Cyrano De Bergerac
by Edmond Rostand
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Book Summary Information
Author: Edmond RostandTranslator: Lowell Blair
Introduction: Eteel Lawson
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-08-05
ISBN: 0451528921
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Signet Classics
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780451528926
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Cyrano De Bergerac
Book Review: One of the greatest plays ever written
Summary: 5 Stars
Edmond Rostand's masterpiece, Cyrano de Bergerac, is one of the greatest plays ever written. It is a mix of everything: a tragedy, romance, comedy, and pseudo-history, all in one. Like all great playwrights, Rostand weaves highly witty remarks throughout his texts, many of them laugh-out-loud funny; Cyrano's famous lengthy monologue about how he could have been insulted better and Christian's "nosy" berating of Cyrano are classic moments. The play is also highly tragic: the plot twists and turns, not playing out as one would expect, and it leaves one absolutely brimming over with emotion by play's end. Cyrano is one of the great tragic characters in all literature -- a sharp-witted, swashbuckling poet, and a big softy to boot. He is one of the most complex characters ever to appear in a play, his range of emotion and depth of complexity presenting a supreme challenge to the actor. The play is also a great romance, tragic as it is, and contains much magnificent poetry, including many romantic lines that rival the best of Keats and Yates. I referred to the play as a "pseudo-history" because it uses the real Cyrano de Bergerac as a basis for the play's title character, referring to real events in his life and extrapolating from there in the grand Dumas style. Those who disparage the play as unrealistic or idealistic are missing the point, not to mention the heart, of the play. This is an epic play in the grand French Romantic tradition; actions are deliberately fanciful, circumstances abound, and actions and situations are occasionally hyperbolic. This is all by design; therein lays the play's appeal. Rostand, in writing it, shows his complete mastery of the art. His ability to take Cyrano, who comes off as such as so pompously arrogant in the first act, and make him imminently lovable by the end of the play is a testament to his brilliance. The quasi-love triangle is also very effective; through it, Rostand is able to comment on the fleetingness and sometimes randomness of love without being too heavy-handed. The suspense is omnipresent, tragedy always looms just around the corner, but a laugh is never too far away. For those who love poetry or romance, this work is an absolute must. Emotions hit a fever pitch at several points in the play; it will reduce many to tears, as it almost did me. This is an absolute and essential masterpiece that remains a cherished classic in the annals of writing for the stage.
Summary of Cyrano De Bergerac
Rostand's masterpiece-and the ultimate triumph of the great French romantic tradition-is the magnificent hero-for-all-seasons, Cyrano de Bergerac.
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