Just finished reading the play by Rostand. I enjoyed it immensely. I think there were a few jokes in the first act that I didn't get (not being fully in tune to French culture). But the beauty of this play is that it transcends the locale and time, as well as the original intended audience to present a timeless story.
I think I'll have to find out more about the real life Cyrano. I liked how Philip Jose Farmer used Cyrano as a character in the Riverworld series and now that I've read the play, I think I'd like to know what the man was like in reality.
Anyway, just a post to see if there are other fans of this play out there on the 'rack.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Cyrano de Bergerac is one of my favorite works of all time. It is a masterpiece.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Roxanne is a pretty good Steve Martin movie, too. Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
It is that! I kind of like the Roxanne ending better than the Cyrano one. But I'm a big romantic fluff!
Posted by Jeffrey Getzin (Member # 1972) on :
"And as I reach my refrain, thrust home!"
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
Ah...sublime!
Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
I do love Cyrano de Bergerac... It has been the first "adult book" I read, at the age of 7. The real Cyrano has himself written books, about the various way to go to the moon, for exemple. I think they are still edited in French, if you're searching for them. By the way, did you read the book in French ?
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
No. Je ne parle pas fracaise.
Posted by bmeaker (Member # 4443) on :
There is a translation of The Other World: Voyage to the Moon by Cyrano de Bergerac by Don Webb at Bewildering Stories . If you click on Special features its listed there.
Posted by Paercival (Member # 1408) on :
I had to teach Cyrano to my juniors - and while it's a good play, there is not much to it. The main thing we focused on was why it's a comedy and not a tragedy. They have a tough time with that because of
SPOILER!
Cyrano dying at the end, as well as Christian dying. They struggled to find any renewal in it - so that's what we did with it as opposed to a much finer close textual reading of it. We only did that once on a passage of figuring out who Cyrano is and what makes him tick. A good read I suppose, but, other than some of the jokes, is kinda blah for me.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Vous n'écrivez pas en français, non plus. Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
I'd like to sarcastically thank Tom for getting The Police stuck in my head right before bed.
If I dream about Sting, I'm coming to Wisconsin to thank you over and over with a wiffle bat.
Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
It's funny, a lot of people here speak Spanish or Portuguese, but very few speak French.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
I loved Cyrano because it was both wild and romantic and yet seemed to speak the truth about its charecters. A great read really.
Hobbes Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
I would SO like to see it played in real !
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
You know, there are quite a few French-speakers here; we just don't feel the obsessive need to write in French all the time, unlike the Spanish-speakers. *grin*
[ December 08, 2003, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: TomDavidson ]
Posted by Ela (Member # 1365) on :
Oui! Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
There is an old Black & White movie version of the play. They played it on the local Church channel with the poor reception that nobody ever watches, but that insists it plays good stuff.
Anyway, I watch that movie every time its on.
PS: Anna? You keeping your feet above water? I heard there were all kinds of nasty floods in France. Just want to make sure they are all South of you.
Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
quote: You know, there are quite a few French-speakers here; we just don't feel the obsessive need to write in French all the time, unlike the Spanish-speakers. *grin*
Oh, that would explain things
quote: Anna? You keeping your feet above water? I heard there were all kinds of nasty floods in France. Just want to make sure they are all South of you.
It's in the South so I'm not directly touched but I know people who are and who had a hard time... Let's hope the insurance will pay for that, cause it's really a mess, a lot of money has been lost because of it.
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