Cyrano de Bergerac (Bantam Classics reissue) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Edmond Rostand (Author), Brian Hooker (Translator) "THE HALL OF THE HOTEL DE BOURGOGNE in 1640. A sort of Tennis Court, arranged and decorated for Theatrical productions..." (more)
Key Phrases: thrust home, Monsieur de Bergerac, The Cadets of Gascoyne, Porte de Nesle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Verse drama in five acts by Edmond Rostand, performed in 1897 and published the following year. Set in 17th-century Paris, the action revolves around the emotional problems of the noble, swashbuckling Cyrano, who, despite his many gifts, feels that no woman can ever love him because he has an enormous nose. Secretly in love with the lovely Roxane, Cyrano agrees to help his inarticulate rival, Christian, win her heart by allowing him to present Cyrano's love poems, speeches, and letters as his own work. Eventually Christian recognizes that Roxane loves him for Cyrano's qualities, not his own, and he asks Cyrano to confess his identity to Roxane; Christian then goes off to a battle that proves fatal. Cyrano remains silent about his own part in Roxane's courtship. As he is dying years later, he visits Roxane and recites one of the love letters. Roxane realizes that it is Cyrano she loves, and he dies content. Cyrano de Bergerac was based only nominally on the 17th-century nobleman of the same name, known for his bold adventures and large nose. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

Product Description
Edmond Rostand's bittersweet melodrama tells the tale of France's master swordsman--Cyrano de Bergerac, a valiant soldier cursed with the face of a clown. Gallantry, love, poetry, and failure all combine in this timeless classic, further enhanced by Kyle Baker's captivating illustrations.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Classics; First Edition edition (November 1, 1950)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553213601
• ISBN-13: 978-0553213607
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #49,489 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #2 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( R ) > Rostand, Edmond
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best play ever written., October 28, 1999

By	J. Kane "AbleKane" (Balad, Iraq) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Cyrano De Bergerac: Heroic Comedy in Five Acts (Hardcover)

I love this play! It has wit, comedy, adventure, danger and intellectual swordplay. But most importantly, it has a character(Cyrano) who values his life and principles above all else. Read it now! Also, if you enjoyed Cyrano as much as I did, check out "The Lost Sonnets of Cyrano de Bergerac" by James Carcioppolo. I read it hoping for more of Cyrano's spirit and love of life; I was not disapointed!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest play of all time..., December 29, 2000

By	Gary S "[e-mail]" (Washington DC USA) - See all my reviews

I've been around theater for quite a while, and I was lucky enough to be in this play twice, once as Cyrano. I've done Shakespeare, O'Neill, Chekhov...and I've never been in a play that comes close to this in terms of dramatic force.

The fashion in French theater at the time it was written was simple domestic drama: husbands and wives and their various conflicts. This play exploded on the scene and there was extremely strong public reaction. (I think there may even have been riots.)

For modern American audiences, I must confess, it's a pretty long haul. Even with some judicious cutting, it's tough to get the thing down close to three hours. But what a ride! Poetry, fight scenes, comedy, tears...it's just incredible.

In all the plays I've done, I've never done one that comes so close to, literally, the meaning of life. Why are we here? What makes human beings act the way they do? Why do people try things that are clearly impossible? It's all in there.

I knew someone in college who gave this paperback edition to everyone he knew as a gift, because it spoke so strongly to him.

Looking back on it now, I'm amazed that I was able to memorize all the text, because I'm convinced that this is the longest role in Western theater...longer than Hamlet, I think.

Hooker's translation has been called the greatest translation of poetry ever, and while I'm not a poetry student, I can agree. Squishing the 6-foot French lines into 5-foot English lines and still retaining the dramatic flow must have been a daunting task.

Anyway, it's the greatest play I have ever seen, read or performed.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Meet an extraordinary character. . ., April 18, 2000

By	M. Tidman (nowhere in particular) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Cyrano de Bergerac (Signet Classics) (Paperback)

Cyrano is, and has been for many years, my favorite play. I've read two translations and am planning to read a third soon. In Cyrano, Rostand has created a character I and many others can empathize with. If you're reading Cyrano for the first time, I would reccommend Bair's translation, as it has been rendered into more modern English. However, Hooker's translation often captures the beauty and poetry of the language, whereas Bair is more prosaic. I highly reccommend reading this book, and if you can see it performed somewhere, you're in for a real treat. "Philosopher, scientist, poet, swordsman, musician, aerial traveler, maker of sharp retorts, and lover. . ." I hope that you enjoy making Cyrano's acquaintance as much as I have!