
I love the cover of this book. What a strange and unusual life they had, interesting and sad.
June 28, 2018
One of the best memoirs I've read.
December 28, 2021
Memorias de la Rosa
Es la recopilación de las memorias de la artista salvadoreña, Consuelo Suncín, una gran artista, que redactó en francés (siendo su lengua materna el español) lo que fue su vida a lado de un hombre alto, robusto y torpe con quien llevó una relación tormentosa y pasional hasta su desaparición en un accidente aéreo de quien en vida fuera el autor de “El Principito”, Antoine de Sanit-Exupéry.
Consuelo de Saint-Ex, como la llamaban, conoció a Tonnio (así le decía ella de cariño), en Buenos Aires, donde ella llegó con motivo de un reconocimiento a su difunto esposo, cónsul en Francia que había fallecido hace poco.
Ambos de origen noble, aristócratas con muchos privilegios, se conocieron en un entorno artístico y político con comodidades y lujos, sin embargo, la vida de excesos de Tonnio hacía que la pareja se encuentre frecuentemente en disputas por la falta de dinero, a pesar de lo cual, su condición les daría siempre las facilidades y Tonnio lograría en vida, muchos reconocimientos como piloto y como escritor que les brindó comodidades incluso en los tiempos más duros por los que atravesaba el mundo.
En su vida marital, pasaban de la ternura al desasosiego, momentos de extrema pasión lírica, seguida de tormentas en los que conocemos a un Antoine egoísta, hedonista y muy cruel con quien más le amaba. Durante la guerra, ella vivió 2 años en Francia en una realidad muy cruda, esperando a que su esposo, quien residía en Nueva York, “la reclamara”.
Consuelo, casada con un hombre que la marcaría por sus largas ausencias, periodos de cartas y telegramas rebosantes de palabras de amor y una cotidianidad disociada de tales declaraciones. Al leerla pienso que realmente, ella no se daba cuenta del daño que le hacía, pues sentía el deber de esposa, una profunda dependencia y estaba rodeada de un entorno cínico.
Me asombró la facilidad para expresar sus sentimientos y describir su entorno, de recordar las palabras y gestos de sus interlocutores y su inagotable paciencia durante años, así como la ternura con la que relata la despedida, que sería la última, con su amado Tonnio.
Desde ahora, “El Principito” cobra un sentido diferente porque la rosa del cuento no es una fantasía del autor, es Consuelo, su esposa.
Es la recopilación de las memorias de la artista salvadoreña, Consuelo Suncín, una gran artista, que redactó en francés (siendo su lengua materna el español) lo que fue su vida a lado de un hombre alto, robusto y torpe con quien llevó una relación tormentosa y pasional hasta su desaparición en un accidente aéreo de quien en vida fuera el autor de “El Principito”, Antoine de Sanit-Exupéry.
Consuelo de Saint-Ex, como la llamaban, conoció a Tonnio (así le decía ella de cariño), en Buenos Aires, donde ella llegó con motivo de un reconocimiento a su difunto esposo, cónsul en Francia que había fallecido hace poco.
Ambos de origen noble, aristócratas con muchos privilegios, se conocieron en un entorno artístico y político con comodidades y lujos, sin embargo, la vida de excesos de Tonnio hacía que la pareja se encuentre frecuentemente en disputas por la falta de dinero, a pesar de lo cual, su condición les daría siempre las facilidades y Tonnio lograría en vida, muchos reconocimientos como piloto y como escritor que les brindó comodidades incluso en los tiempos más duros por los que atravesaba el mundo.
En su vida marital, pasaban de la ternura al desasosiego, momentos de extrema pasión lírica, seguida de tormentas en los que conocemos a un Antoine egoísta, hedonista y muy cruel con quien más le amaba. Durante la guerra, ella vivió 2 años en Francia en una realidad muy cruda, esperando a que su esposo, quien residía en Nueva York, “la reclamara”.
Consuelo, casada con un hombre que la marcaría por sus largas ausencias, periodos de cartas y telegramas rebosantes de palabras de amor y una cotidianidad disociada de tales declaraciones. Al leerla pienso que realmente, ella no se daba cuenta del daño que le hacía, pues sentía el deber de esposa, una profunda dependencia y estaba rodeada de un entorno cínico.
Me asombró la facilidad para expresar sus sentimientos y describir su entorno, de recordar las palabras y gestos de sus interlocutores y su inagotable paciencia durante años, así como la ternura con la que relata la despedida, que sería la última, con su amado Tonnio.
Desde ahora, “El Principito” cobra un sentido diferente porque la rosa del cuento no es una fantasía del autor, es Consuelo, su esposa.
September 6, 2007
First off let me admit that I am totally embarrassed now by my review of Saint-Exupery’s Wind, Sand and Stars: “I fell in love with Saint-Exupery while reading this.” My embarrassment has nothing to do with the book, which is the best, it’s that after reading this memoir by his wife, Consuelo, I see that every other woman who ever read his books seems to have had the same reaction. Then they all threw themselves at him and, sadly for Consuelo, he slept with every last one of them.
I wouldn’t say this is a good book, but it was interesting to read about their trainwreck of a marriage and get a perspective on this beloved hero/writer. He seems to be along the lines of those types that everyone’s met: captivating, intense, when their attention is on you you feel you’re the only person in their world… until they’re distracted and move on to something/someone else. Except he’s that person on steroids, with ADD, an immense talent and an ego that tells him his writing can save all of humanity. Even though she wrote the book, I can’t really see what he saw in Consuelo. He seems to have been more in love with the idea that she was an innocent child he had to take care of (I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was a little retarded), than with Consuelo herself. I guess that’s kind of like the little prince’s relationship to the rose? Except the little prince didn’t fuck every other flower in sight. Whatever. I hated both of them by the end of the book, so I don’t really care.
I wouldn’t say this is a good book, but it was interesting to read about their trainwreck of a marriage and get a perspective on this beloved hero/writer. He seems to be along the lines of those types that everyone’s met: captivating, intense, when their attention is on you you feel you’re the only person in their world… until they’re distracted and move on to something/someone else. Except he’s that person on steroids, with ADD, an immense talent and an ego that tells him his writing can save all of humanity. Even though she wrote the book, I can’t really see what he saw in Consuelo. He seems to have been more in love with the idea that she was an innocent child he had to take care of (I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was a little retarded), than with Consuelo herself. I guess that’s kind of like the little prince’s relationship to the rose? Except the little prince didn’t fuck every other flower in sight. Whatever. I hated both of them by the end of the book, so I don’t really care.
October 27, 2023
Los que me seguís sabéis cuál es mi relación con El principito. Leer las "memorias" de una persona tan próxima al autor, como lo fue su mujer Consuelo me ha permitido seguir amando el libro desde una perspectiva diferente, es decir, adoro la esencia del libro en sí separando este amor de un autor que tenía idealizado y que se me ha decubierto como un hombre narcisista, prepotente, pueril y muy muy egoísta. La historia de Consuelo es un constante tira y afloja, una lucha diaria, una súplica por conseguir el amor de un hombre que continuamente la engaña, la desprecia y la llama solo cuando le interesa a él. Consuelo fue una mujer talentosa; artista, escritora pero que erró, erró conformándose con vivir a la sombra de Exupéry, supeditada siempre a él y a su volátil forma de ser, así a todo, a pesar de mostrarse continuamente como una mujer desdichada, nunca lo dejó y aún cuando él desapareció en el mar durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, lo continuó esperando hasta el final de sus días.
Las Memorias de la rosa no son unas memorias propiamente dichas ya que son acontecimientos sueltos de la vida de Consuelo, una vida interesante y una obra que me ha gustado descubrir siendo tan fan de la obra prima del hombre en el que se centran sus recuerdos.
Las Memorias de la rosa no son unas memorias propiamente dichas ya que son acontecimientos sueltos de la vida de Consuelo, una vida interesante y una obra que me ha gustado descubrir siendo tan fan de la obra prima del hombre en el que se centran sus recuerdos.
February 3, 2017
نام آنتوان دوسنت اگزوپری تداعی کننده تمام احساسات خوبی است که با خواندن مهم ترین اثر این نویسنده یعنی شازده کوچولو به خیلی از ما دست داده است. این بار از زبان همسرش کنسئلو دوسنت اگزوپری با جنبه هایی از زندگی خالق شازده کوچولو آشنا میشویم که شاید مطابقتی با ذهنیت مان از اوندارد. اما تا چه اندازه می شود بر مبنای خاطرات کنسئلو قضاوت صحیحی از زندگی خودش و همسر نویسنده اش داشت. آیا خاطرات او نوعی شفاف سازی است یا به دلیل هجمه های افراد نزدیک به آنتوان دوسنت اگزوپری به او، نوعی دفاع است که صداقت در آن کاملا رعایت نشده؟
September 4, 2014
بسیار عالی بود.
در قسمت هایی از کتاب به این فکر می کردم که اگزوپری با این همه اتفاقاتی که برایش می افتد و بی وفایی هایی که می کند، واقعا خالق شازده کوچولوست؟
یا شازده کوچولو شاید نامه ای برای طلب بخشش برای کنسوئلوست؟
در قسمت هایی از کتاب به این فکر می کردم که اگزوپری با این همه اتفاقاتی که برایش می افتد و بی وفایی هایی که می کند، واقعا خالق شازده کوچولوست؟
یا شازده کوچولو شاید نامه ای برای طلب بخشش برای کنسوئلوست؟
January 27, 2025
This unique autobiography had candor and some truly lovely writing. It filled in gaps for me in both early airmail delivery as well as giving some texture to the husband’s motivation in writing “The Little Prince.”
One mystery to me, as I read some of the reviews, was how do some readers view autobiographies?
Is it my “duty” to disagree with someone’s life choices and lifestyle?
Is offering criticism of a person’s revealing narrative a review or just an opportunity to reveal oneself to be on a higher plane?
I would not have wanted to live Consuelo de Saint Exupery’s life. However, I think she had the human right to live it, make her choices and be judged more on the writing of her autobiographical story than on her life experiences.
Yes, she did seem capricious, and a bit like a rare flitting exotic bird, but she definitely owned her story. I was glad to have read about her world and experiences.
One mystery to me, as I read some of the reviews, was how do some readers view autobiographies?
Is it my “duty” to disagree with someone’s life choices and lifestyle?
Is offering criticism of a person’s revealing narrative a review or just an opportunity to reveal oneself to be on a higher plane?
I would not have wanted to live Consuelo de Saint Exupery’s life. However, I think she had the human right to live it, make her choices and be judged more on the writing of her autobiographical story than on her life experiences.
Yes, she did seem capricious, and a bit like a rare flitting exotic bird, but she definitely owned her story. I was glad to have read about her world and experiences.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2023
Der Typ ist echt iwie schwierig :/
April 13, 2017
An interesting read of the inside perspective on a tumultuous relationship. I am fairly certain that Consuelo was suffering from mental illness: most likely bipolar disorder or NPD. Meanwhile, Antoine's avoidance and restlessness is typical behavior of one who is struggling with coping with a loved one with mental health issues.
September 12, 2024
I'd love to call this a love story but it's really the story of an abusive relationship and the emotional roller coaster a narcissistic adventurer kept his wife on for the duration of their marriage. While Consuelo was clearly St. Exupery's muse (at least the main one), he projected the image of a porcelain child doll onto her, allowing him to return again and again to his disowned innocence for a whiff of redemption before returning to his life of debauchery and selfishness. Some may romanticize the author's willingness to endure as a testament to unconditional love, but I read and felt it as the submission of a woman to the patriarchal domination of the times, culture, and a marriage that did not honor her voice or needs. If you are concerned about harming your own ideal of the author of The Little Prince, think carefully before proceeding with this account of a far less than charming love affair.
October 23, 2013
If you have read the "The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupery and felt sorry for the boy who pined for his Rose, you are in for a rude shock. As the title suggests, this is the story of 'The Rose' as told by her.
Twice widowed Consuelo meets the aviator Antoine in Buenos Aires and before she can even think of what is happening, gets caught up in the whirl wind world of romance and subsequent marriage to him. The story takes us through their tumultuous lives from Paris to Casablanca, back to Paris , then to her home in El Salvador and finally to New York.
Antoine comes across as totally self centered and selfish, looking only at what he could get out of the relationship. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that but for Consuelo, most of his much acclaimed literary works may not have seen the light of the day or even been completed. One moment he treats her as though she is the biggest treasure that he has come across, the next as if her very presence would poison him. The callous nature in which he carries on his various affairs right front of her is shocking, to say the least. But, the very moment he gets even an inkling of her intention to leave him, the jealous serpent in him raises itself. By fair means and foul, he ensures that Consuelo doesn't leave him.
Consuelo herself seem to be at a complete loss as far as her beloved Tonio is considered. She knows he is treating her worse than a doormat, but is ready to fly back to him at the slightest hint. She is literally banished from his life several times, left stranded penniless and home less in strange towns and even goes through multiple nervous break downs. At the end of it all , she is back at his door step , trying to bring some order into his completely disarrayed life. Is it some sort of heroinism, I wonder, that she thinks she alone is capable to tame such a wild and gifted heart? The essence of their life together is brought out in her words,
"My God, being the wife of a pilot is a whole career, but being the wife of a writer is a religious vocation!"
What Antoine looks for in his wife is also clear as he leaves her before his final flight,
"I could almost thank heaven for giving me a treasure to leave behind: my house, my books, my dog. You will keep them for me."
The book reinforces some questions that I have always had. Is promiscuity a pre-requisite for genius and an artistic bend of mind? There are so many instances of first wives supporting writers and artists while they are struggling and at the first sign of success they are relegated to the post of a shrewish woman. And the man is pitied and spoiled with pity, love, lust and whatnot.
Verdict - Would not recommend it...unless you are really curious to know about the sad reality that the 'Little Prince' was.
You can read my other reviews at http://wanderlustathome.wordpress.com/
Twice widowed Consuelo meets the aviator Antoine in Buenos Aires and before she can even think of what is happening, gets caught up in the whirl wind world of romance and subsequent marriage to him. The story takes us through their tumultuous lives from Paris to Casablanca, back to Paris , then to her home in El Salvador and finally to New York.
Antoine comes across as totally self centered and selfish, looking only at what he could get out of the relationship. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that but for Consuelo, most of his much acclaimed literary works may not have seen the light of the day or even been completed. One moment he treats her as though she is the biggest treasure that he has come across, the next as if her very presence would poison him. The callous nature in which he carries on his various affairs right front of her is shocking, to say the least. But, the very moment he gets even an inkling of her intention to leave him, the jealous serpent in him raises itself. By fair means and foul, he ensures that Consuelo doesn't leave him.
Consuelo herself seem to be at a complete loss as far as her beloved Tonio is considered. She knows he is treating her worse than a doormat, but is ready to fly back to him at the slightest hint. She is literally banished from his life several times, left stranded penniless and home less in strange towns and even goes through multiple nervous break downs. At the end of it all , she is back at his door step , trying to bring some order into his completely disarrayed life. Is it some sort of heroinism, I wonder, that she thinks she alone is capable to tame such a wild and gifted heart? The essence of their life together is brought out in her words,
"My God, being the wife of a pilot is a whole career, but being the wife of a writer is a religious vocation!"
What Antoine looks for in his wife is also clear as he leaves her before his final flight,
"I could almost thank heaven for giving me a treasure to leave behind: my house, my books, my dog. You will keep them for me."
The book reinforces some questions that I have always had. Is promiscuity a pre-requisite for genius and an artistic bend of mind? There are so many instances of first wives supporting writers and artists while they are struggling and at the first sign of success they are relegated to the post of a shrewish woman. And the man is pitied and spoiled with pity, love, lust and whatnot.
Verdict - Would not recommend it...unless you are really curious to know about the sad reality that the 'Little Prince' was.
You can read my other reviews at http://wanderlustathome.wordpress.com/
October 24, 2023
Never meet your heroes.
July 1, 2025
Debería ser obligatorio leer este libro junto a El principito. Las memorias de Consuelo relatan la realidad de una relación de alguien que te quiere como a un objeto, que te quiere disponible siempre para acudir a ti cuando le conviene. En todo el relato describe, casi sin quererlo, cómo es una relación con un maltratador psicológico de manual: alejarte de tu familia y amistadas, perseguirte cuando intentas terminar la relación, comentarios inocentes que merman la autoestima, luz de gas… para luego hacer ver que se arrepiente y que tú eres su soporte y debes quedarte con él y perdonarle, te promete que siempre volverá (suena más a amenaza que ha arrepentimiento) y que confíes en él, y si la relación va mal es porque tú eres u a histérica.
Se ve claramente que Antoine quería dejar a la rosa sola en su planeta y que estuviera disponible siempre que él quisiera volver, mientras nos vende en El principito que esto es una historia de amor, lo que en realidad es puro egoísmo y abandono.
De hecho, esto demuestra que es imposible separar la obra del autor, ya que cuando creas pones una parte de ti en tu obra. Leyendo ahora de nuevo El principito conociendo la otra versión de la historia se ve entre líneas a este personaje egoísta que se queja de su rosa pero no es capaz de dejarla libre porque quiere que esté disponible para él cuando él no está disponible para quedarse ni dejarla ir: literalmente la deja atrapada en el planeta B612 y la mantiene alejada de cualquiera que pueda salvarla.
Se ve claramente que Antoine quería dejar a la rosa sola en su planeta y que estuviera disponible siempre que él quisiera volver, mientras nos vende en El principito que esto es una historia de amor, lo que en realidad es puro egoísmo y abandono.
De hecho, esto demuestra que es imposible separar la obra del autor, ya que cuando creas pones una parte de ti en tu obra. Leyendo ahora de nuevo El principito conociendo la otra versión de la historia se ve entre líneas a este personaje egoísta que se queja de su rosa pero no es capaz de dejarla libre porque quiere que esté disponible para él cuando él no está disponible para quedarse ni dejarla ir: literalmente la deja atrapada en el planeta B612 y la mantiene alejada de cualquiera que pueda salvarla.
September 23, 2014
This is a very intimate view of Consuelo and Antoine's relationship. The beginning of the story was especially lovely while Antoine was still flying the mail routes. The read became quite painful after he becomes a celebrated writer, when Consuelo confesses to the pain of becoming distanced from the man she married, and publicly humiliated by his infidelities. At the same time, I wanted to stop reading because I love St-Exupery's writing so much that I didn't really want to hear about his negative side. In the end, I believe Consuelo needed to get it all off her chest, and it's a good reminder that no one - no matter how talented, is perfect. Every human capable of love is also capable of hurt.
July 7, 2014
The story of a terrible yet oddly beautiful marriage. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry may be the world's worst husband, and Consuelo the most passive, submissive wife, but the writing here is strangely intoxicating and touches on the truth about many relationships and their imbalances and abuses. Raises a lot of questions about unconditional love and if love is even a smart idea in the first place.
March 1, 2025
Cómo hago para entender que el hombre que escribió el principito y unió corazones, es mismo que rompe el corazón de Consuelo una y otra vez. Leer con precaución, este es un libro de terror.
Consuelo, leerte fue maravilloso, ojalá hubiera podido leer las historias que tenías dentro de ti y conocerte más como escritora.
Consuelo, leerte fue maravilloso, ojalá hubiera podido leer las historias que tenías dentro de ti y conocerte más como escritora.
August 26, 2012
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. The narrative seemed to wander at times, and I had a hard time relating to Consuelo. But this made me want to reread "The Little Prince" now that I have more insight on Saint-Ex's inspiration.
Want to read
July 27, 2013I can't believe that I've discovered this book just now!!! I've cried a several times in The Little Prince, now knowing there was actually a sequel. I need to find this book!!
December 11, 2021
An interesting look at the women who inspired a classic piece of fiction and the relationship she had with said author
March 3, 2019
– Так вот как вы заставляете женщин целовать вас? – спросила я его. – Со мной этот номер не пройдет. Мне надоело летать. Сделайте мне приятное – посадите самолет. Я недавно потеряла мужа и тоскую по нему.
– Ах! Мы падаем!
– Все равно.
Тогда он взглянул на меня, застопорил рычаг и произнес:
– Я знаю, вы не хотите меня поцеловать, потому что я слишком уродлив.
Я увидела, как жемчужины слезинок из его глаз закапали на галстук, и мое сердце растаяло от нежности. Я неловко перегнулась и поцеловала его. В ответ он начал неистово целовать меня, и так мы летели минуты две-три: самолет пикировал и взмывал, Сент-Экзюпери поднимал рычаг и опускал его снова.
Несколько лет назад в мою ленту на Фейсбуке попала передача "Больше чем любовь" телеканала Культура, и там я познакомилась с одной из самых неоднозначных, страстных и незабываемых пар 20-го века. Антуаном и Консуэло де Сент-Экзюпери.
Спустя годы я нашла эту книгу.
Читать про жизнь автора твоей самой любимой книги и не знать что с этим делать. Ибо в этой книге благодаря яркому и захватывающему слогу Консуэло он как будто оживает во всей своей неуклюжести, неловкости, молчаливости, неверности и неустойчивости. В один миг ты смеешься над его волнением и незамедлительным ночным возвращением домой к принявшей его за вора жене, а в другой - досада и недоумение пробирает тебя от его непостоянства. Он всегда где-то там, но его и нет. Он готов защищать её от всего мира, став вечным щитом, но и в моменты, когда он нужен, его как не бывало.
А Консуэло? Его Роза. Да да, та самая из "Маленького Принца". Та, что из страны вулканов. Она смело берётся за перо и открывает нам свою душу: порхавшую от любви, мучившуюся от непонимания, истерзанную от измен и соперничества, уставшую от постоянной опеки своего "сына", принимавшую этого "неуклюжего медведя" не взирая ни на что.
Эти отношения не были простыми, но что самое забавное - они оба знали об этом. Он утверждает, что о��а "первая кто в него поверил", что она "была той, которую он искал", что она "была портом, где он укрывался от бурь". Она - что "жить рядом с ним было трудно, потому что, уходя он уносил всего себя целиком, словно его никогда и не было с вами. Она "любила его за неловкость, за поэтичность натуры, за внешность великана, за которой скрывалась чувствительная душа."
И в конце у меня пронеслась лишь одна мысль: "Господи, как же сложно быть семьей. Тем более такой, где каждая из сторон - независимая и творческая личность. Как же нелегко любить человека не только с его лучшими качествами, но и с худшими."
"Когда священник во время венчания говорит вам, что вы будете вместе и в горе, и в радости, это действительно так." - Консуэло де Сент-Экзюпери.
– Ах! Мы падаем!
– Все равно.
Тогда он взглянул на меня, застопорил рычаг и произнес:
– Я знаю, вы не хотите меня поцеловать, потому что я слишком уродлив.
Я увидела, как жемчужины слезинок из его глаз закапали на галстук, и мое сердце растаяло от нежности. Я неловко перегнулась и поцеловала его. В ответ он начал неистово целовать меня, и так мы летели минуты две-три: самолет пикировал и взмывал, Сент-Экзюпери поднимал рычаг и опускал его снова.
Несколько лет назад в мою ленту на Фейсбуке попала передача "Больше чем любовь" телеканала Культура, и там я познакомилась с одной из самых неоднозначных, страстных и незабываемых пар 20-го века. Антуаном и Консуэло де Сент-Экзюпери.
Спустя годы я нашла эту книгу.
Читать про жизнь автора твоей самой любимой книги и не знать что с этим делать. Ибо в этой книге благодаря яркому и захватывающему слогу Консуэло он как будто оживает во всей своей неуклюжести, неловкости, молчаливости, неверности и неустойчивости. В один миг ты смеешься над его волнением и незамедлительным ночным возвращением домой к принявшей его за вора жене, а в другой - досада и недоумение пробирает тебя от его непостоянства. Он всегда где-то там, но его и нет. Он готов защищать её от всего мира, став вечным щитом, но и в моменты, когда он нужен, его как не бывало.
А Консуэло? Его Роза. Да да, та самая из "Маленького Принца". Та, что из страны вулканов. Она смело берётся за перо и открывает нам свою душу: порхавшую от любви, мучившуюся от непонимания, истерзанную от измен и соперничества, уставшую от постоянной опеки своего "сына", принимавшую этого "неуклюжего медведя" не взирая ни на что.
Эти отношения не были простыми, но что самое забавное - они оба знали об этом. Он утверждает, что о��а "первая кто в него поверил", что она "была той, которую он искал", что она "была портом, где он укрывался от бурь". Она - что "жить рядом с ним было трудно, потому что, уходя он уносил всего себя целиком, словно его никогда и не было с вами. Она "любила его за неловкость, за поэтичность натуры, за внешность великана, за которой скрывалась чувствительная душа."
И в конце у меня пронеслась лишь одна мысль: "Господи, как же сложно быть семьей. Тем более такой, где каждая из сторон - независимая и творческая личность. Как же нелегко любить человека не только с его лучшими качествами, но и с худшими."
"Когда священник во время венчания говорит вам, что вы будете вместе и в горе, и в радости, это действительно так." - Консуэло де Сент-Экзюпери.
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