Cyrano de Bergerac: by Edmund Rostand translated by Anthony Burgess: Amazon.ca: Edmund Rostand, Anthony Burgess: Books

Product Description

Book Description

This acclaimed adaptation for the stage has garnered such reviews as: "Emotional depth Rostand himself would surely have envied...Burgess' extravagant verse keeps its contours, yet trips off the tongue almost as though it were contemporary speech." -London Times. Performance rights available from Applause.

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First Sentence
We are in Paris in 1640, the era of Dumas's Three Musketeers. Read the first page

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Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

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4.0 out of 5 stars This Classic Only Gets Better, Oct 28 2008

By

J. Farrell "selko" (B.C., Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Cyrano de Bergerac: by Edmund Rostand translated by Anthony Burgess (Paperback)

This play is from 1897, and was both a critical and a popular success at the time. In November, 2008, it was produced on Broadway, and a review in "The New Yorker" gave it high praise yet again.

Perhaps not everyone knows the story of the "flamboyant, big-nosed hero (who) took revenge on his ugliness by making a legend of his physical and intellectual prowess". (I'm quoting here from the review by John Lahr.) "The psychology of 'Cyrano de Bergerac' is as cunning as its storytelling; in the narrative of Cyrano's eloquent but unrequited love for his cousin Roxane, the play traps a much deeper commentary on self-loathing and the humiliated heart. Cyrano's nose--which he calls his 'gross protuberance'--is an offense both to others and to his own aesthetic ideal. By winkling out Cyrano's shame, the play speaks to the dark kingdom of unworthiness that monopolizes our inner lives as much as it does Cyrano's. The play, like its hero, is more serious about suffering than it lets on."

The play is rewarding to read, fun to play around with and to read aloud in parts, and it will break your heart a little at the end. Certainly, it will repay the time you take with it. I loved it when I was an adolescent and it still wrings my heart today. John Lahr's statement, as quoted above, that the play is serious about suffering is, in my opinion, quite true: as you read, consider the parts of yourself that you hate, whether secretly or not. The externals, the swashbuckling, these are dated; the psychology at the core of the play continues to be true.

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5.0 out of 5 stars An exquisite tragi-comedy, Aug 16 2001

By

Ilana Teitelbaum - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cyrano de Bergerac: by Edmund Rostand translated by Anthony Burgess (Paperback)

If there's one thing that has me miffed, it's those ridiculous academic critiques of this play. Yes, it's unrealistic, yes, it's energetic to the point of insanity, yes, the character of Cyrano is particularly vulnerable to the ridiculous Freudian analyses that Lit. professors are obsessed with. But the essence of this work, what makes it breathe, are the very qualities so mocked by elitists: its color, its flamboyance, and above all its wonderfully unashamed idealism.

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.

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4.0 out of 5 stars You'll just love the characters, Jan 24 2001

By

Guillermo Maynez (Mexico, Distrito Federal Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Cyrano de Bergerac: by Edmund Rostand translated by Anthony Burgess (Paperback)

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.

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