Customer Reviews

Cyrano de Bergerac: by Edmund Rostand translated by Anthony Burgess

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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.

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.

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.

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+

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!

Literary translation requires a balancing act between word-for-word interpretation and more liberal paraphrase. Anthony Burgess has gone farther than that, concocting an English version of "Cyrano de Bergerac" that is better classed an adaptation rather than a translation. He excises characters whom he doesn't like, reduces Roxane's appearance in the play, implants poems and speeches which were never in the original, and generally reworks the play into something other than the original. But worse still is the language - snotty, excessively erudite, and giving Cyrano an extremely bitter and obnoxious tone. I've read five other English versions of "Cyrano," and frankly this is my least liked, as if a surgeon unnecessarily cut off the legs of a healthy patient.

This is the best play-book-poetry every written. I sat down, started reading, and didn't get up until I was finished, which was quite a while since when I got to the end I was crying so hard I could barely read. Anyone who doesn't understand Cyrano isn't a poet or an author, OR a dreamer. This is the classic tale of one who finds himself unworthy, but who will settle for NO LESS than true love-- that, and many, many other things it would take hours to expound upon. Truly, the greatest work of all time.

Most readers and performers are probably more familiar with the translation of Cyrano by Brian Hooker. Hooker's translation has much to recommend it but it fails to capture the poetic power, whimsy or grace of Rostand's play. I feel the Burgess translation better represents Cyrano to a modern reader. One previous reviewer suggested that there was something almost absurd about Cyrano as he is portrayed by Rostand. Burgess himself had qualms about translating the play into rhyme. But this convention is powerful because it suggests that the men and women of Cyrano's dramatic world (even the lackwits) were impressed by cleverness, grace and beauty. It is set out in the play that Roxanne is one of the literary precieuse. The type of cleverness that Cyrano portrays in rhyme would appeal to her. At the same time, Cyrano is not a fop but a man of action whose mind is not stilled even by combat. Also this translation shows that Christian's "military wit" was something Cyrano could appreciate for its poetic appropriateness as well as for its courage. I think in some ways Cyrano's chivalry and heroism, as well as the more unrealistic elements of the play, are actually made more vivid and convincing by the use of rhyme. Burgess transports us to Rostand's imagined world of poetry and chivalry directly. . . and does not relent for a moment in portraying it. I think the real Hercule Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac would have appreciated the flair of it all. And if you don't buy that?-- Well, the fight scenes are STILL cool. Happy reading.

I found the book to have good poems within the play. It had its dull points, but it is also had some good action. I found it boring, but what do I know!

Rostand has done something that only a few authors ever achieve: he has created a true hero. Cyrano is a lover of life, a dueler of stupidity and a champion of reason and rational self-interest. The only way to find characters of this caliber and moral fortitude is to read Victor Hugo's "Toilers of the Sea," or Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" . Cyrano ranks with the best. If you want to read more about Cyrano, check out the fascinating new book by James L. Carcioppolo, "The Lost Sonnets of Cyrano de Bergerac," available here at Amazon.com. I promise you will not be disappointed! jk