Frank Langella's Cyrano (Paperback)

~ Frank Langella (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 81 pages
• Publisher: Broadway Play Pub (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881451495
• ISBN-13: 978-0881451498
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,547,656 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You nose it makes sense, April 23, 2001

By A Customer

Accomplished stage and screen actor, Mr. Langella mentions in the preface to Cyrano that adapting Edmond Rostand's classic Cyrano de Bergerac had been nagging away at him for many years. As an actor who had played the part of the long-nosed swordsman twice in his career he realized that the challenge existed to strip Rostand's Cyrano down to a minimal cast, with less battle scenes, no more hordes of nuns and reducing the epic music that accompanied the original. Langella's attempt at paring down this classic makes for a very enjoyable read. What prevails by the final page of the book is the realization that Langella has, by taking away some of the pomp and ceremony, left the reader with the realization that this isn't a story about a guy with a big nose but rather one of the most painful love stories ever written. The love triangle that exists between the beautiful Roxane, the handsome, yet tongue-tied Christian and of course, Cyrano the poet has been revamped to appeal to a younger generation. The language is more contemporary than the original and by removing some of the many superfluous characters from the original cast page it is a far quicker read. Langella's Cyrano is however not without it's faults. He tries to add a new twist on the original by focusing too much on the character of Lise, the mute servant girl being in secret admiration of Cyrano. In the same way that Cyrano feels himself too ugly to be noticed by Roxane, Cyrano is considered at fault for never recognizing the adoring Lise. Perhaps if this adaptation was actually seen on stage this sub-plot might make more sense, but as a reader it seems an unnecessary part of the plot to focus on. In conclusion, Langella has done a fine job. It's certainly no classic but it is a great attempt at giving Rostand a new contemporary feel. I would certainly recommend readers getting back in touch with the most famous long-nosed literary character to grace the pages of a book. It won't disappoint!