Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Pocket (FR) (1999), Edition: French Language
Description
One of the most beloved heroes of the stage, Cyrano de Bergerac is a magnificent wit who, despite his many gifts, feels that no woman can ever love him because of his enormous nose. He adores the beautiful Roxanne but, lacking courage, decides instead to help the tongue-tied but winsome Christian woo the fair lady by providing him with flowery sentiments and soulful poetry. Roxanne is smitten-but is it Christian she loves or Cyrano? A triumph from the moment of its 1897 premiere, Cyrano de Bergerac has become one of the most frequently produced plays in the world. Its perennial popularity is a tribute to the universal appeal of its themes and characters.
User reviews
LibraryThing member StoutHearted
Amazing story written in gorgeous verse -- it was all worth muddling through irregular verbs in French class to be able to read this drama in Rostand's language! The heartstopping climax of Cyrano's words to Roxane on the balcony are the epitome of romance expressed so beautifully and sincere. His
As for the story, many have imitated it since: Ugly, but intelligent, Cyrano is in love with his cousin, Roxane, but is too ashamed of his long nose to tell her. In every other area of his life his is confident and is excellent at swordplay and wit (and can perform both at once!). Also enamoured with the lady is Christian, a handsome man with little brain to match. Roxane is a "Precieuse," a woman who values poetry and beautiful words, and Christian knows that his looks alone won't win her over. He enlists the help of Cyrano, and together, with Christian's looks and Cyrano's words, Roxane is led to believe that Christian is her dream man. Yet, Cyrano must suffer until his secret is revealed years later, too late: Roxane has holed herself up in a nunnery after Christian died in war, and Cyrano suffers a fatal head wound. The tragedy of the revelation is a true tearjerker.
For romantics, this is a must-read. But like Cyrano's words, the drama offers much more than romance. The theme of bravery and spirit, the "panache" that Cyrano holds dear, is important to the story. If only Cyrano had his famous courage when it came to confessing his love, he would have surely had his Roxane for himself. But then, we wouldn't have such a beautiful tragedy.
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definition of a kiss is one of the most memorable scenes in theater. The drama is cleverly written, with flowing tempo and rhyme that doesn't feel forced. As for the story, many have imitated it since: Ugly, but intelligent, Cyrano is in love with his cousin, Roxane, but is too ashamed of his long nose to tell her. In every other area of his life his is confident and is excellent at swordplay and wit (and can perform both at once!). Also enamoured with the lady is Christian, a handsome man with little brain to match. Roxane is a "Precieuse," a woman who values poetry and beautiful words, and Christian knows that his looks alone won't win her over. He enlists the help of Cyrano, and together, with Christian's looks and Cyrano's words, Roxane is led to believe that Christian is her dream man. Yet, Cyrano must suffer until his secret is revealed years later, too late: Roxane has holed herself up in a nunnery after Christian died in war, and Cyrano suffers a fatal head wound. The tragedy of the revelation is a true tearjerker.
For romantics, this is a must-read. But like Cyrano's words, the drama offers much more than romance. The theme of bravery and spirit, the "panache" that Cyrano holds dear, is important to the story. If only Cyrano had his famous courage when it came to confessing his love, he would have surely had his Roxane for himself. But then, we wouldn't have such a beautiful tragedy.
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LibraryThing member gbill
Brilliant. Well crafted, intelligent, and romantic. Rostand’s stage instructions, larger than life characters, and tale of panache and heartbreak must have made for an incredible theater experience when it premiered in 1897, and perhaps it still does today. The main story that most are probably
Quotes:
On death, perhaps a fantastic epitaph:
Excuse me, friends, I mustn’t keep her waiting:
The moon has come to fetch me.
On a kiss:
Cyrano: A kiss! What is a kiss? A confession
Made from a little closer at hand, a promise
Delivered as soon as it’s made,
A secret whispered close, with a mouth to hear it:
Eternity held in a moment that stings like a bee.
Passed like communion, a host with the scent of flowers,
A way to breathe the breath of the heart of another
And with one’s lips to sip the beloved one’s soul.
On love:
Roxane: What words will you use to tell it?
Cyrano: All of them.
Each word that comes to me. I’ll throw them all
In sheaves at your feet, no time to make a bouquet:
I love you, I’m stifling, I love you, I’m crazy, it’s more
Than I can bear. Your name’s like a bell in my heart,
Dearest, a little bell, and as I keep trembling,
The bell keeps ringing and ringing and saying your name.
The tiniest things about you live in my memory.
I’ve loved them all, always. Last year, I remember,
On the twelfth of May, you changed the style of your hair!
You know what you look too long at the sun, the disc
Of fire that floats on everything afterwards? Well,
Your hair was my sunlight, and after I looked away
There were patches of blonde light all over the world.
On success in life:
De Guiche: There’s such a thing as too complete success,
And even when one has done nothing wrong –
Not really wrong – a certain slight unease
That isn’t quite remorse will come to haunt one
When rising to great office. As one climbs,
The ducal ermine trails along a wake
Of rustling dead illusions and regrets,
Just as these autumn leaves catch in your train.
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aware of has memorable scenes – Cyrano in the bushes feeding lines to Christian as he stands below Roxane’s balcony of course, and also Cyrano pointing out just how banal someone’s attempts at humor are, by rattling off a long string of clever jokes about a big nose. “How darling of you to have built a little perch for little birds to rest their tiny claws,” he says, among many others. However, there is so much more to this play than that: the universality of insecurity, the depth and sacrifice of true love, the transience of life, and having a certain brio while alive. I was surprised by how many of the characters and their actions were historically accurate, outside the love story anyway, including Cyrano himself talking about creative ways of getting to the moon in a wonderful passage that reflects the real de Bergerac’s writing in 1657. Definitely recommended.Quotes:
On death, perhaps a fantastic epitaph:
Excuse me, friends, I mustn’t keep her waiting:
The moon has come to fetch me.
On a kiss:
Cyrano: A kiss! What is a kiss? A confession
Made from a little closer at hand, a promise
Delivered as soon as it’s made,
A secret whispered close, with a mouth to hear it:
Eternity held in a moment that stings like a bee.
Passed like communion, a host with the scent of flowers,
A way to breathe the breath of the heart of another
And with one’s lips to sip the beloved one’s soul.
On love:
Roxane: What words will you use to tell it?
Cyrano: All of them.
Each word that comes to me. I’ll throw them all
In sheaves at your feet, no time to make a bouquet:
I love you, I’m stifling, I love you, I’m crazy, it’s more
Than I can bear. Your name’s like a bell in my heart,
Dearest, a little bell, and as I keep trembling,
The bell keeps ringing and ringing and saying your name.
The tiniest things about you live in my memory.
I’ve loved them all, always. Last year, I remember,
On the twelfth of May, you changed the style of your hair!
You know what you look too long at the sun, the disc
Of fire that floats on everything afterwards? Well,
Your hair was my sunlight, and after I looked away
There were patches of blonde light all over the world.
On success in life:
De Guiche: There’s such a thing as too complete success,
And even when one has done nothing wrong –
Not really wrong – a certain slight unease
That isn’t quite remorse will come to haunt one
When rising to great office. As one climbs,
The ducal ermine trails along a wake
Of rustling dead illusions and regrets,
Just as these autumn leaves catch in your train.
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LibraryThing member trilliams
I should get a bigger nose.
LibraryThing member BayardUS
What Rostand gives you with this play can, I think, be boiled down to two things: the language he uses and the titular character of Cyrano de Bergerac. No other characters are given much depth, and the plot of the play is a love triangle of the type you've seen a thousand times before. However,
Cyrano struck me, repeatedly, as a calculated attempt by Rostand to make as popular a character as possible, meaning that, despite his historical roots, there's never an attempt to make him a flesh and blood character. Instead, Cyrano is over-the-top and theatrical. There's nothing wrong with having a theatrical character (this was written for the theater, after all), and there's nothing wrong with having it be your goal for the character to be popular, but if you notice that is occurring then the author has failed- coming off as trying too hard is never a good thing in this context. Cyrano is the finest swordsman in Paris, and he's likewise got not only a rapier wit but formidable poetic chops as well. He's also adored by all the good people of France, who cheer him on and consider him a hero in the first act of this play, even after he ruined a night out at the theater for all of them. De Guiche even complements Cyrano for distracting him long enough for the target of his affections to elope. The only people who don't like Cyrano are obvious villains and people never seen on-stage. The only flaw that our protagonist has is his lack of self-confidence concerning members of the fairer sex. It's a flaw tailor-made to make him as likable a character as possible, since who hasn't lacked confidence at least once, especially in matters of the heart? And with Cyrano, there's no question that this lack of self-confidence is unfounded. With Cyrano, Rostand can give us a character who's the bravest, smartest, funniest, most romantic of everyone, but who isn't absolutely without flaw and therefore not boring in his perfection. I get why this character is popular with many people. But he didn't resonate with me. I found him lacking in depth, and the only insight you can take from his character are platitudes. Be brave! Be smart! Stand up for what you believe in! Don't hide your feelings, be honest about them! There's no real insight here, because there's no real struggle- the only struggle that plays out on stage is Cyrano's romantic struggle (we never see his descent into poverty), and the solution to that struggle is an obvious one. Rostand gives us a character who is brave, but who never has to fight a fight he can't win. He's a romantic, but he never has to deal with an actual relationship. There's none of the mess of real life here, it's all clean melodrama, and that's fine as theatrical entertainment, but as a work of literature it can't rise above mediocrity for me.
I expect that I shall forever think of bottles of red wine as flasks of ruby, and bottles of white as flasks of topaz. That's more of an effect than many books have had on me. When I remember Cyrano, though, I expect I shall remember him as a failed attempt, at least in my experience.
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with the language of the play and the character of Cyrano, Rostand was not just adhering to old ideas. Even in translation (Hooker for my edition), the language holds up, not impressing in every instance but impressing often enough to establish that Rostand was a masterful writer. Unfortunately, the character of Cyrano left me wanting. Cyrano struck me, repeatedly, as a calculated attempt by Rostand to make as popular a character as possible, meaning that, despite his historical roots, there's never an attempt to make him a flesh and blood character. Instead, Cyrano is over-the-top and theatrical. There's nothing wrong with having a theatrical character (this was written for the theater, after all), and there's nothing wrong with having it be your goal for the character to be popular, but if you notice that is occurring then the author has failed- coming off as trying too hard is never a good thing in this context. Cyrano is the finest swordsman in Paris, and he's likewise got not only a rapier wit but formidable poetic chops as well. He's also adored by all the good people of France, who cheer him on and consider him a hero in the first act of this play, even after he ruined a night out at the theater for all of them. De Guiche even complements Cyrano for distracting him long enough for the target of his affections to elope. The only people who don't like Cyrano are obvious villains and people never seen on-stage. The only flaw that our protagonist has is his lack of self-confidence concerning members of the fairer sex. It's a flaw tailor-made to make him as likable a character as possible, since who hasn't lacked confidence at least once, especially in matters of the heart? And with Cyrano, there's no question that this lack of self-confidence is unfounded. With Cyrano, Rostand can give us a character who's the bravest, smartest, funniest, most romantic of everyone, but who isn't absolutely without flaw and therefore not boring in his perfection. I get why this character is popular with many people. But he didn't resonate with me. I found him lacking in depth, and the only insight you can take from his character are platitudes. Be brave! Be smart! Stand up for what you believe in! Don't hide your feelings, be honest about them! There's no real insight here, because there's no real struggle- the only struggle that plays out on stage is Cyrano's romantic struggle (we never see his descent into poverty), and the solution to that struggle is an obvious one. Rostand gives us a character who is brave, but who never has to fight a fight he can't win. He's a romantic, but he never has to deal with an actual relationship. There's none of the mess of real life here, it's all clean melodrama, and that's fine as theatrical entertainment, but as a work of literature it can't rise above mediocrity for me.
I expect that I shall forever think of bottles of red wine as flasks of ruby, and bottles of white as flasks of topaz. That's more of an effect than many books have had on me. When I remember Cyrano, though, I expect I shall remember him as a failed attempt, at least in my experience.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
I love this play beyond the telling. It's one of the few single plays I own. The plays I keep on my shelves are complete plays of Shakespeare, Marlowe and Oscar Wilde, some Moliere, a collection of Spanish classics such as de Barca's La Vida Es Un Sueno and this--one of the few French plays that
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Americans are likely to see in production or film. Even Steve Martin did a modernized adaptation of it in Roxanne. The thing is that I do agree with the LibraryThing reviewer that counts Cyrano as not someone to admire, rather than the other reviewer on LibraryThing who saw this as a beautiful "unselfish" love. Indeed, Cyrano causes misery all around him because he's unselfish--or too cowardly--to woo his love in his own right. That's the tragedy. But, at least in the translation by Anthony Burgess, so much delights. The back cover says that what this translation has that so many lack is "panache." And yes, this is so witty and sparkling and funny for so much of its length--and poignant and heartbreaking. I have to count as great a playwright who can make me laugh and then cry within the same play. Show Less
LibraryThing member Belsornia
'Cyrano de Bergerac' is a masterful character study of a man who lets one feature shape his life. Complex and mercurial, Cyrano may be remembered as gallant and honourable, a talanted poet and unsurpassed swordsman, but he is also brash and arrogant and yet so afraid of rejection that he hides
I read a fairly pedestrian prose translation, and as such feel that I missed the flair and pace of the play. However, there remained glimpses of Rostand's mastery of language, most notably in some of Cyrano's soliloquies and the balcony scene with Roxane which, in a work touched by hyperbole - the duel with one hundred men at the Porte de Nesle, and the feast disguised in Roxane's carriage especially spring to mind - crystalises the deep emotion at the heart of the drama. The narrative may sometimes be ridiculous, but Rostand effectively conveys the vividness and reality of a complicated character, as well as some expert creation of atmosphere in ensemble scenes, the opening at the theatre of the Hôtel de Bourgogne and the military encampment at Arras.
The final act serves as a kind of epilogue and, I feel, is the weak point of the play. I am generally not fond of the device and often prefer when something is left to the imagination and the author does not feel the need to tie up all loose ends, but here it seems especially gratuitous, ratcheting up the melodrama to demostrate the tragedy of love, devotion and obstinacy. The construction of the rest of the play was skilful enough to show that there was no way this could have a comforting resolution.
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behind the identity of his handsome friend. He presents himself as a series of characters, and even at the end of his life will not admit the realities of his situation to those who care about him. He will not compromise in anything except the realisation of his own desires.I read a fairly pedestrian prose translation, and as such feel that I missed the flair and pace of the play. However, there remained glimpses of Rostand's mastery of language, most notably in some of Cyrano's soliloquies and the balcony scene with Roxane which, in a work touched by hyperbole - the duel with one hundred men at the Porte de Nesle, and the feast disguised in Roxane's carriage especially spring to mind - crystalises the deep emotion at the heart of the drama. The narrative may sometimes be ridiculous, but Rostand effectively conveys the vividness and reality of a complicated character, as well as some expert creation of atmosphere in ensemble scenes, the opening at the theatre of the Hôtel de Bourgogne and the military encampment at Arras.
The final act serves as a kind of epilogue and, I feel, is the weak point of the play. I am generally not fond of the device and often prefer when something is left to the imagination and the author does not feel the need to tie up all loose ends, but here it seems especially gratuitous, ratcheting up the melodrama to demostrate the tragedy of love, devotion and obstinacy. The construction of the rest of the play was skilful enough to show that there was no way this could have a comforting resolution.
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LibraryThing member g026r
Christopher Fry certainly has established dramatist chops, and I'd say that a number of his other French translation's from the same period are probably the definitive English versions. This all means that, like all other translators of French drama, he eventually made a go at Cyrano — a play
Unfortunately, as much as I enjoy his original work, his Cyrano just falls flat. It's not as bouncy as the subsequent Burgess translation, nor is it as faithful or as funny as the earlier Hooker. Unless you desperately need a copy and this is all that's available, I'd suggest avoiding it in favour of either of those two.
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that many have tried, but none have ever succeeded, to produce a flawless English version.Unfortunately, as much as I enjoy his original work, his Cyrano just falls flat. It's not as bouncy as the subsequent Burgess translation, nor is it as faithful or as funny as the earlier Hooker. Unless you desperately need a copy and this is all that's available, I'd suggest avoiding it in favour of either of those two.
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LibraryThing member jwhenderson
I consider this among my favorite plays for both its romantic air of the grand opera and the poetic monologues of its eponymous hero. An unconventional love story, it is more a fable for the importance of virtue, loyalty and friendship. What more magnanimous man in literature is there than Cyrano
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de Bergerac? I am sure that I will return to this play again and again as it reminds me of the best that is possible for man and mankind. Show Less
LibraryThing member g026r
The Burgess translation is certainly bouncier than the older Hooker but, in his desire to insert rhyming couplets and make the rest of the prose flow, some of the jokes get trampled on and lost. I won't say it's better, but merely different.
LibraryThing member FolkeB
In Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand creates a tale of unconquerable love, and unquenchable pride in the form of a living, vibrant poem running within the play. Cyrano de Bergerac is a philosopher, knight errand, poet, playwright and above all, a gentleman from Gascony, which means he owns
Rostand crafts Cyrano as the perfect knight of ages past, as skilled with poetry and philosophy as he is with his sword. For example, in the first act Cyrano duels an opponent and composes a ballad as he duels, to commemorate the duel and as he promises before he even draws his sword, in the last verse strikes home and covers himself in glory before all in the crowded playhouse. It is this dashing nerve, and Cyrano’s, or rather, Rostand’s eloquence that makes this play a classic. Cyrano is too proud to function in modern society though, to use his triumph at arms to gain favor with superiors is against his nature. The soul of Cyrano is that of fire and passion, imagination and pride that will never surrender to his old foes “falsehood, prejudice, compromise, cowardice, and vanity”
Cyrano de Bergerac has a slightly rocky start, as Cyrano is not immediately introduced, but when Cyrano is the play takes on a whole new dimension. The play flies by on the wings of lyrical genius and philosophy of what it means to be noble, brave and pure of spirit, along with the folly of pride. I would highly recommend this to everyone out of high school and anyone is not forced to read it.
Dan
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enormous pride and vanity along with undying bravery. The play follows his star-crossed love, Roxanne, and comrade-in-arms Christian. Rostand crafts Cyrano as the perfect knight of ages past, as skilled with poetry and philosophy as he is with his sword. For example, in the first act Cyrano duels an opponent and composes a ballad as he duels, to commemorate the duel and as he promises before he even draws his sword, in the last verse strikes home and covers himself in glory before all in the crowded playhouse. It is this dashing nerve, and Cyrano’s, or rather, Rostand’s eloquence that makes this play a classic. Cyrano is too proud to function in modern society though, to use his triumph at arms to gain favor with superiors is against his nature. The soul of Cyrano is that of fire and passion, imagination and pride that will never surrender to his old foes “falsehood, prejudice, compromise, cowardice, and vanity”
Cyrano de Bergerac has a slightly rocky start, as Cyrano is not immediately introduced, but when Cyrano is the play takes on a whole new dimension. The play flies by on the wings of lyrical genius and philosophy of what it means to be noble, brave and pure of spirit, along with the folly of pride. I would highly recommend this to everyone out of high school and anyone is not forced to read it.
Dan
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LibraryThing member jreinheimer
This is a play about a man with a big nose a lot of wit. He loves a woman but thinks he is too ugly for her to like him so he feeds lines to a handsome rival so he can win her heart. He then is sent off to war, because he is in the army. This is a good play to use to introduce students to drama. It
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is funny and has sword fighting so every student will be amused. Show Less
LibraryThing member bruneau
Best enjoyed in its superior French version, Cyrano is as “classy” as it gets. Simple, yet most effective, full of humor yet very sad. It is both a touching love story, and the horrible testimony of a flawed human nature constantly fooled by appearances.
LibraryThing member wvlibrarydude
Fell in love with the play and Jose Ferrer's BW version. Over the top romanticism, but truly a lot of fun.
LibraryThing member g026r
The "Unhappy Hooker", for all that it's maligned, has its moments where it simply works far better than any of the latter, lighter translations.
Worth reading, if only for Hooker's preface and the fidelity to which he sticks to the source material. In the end, if I had to pick a favourite
Worth reading, if only for Hooker's preface and the fidelity to which he sticks to the source material. In the end, if I had to pick a favourite
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translation I'd be selecting bits from all of them, including numerous parts of Hooker. Show Less
LibraryThing member cmbohn
I will admit that my choice of this book was influenced by my daughter. She got to see this play performed at the Utah Shakepeare Festival and just loved it. She said all the girls thought it was great. Since I had a play category, I chose to read this one.
I am not quite as crazy about the play as
I am not quite as crazy about the play as
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she was, but I did enjoy it. I loved the first part of the play. Cyrano is a great character. What I didn't enjoy as much was the whole selfless adoration involved. I don't want to spoil it, but let me say that I felt Cyrano should have spoken up sooner. Show Less
LibraryThing member aznstarlette
One of my absolute favourites! A beautiful romantic story set in one of my favourite time periods and told in one of my favourite languages - I mean, really, what's NOT to love?? It is truly exquisite.
LibraryThing member rennerra
Absolutely loved this as a teenager, it was probably my favorite book of all time until sometime well into my late 20s
LibraryThing member Unreachableshelf
Cyrano de Bergerac is as amazing a character study as it is a romance. Brian Hooker's translation is classic, and was the basis of the screenplay of the version starring Jose Ferrer, who is surely as much Cyrano for English-speaking audiences since then as Coquelin was for Rostand when it was
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written (note that the screenplay was cut somewhat from the original). Show Less
LibraryThing member savageknight
I've always enjoyed the character of Cyrano. Braggart, lover, arrogant, powerful. His flair for the romance and devotion to the arts makes every early scene one of great fun. The idea of being the true soul of another man's voice is also entertaining, if the drama weren't so pathetic. Here is a man
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so true to himself and his nature that he can brave anything... except the fact that there could be a woman who can love him despite his enormous nose. Therein lies the tragedy which concludes the tale on a very sour note. I don't believe it is noble to suffer love in silence. I believe love should be shouted from the rooftops. A fatal flaw in the charm of the book, but one I can easily ignore. Show Less
LibraryThing member AddictedToMorphemes
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
Translated into English by Brian Hooker
Bittersweet tale of unrequited love, nobility and honor. This play is set in France in 1640, during the reign of Louis XIII. Cyrano de Bergerac is known as the best swordsman in France, and is equally revered as a wordsmith
Cyrano denies his own happiness by refusing to admit his love for his distant cousin, Madeleine Robin, the lovely Roxane, and admits his reason for doing so to his good friend, Le Bret, who encourages him to speak to Roxane and give her the benefit of the doubt. When Roxane requests Cyrano's presence in a private meeting, his hopes are raised but then dashed when he learns that the purpose of the meeting is that Roxane wants Cyrano's help in romancing another. She admits to loving Baron Christian de Neuvillette, a soldier in Cyrano's regiment, a man she doesn't really know but is enamored by partly because of his physical good looks and partly by the fact that she has heard that he is besotted with her as well. Through his stunned disappointment, Cyrano agrees to befriend Christian and keep him from harm.
Their first meeting proves Christian to be rather unlikable as he uses every opportunity to make rude references to Cyrano's nose. Normally this would be the cause of a duel, but because of Cyrano's promise to Roxane, he must rein in his temper and befriend the lout instead. He makes Christian aware of Roxane's feelings and agrees to help Christian when he admits that he wouldn't be able to impress her with his inept writing skills if he sent her a letter. Christian wishes for Cyrano's wit; and Cyrano laments that he doesn't have Christian's good looks. He ponders the fact that if the two men could be combined, they would make 'one hero of romance'. He agrees to write the letters for Christian and feed him flowery and poetic phrases to use in conversation. This is how their deception begins.
After they are ordered to join up with their regiment in the Siege of Arras against the Cardinal Prince of Spain, Roxane arranges a hasty marriage to Christian. They are separated by necessity before there is a wedding night (which Cyrano admits to himself doesn't bother him much). As they are rushing off to war, Roxane begs Cyrano to watch over her new husband and to encourage Christian to write her every day. Cyrano promises that she will receive letters every day, although he cannot promise the rest. This promise is kept in a very heart-tugging way.
The rest of the play deals with that war and the aftermath, and how both Christian and Cyrano prove their integrity and mutual love for Roxane, even after she discovers their perfidy. Wonderful.
Translated into English by Brian Hooker
Bittersweet tale of unrequited love, nobility and honor. This play is set in France in 1640, during the reign of Louis XIII. Cyrano de Bergerac is known as the best swordsman in France, and is equally revered as a wordsmith
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and a quick wit. His pride comes out in displays of courage and bravado and is only diminished by his insecurity about his appearance. He hides his insecurity using his sword and when necessary, in witty verbal sparring where he beats others to the punch in mocking his large nose. Cyrano denies his own happiness by refusing to admit his love for his distant cousin, Madeleine Robin, the lovely Roxane, and admits his reason for doing so to his good friend, Le Bret, who encourages him to speak to Roxane and give her the benefit of the doubt. When Roxane requests Cyrano's presence in a private meeting, his hopes are raised but then dashed when he learns that the purpose of the meeting is that Roxane wants Cyrano's help in romancing another. She admits to loving Baron Christian de Neuvillette, a soldier in Cyrano's regiment, a man she doesn't really know but is enamored by partly because of his physical good looks and partly by the fact that she has heard that he is besotted with her as well. Through his stunned disappointment, Cyrano agrees to befriend Christian and keep him from harm.
Their first meeting proves Christian to be rather unlikable as he uses every opportunity to make rude references to Cyrano's nose. Normally this would be the cause of a duel, but because of Cyrano's promise to Roxane, he must rein in his temper and befriend the lout instead. He makes Christian aware of Roxane's feelings and agrees to help Christian when he admits that he wouldn't be able to impress her with his inept writing skills if he sent her a letter. Christian wishes for Cyrano's wit; and Cyrano laments that he doesn't have Christian's good looks. He ponders the fact that if the two men could be combined, they would make 'one hero of romance'. He agrees to write the letters for Christian and feed him flowery and poetic phrases to use in conversation. This is how their deception begins.
After they are ordered to join up with their regiment in the Siege of Arras against the Cardinal Prince of Spain, Roxane arranges a hasty marriage to Christian. They are separated by necessity before there is a wedding night (which Cyrano admits to himself doesn't bother him much). As they are rushing off to war, Roxane begs Cyrano to watch over her new husband and to encourage Christian to write her every day. Cyrano promises that she will receive letters every day, although he cannot promise the rest. This promise is kept in a very heart-tugging way.
The rest of the play deals with that war and the aftermath, and how both Christian and Cyrano prove their integrity and mutual love for Roxane, even after she discovers their perfidy. Wonderful.
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LibraryThing member yesssman
While the play is well written and features some very memorable scenes, I just can't bring myself to enjoy it. I don't see anything to be admired in Cyrano's character; he may have many talents both martial and societal, but at heart he is a weak man hiding behind extreme conceptions of honor. Not
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only does this weakness bring suffering on himself, but everyone around him. I don't appreciate when fiction extols harmful character traits as something to be emulated.I do however appreciate beautiful language and the poetic moments such as the balcony scene, so I can still give this work 3 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member urhockey22
Great play, but there were parts of this translation that maybe could have been better. Then again, I do not speak French, so who am I to judge.
LibraryThing member kslade
Great play about true love hindered by a facial feature.
LibraryThing member stevesbookstuff
There was a real Cyrano de Bergerac, and Edmond Rostand is said to have based his eponymous play on de Bergerac’s life. But of course, the plotline of the play is entirely too good to be true.
I’ve not read Cyrano de Bergerac before this, nor did I realize that the play (and subsequent movie)
The New York drama critic Clayton Hamilton pens the introduction to the 1929 volume that I read. He first encountered Rostand’s Cyrano by reputation, as news of its triumph in Paris spread to the US. He was only 16 at the time and so impressed that a young playwright was being so widely heralded that he “put in an order at Brentano’s for the text, and bothered the bookstore for days and days, and weeks and weeks until the first copies came to us over the ocean.”
Flash forward some twenty years and Hamilton laments that the younger generation has not had a chance to experience the play as he had in 1900, with Constant Coquelin in the role of Cyrano and Sarah Bernhardt as Roxane in the French language production in New York. So, he persuaded his friend William Hampden to stage a revival. Hampden agreed, but only if Hamilton could come up with a good English translation. Hamilton then reached out to another friend, the poet Brian Hooker to translate it. And that is the text in this book.
Rostand, and Hooker, start off a bit slowly and confusingly, as several characters are introduced at once, milling about as they wait for a play to start. But then Cyrano enters the scene and suddenly things start to make sense and the action takes off.
As to the rest of the story, well, everyone knows the plot. Cyrano, the man with the big nose, is secretly in love with Roxane, but convinced that she would never love someone as ugly as he. To compensate for his outward ugliness he has learned to be one of the best swordsmen of his time. He also has developed a gift with words, displaying wit and style to parry any verbal joust.
Christian also loves Roxane, and confides in Cyrano, who agrees to lend his words to Christian in wooing Roxane, by letter and soliloquy.
What I wasn’t prepared for was just how excellent the language of the play was, and how captivating it would be. I’m sorry I’ve waited this long to read it.
I’ve not read Cyrano de Bergerac before this, nor did I realize that the play (and subsequent movie)
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The Fantasticks was loosely based on another of Rostand’s original works, Les Romanesques. That play, first staged in 1894, was a great success. His Cyrano de Bergerac came later, in 1897 and was an immediate and outstanding success. The New York drama critic Clayton Hamilton pens the introduction to the 1929 volume that I read. He first encountered Rostand’s Cyrano by reputation, as news of its triumph in Paris spread to the US. He was only 16 at the time and so impressed that a young playwright was being so widely heralded that he “put in an order at Brentano’s for the text, and bothered the bookstore for days and days, and weeks and weeks until the first copies came to us over the ocean.”
Flash forward some twenty years and Hamilton laments that the younger generation has not had a chance to experience the play as he had in 1900, with Constant Coquelin in the role of Cyrano and Sarah Bernhardt as Roxane in the French language production in New York. So, he persuaded his friend William Hampden to stage a revival. Hampden agreed, but only if Hamilton could come up with a good English translation. Hamilton then reached out to another friend, the poet Brian Hooker to translate it. And that is the text in this book.
Rostand, and Hooker, start off a bit slowly and confusingly, as several characters are introduced at once, milling about as they wait for a play to start. But then Cyrano enters the scene and suddenly things start to make sense and the action takes off.
As to the rest of the story, well, everyone knows the plot. Cyrano, the man with the big nose, is secretly in love with Roxane, but convinced that she would never love someone as ugly as he. To compensate for his outward ugliness he has learned to be one of the best swordsmen of his time. He also has developed a gift with words, displaying wit and style to parry any verbal joust.
Christian also loves Roxane, and confides in Cyrano, who agrees to lend his words to Christian in wooing Roxane, by letter and soliloquy.
What I wasn’t prepared for was just how excellent the language of the play was, and how captivating it would be. I’m sorry I’ve waited this long to read it.
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LibraryThing member WonderlandGrrl
One of my favorite plays of of all time which has turned into the basis for innumerable current "romantic comedies". A fable to prove that appearances can be decieving
Subjects
Awards
Writers Guild of America Award (Winner — Best Adapted Screenplay — 1987)
Language
Original language
French
Original publication date
1897-12-28
ISBN
2266082752 / 9782266082754