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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
This play has it all. It has the power to make you laugh and cry and chambouler you one scene after the other, not just because Cyrano is a great character, but because he attracts such passionate people around him. I'd been meaning to read this for years, because we'd studied part of it in school, and I remember my teacher showing us extracts from the Gerard Depardieu move (which I haven't seen in its entirety, but man, the scenes I did see were spectacular, so I hope the whole lives up to those parts).
A few words about the characters. First, Roxanne is an educated woman who is smitten by looks but falls devastatingly in love with another man's words (not to mention that she is a character in and of herself; she isn't just defined by the men she loves, she also aspires to impress, and she has cunning, humour, and bravery to boot). What I love is that she is a love interest that everyone will love, because Rostand wrote a real person, not a sexy lamp. I truly see why Cyrano loves her, even by the end of the second act. Second, the Cadets de Gascons are the lovable troupe that wins your heart. They are a stereotype but also a grand force that you can't help but support, maybe because of how much Cyrano loves them and how much they love Cyrano in return. Third, De Guiche and Christian, who could have been reduced to mere obstacles in the way of Cyrano's love for Roxanne, receive full character arcs and, in De Guiche's case, redemption. De Guiche is a Gascon no matter how hard he tries, and in trying to bring the Cadets and Cyrano down, he actually remembers what it feels like to be an enfant du pays and reconnects with a prouder, more human side of himself. Christian, the beautiful but inarticulate young man, starts as a comic figure and quickly becomes tragic in his realization that he is only loved for his looks and not even for his looks once Cyrano conquers Roxanne via correspondence. He would rather reveal the entire charade and know whether Roxanne truly loves him or the man behind his words. Maybe that's selfish, but it's also quite honest because as much as he wants to be loved, he also understands the pain that Cyrano must be going through in lending his soul to another man. His death felt anything but empty, and maybe the story becomes soapy by the last two acts, but it's always grounded in human happiness, fear, and grief.
Regarding the play itself, it is remarkably modern in its set-up. Rostand establishes multiple minor characters who remain the background and give the impression that this world of his is lived-in and real. The main characters won't appear until at least ten minutes of small talk have taken place, some relevant, some less so, but always purposeful and amusing. Conversations happen simultaneously and cross over, people joke and tease and ramble, it's got a touch of Ionesco that I never expected to find in a Rostand play.
If you couldn't tell, I loved this play, and I hold it dear to my heart. I first discovered this story by watching the Steve Martin movie "Roxanne," which captures the right Cyrano but fails the other characters miserably (and there's no De Guiche, no war, no stakes, basically, Roxanne is a boring love interest with no facial expressions, and Christian is kind of vapid and useless).
Recommended if you want a story where you can root for the characters and laugh through your tears. It's an "incontournable," and I will come back to it in a few years to revisit my old-yet-new friends.
A few words about the characters. First, Roxanne is an educated woman who is smitten by looks but falls devastatingly in love with another man's words (not to mention that she is a character in and of herself; she isn't just defined by the men she loves, she also aspires to impress, and she has cunning, humour, and bravery to boot). What I love is that she is a love interest that everyone will love, because Rostand wrote a real person, not a sexy lamp. I truly see why Cyrano loves her, even by the end of the second act. Second, the Cadets de Gascons are the lovable troupe that wins your heart. They are a stereotype but also a grand force that you can't help but support, maybe because of how much Cyrano loves them and how much they love Cyrano in return. Third, De Guiche and Christian, who could have been reduced to mere obstacles in the way of Cyrano's love for Roxanne, receive full character arcs and, in De Guiche's case, redemption. De Guiche is a Gascon no matter how hard he tries, and in trying to bring the Cadets and Cyrano down, he actually remembers what it feels like to be an enfant du pays and reconnects with a prouder, more human side of himself. Christian, the beautiful but inarticulate young man, starts as a comic figure and quickly becomes tragic in his realization that he is only loved for his looks and not even for his looks once Cyrano conquers Roxanne via correspondence. He would rather reveal the entire charade and know whether Roxanne truly loves him or the man behind his words. Maybe that's selfish, but it's also quite honest because as much as he wants to be loved, he also understands the pain that Cyrano must be going through in lending his soul to another man. His death felt anything but empty, and maybe the story becomes soapy by the last two acts, but it's always grounded in human happiness, fear, and grief.
Regarding the play itself, it is remarkably modern in its set-up. Rostand establishes multiple minor characters who remain the background and give the impression that this world of his is lived-in and real. The main characters won't appear until at least ten minutes of small talk have taken place, some relevant, some less so, but always purposeful and amusing. Conversations happen simultaneously and cross over, people joke and tease and ramble, it's got a touch of Ionesco that I never expected to find in a Rostand play.
If you couldn't tell, I loved this play, and I hold it dear to my heart. I first discovered this story by watching the Steve Martin movie "Roxanne," which captures the right Cyrano but fails the other characters miserably (and there's no De Guiche, no war, no stakes, basically, Roxanne is a boring love interest with no facial expressions, and Christian is kind of vapid and useless).
Recommended if you want a story where you can root for the characters and laugh through your tears. It's an "incontournable," and I will come back to it in a few years to revisit my old-yet-new friends.
I hadn't cry because of a book in quite a while...
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
At first I wasn't too impressed. I still think I would have enjoyed it more in prose. However, as I came to the end, I drove past my bus stop, and was actually crying. And, I laughed out loud (also on the bus) several times. It is a bit flourishing, but definitely worth the read.
I will have to read more about the historic person, now.
I will have to read more about the historic person, now.
Absolutely an entertaining read with some very amusing sections. Cyrano is a memorable character as well as the scene between the baker poet and his wife (who turns his poetry drafts into pastry bags). However... nobody told me this was ultimately a tragedy...and I might not have read it if I'd known. So... you're warned...this is not the happy ending you're looking for.
I can't believe I've not read this play before. The movie with Gerard Depardieu as Cyrano was great.
Cyrano de Bergerac - swordsman, philosopher, poet - has one huge problem that's as plain as the nose on his face.
Cyrano de Bergerac - swordsman, philosopher, poet - has one huge problem that's as plain as the nose on his face.
I reread this as part of my 2015 book challenge... it ticks a lot of boxes for that challenge. But more importantly it is an incredible piece of literature. I read the Project Gutenberg version, translation by Gladys Thomas and Mary Guillemard. The translation seems excellent, more lyrical than the Lowell Bair translation I own and bought originally around 1990/91.
There are many ways you can criticise the play:
> A central character who never develops, simply maintaining a willful idealism, when he knows it is not to his advantage.
> Obvious issues in translating the lyrical verse of the original French to English.
> As a play rather than a novel it does not lend itself to a reader who has not seen a stage/film version in advance.
> A thousand other irrelevances
But just like Cyrano, despite the imperfections it is perfect, and although this is the first time I have read it in about 20 years I'm not ashamed to say it still moved me to tears when I read through Act V.
I think my feelings are best explained by the exchange between Cyrano and De Guiche, when they discuss Don Quixote. Reading the play is just like tilting against windmills. De Guiche thinks the sails will sweep you down into the mire, and I know some critics take that view of the play, but I take Cyrano's side, for me it is a piece of literature that will lift you upward to the stars!
There are many ways you can criticise the play:
> A central character who never develops, simply maintaining a willful idealism, when he knows it is not to his advantage.
> Obvious issues in translating the lyrical verse of the original French to English.
> As a play rather than a novel it does not lend itself to a reader who has not seen a stage/film version in advance.
> A thousand other irrelevances
But just like Cyrano, despite the imperfections it is perfect, and although this is the first time I have read it in about 20 years I'm not ashamed to say it still moved me to tears when I read through Act V.
I think my feelings are best explained by the exchange between Cyrano and De Guiche, when they discuss Don Quixote. Reading the play is just like tilting against windmills. De Guiche thinks the sails will sweep you down into the mire, and I know some critics take that view of the play, but I take Cyrano's side, for me it is a piece of literature that will lift you upward to the stars!
Ça se lit vite, ça se lit bien. On oublie parfois - souvent - les alexandrins. Tout y est naturel, tout y est beau et toutes les phrases s'enchaînent et se chantent. C'était cool. Lisez-le.
My all-time favorite play. I wish a more contemporary translation would be released.
Denne historien fungerer utelukkende på grunn av Cyrano. Kjærlighetshistorien er ukonvensjonell, men i seg selv ikke veldig fengende. De andre karakterene er omtrent rekvisitter. Men Cyrano, den tragiske helten, er så fengende at man skulle ønske at det var en roman, og ikke et skuespill.
Cyrano er en adelsmann og soldat som er en mester med sverd, og har en sylskarp tunge. Men han sliter også med komplekser på grunn av sin store, stygge nese. Sverdkunsten gjøres det ikke et stort nummer av. Det er først og fremst hans evner til å formulere seg, og hans "panasje", som gjør han spennende. Hele stykket er på rim, så det er imponerende at det likevel kommer så klart frem hvor mesterlig Cyrano er. Jeg kan ikke fransk, og har ikke mulighet til å holde Halldis Moren Vesaas sin oversettelse opp mot originalen. Det virker som om hun følger historien bra, men hun skriver selv i forordet at hun har tatt seg friheter, og gjort noen kutt. Likevel fremstår språket som såpass levende, at en skulle ikke tro at det opprinnelig var skrevet på et annet språk. Jeg legger likegreit ved en av mine favorittpassasjer:
Nei, gjere som eg vil: - gå med min hatt på tvers,
bu einsam, drøyme, le, slåss litt og lage vers
som ingen tinga av meg, nekte blankt å yte
ein Cæsar skatt, og, stolt og audmjuk kunne nyte
dei fruktene som eg til kvar tid haustar inn -
små, ringe kanskje - men dei voks i hagen min!
Slik vil eg ha det. Ja, eg nektar blankt å nære
meg av den eik, den lind eg ikkje sjølv kan vere.
Alt dette sagt: dette er neppe boka for alle. Men om du har sans for velformulerte rim og en rebelsk godhjerta tragisk helt, så vil du nok like denne boka like godt som meg.
Cyrano er en adelsmann og soldat som er en mester med sverd, og har en sylskarp tunge. Men han sliter også med komplekser på grunn av sin store, stygge nese. Sverdkunsten gjøres det ikke et stort nummer av. Det er først og fremst hans evner til å formulere seg, og hans "panasje", som gjør han spennende. Hele stykket er på rim, så det er imponerende at det likevel kommer så klart frem hvor mesterlig Cyrano er. Jeg kan ikke fransk, og har ikke mulighet til å holde Halldis Moren Vesaas sin oversettelse opp mot originalen. Det virker som om hun følger historien bra, men hun skriver selv i forordet at hun har tatt seg friheter, og gjort noen kutt. Likevel fremstår språket som såpass levende, at en skulle ikke tro at det opprinnelig var skrevet på et annet språk. Jeg legger likegreit ved en av mine favorittpassasjer:
Nei, gjere som eg vil: - gå med min hatt på tvers,
bu einsam, drøyme, le, slåss litt og lage vers
som ingen tinga av meg, nekte blankt å yte
ein Cæsar skatt, og, stolt og audmjuk kunne nyte
dei fruktene som eg til kvar tid haustar inn -
små, ringe kanskje - men dei voks i hagen min!
Slik vil eg ha det. Ja, eg nektar blankt å nære
meg av den eik, den lind eg ikkje sjølv kan vere.
Alt dette sagt: dette er neppe boka for alle. Men om du har sans for velformulerte rim og en rebelsk godhjerta tragisk helt, så vil du nok like denne boka like godt som meg.