Cyrano de Bergerac: by Edmund Rostand translated by Anthony Burgess

First of all, this is entertaining reading at its best: a combination of witty repartee and laugh-out-loud humor, balanced with emotional depth that is subtle yet wrenching in its intensity. With just a few lines the scenes come alive, with characters whose brash gallantry is reminiscent of Dumas' Musketeers.

All this virtuoso treatment finds a focal point in the character of Cyrano, who is at once comic and tragic: his biting wit provides a facade for a soul in torment, for his sensitivity to beauty makes his own ugliness that much more painful. Yet there is so much fire and pride in Cyrano that never once does he beg for our pity, and endures the pain of thwarted love with the same charisma and bravery with which he does battle.

The contradiction between Cyrano as he is inside--a veritable furnace of eloquent passion--and his markedly ugly exterior, is his tragedy. Through the vehicle of this contradiction, Edmond Rostand explores the nature of love, particularly regarding how much of it is dependant upon exteriors. Yet this theme does not smother the tale, which is such a heady mixture of beauty, hilarity and subtle insight that it fairly intoxicates. My only complaint, upon finishing it, was that it had to end.


You'll just love the characters   January 24, 2001
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Cyrano -loosely based on the actual Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac, an early predecessor of science fiction- is a swordsman for the French King Louis XIII. He is also a man with an extraordinary gift for poetry and versification, as well as the owner of an extremely large nose. He is deeply in love with his cousin Roxanne, but she happens to love Cyrano's friend and colleague, Christian. So, being a good fellow and having a quixotic nature, Cyrano accepts to speak of love to Roxanne, impersonating Christian. Under her window, in the dark, Cyrano recites love poems so well crafted, that Roxanne falls even more in love with Christian, who is the supposed lover. After that, both men leave to fight at war. Roxanne shows up at the siege of Arras, to bring food to the soldiers. There, for reasons I won't spoil here, their love affair comes to an abrupt end, leaving their relationship unfulfilled. What comes next shows the true heroic nature of Cyrano, his strength of character, and his loyalty to his friend, but also to his eternal love for Roxanne. This play, which has originated at least a couple of good movies and several tv interpretations, is a homage to the Romantic spirit so rare in our greedy and selfish times. It is full of beautiful images and scenes, and Rostand's writing is perfect for the task. Read it first, and if you haven't seen the movies, watch them. Cyrano is a grand character that will remain as an epytome of chivalry, loyalty, and emotional strength. Not to forget.


one of the most thrilling dramas of all time   November 21, 2000
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

When I was a kid, back in the days before even those excruciatingly edifying Afterschool Specials began to plague daytime TV and the talk shows were Mike Douglas and Dinah Shore rather than Jerry Springer and Oprah, there was a terrific series of Animated Classics that were broadcast in the afternoons. They were, as far as I can recall, pretty faithful to the original stories, though obviously abridged and edited. I remember two in particular, The Count of Monte Cristo and Cyrano de Bergerac. The appeal of these two, despite their French provenance, is obvious--what more can a kid ask for than a great swashbuckler? Then, as if this cartoon version wasn't enough, I saw the 1950 Jose Ferrer film version of Cyrano and was hooked on the story for life.

Rostand's is just one of several fictions to be based on the life of the historical Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-55). Set in the reign of Louis XIII, the play, of course. tells the story of the fiercely independent swordsmen, poet, playwright and political pamphleteer with the prodigious proboscis, of his unspoken love for his cousin Roxanne and of his intercession on behalf of his beautiful fellow guardsman Christian de Neuvillette, on whose behalf he surreptitiously woos her.

Now when you're a kid, you can hardly see past the dueling and brawling. I mean, obviously the point is that the guy is lovable despite his beak, but c'mon, the love parts are yucky anyway. But returning to the story as an adult, Rostand's other themes emerge, particularly Cyrano's insistence on meeting life on his own terms. If his failure to realize Roxanne's love remains tragic, his Quixotic nature, his enduring political independence and personal integrity, serve to make him one of the great heroes in all of literature.

Blending swordplay, comedy, tragedy and romance in equal measure, this is truly one of the most thrilling dramas of all time. If you can find the cartoon version, by all means watch it. In the meantime, instead of renting Lethal Weapon # 8, next time you're at the video store look for Jose Ferrer as Cyrano or buy a copy from Amazon for 7 bucks. It's well worth the price of two rentals; I guarantee you watch it more than once.

GRADE: A+


Eh, it's okay...   June 1, 2000
 1 out of 11 found this review helpful

Well, I gotta get something published for my English class, and being that we read this play in class I thought I might as well write a review of it. First off, the play is very well written. We had just finished off reading Shakespeare in class and reading Cyrano De Begerac was a wonderful relief. The writing is very easy to understand, and the actors lines are mostly short. The character, Cyrano, is also a very well-made character. It makes the book a lot more exciting with a character like Cyrano. However, the story cannot apply at all with real life. I am not going to give away the plot, but it has nothing to do with real life. So if you are thinking about reading this play to learn some good moral lessons, don't bother. Otherwise, give it a shot. You might like it!