Cyrano: The Life and Legend of Cyrano de Bergerac

by Ishbel Addyman

Today,Cyrano de Bergerac is generally only remembered as a lovelorn eccentric with a big nose.Edmund Rostand's famous play inspired by the life of Cyrano is a worldwide box-office smash but the man behind the legend is more or less forgotten. The real Cyrano was sharper, funnier and, ironically, more modern than the romantic hero he inspired.

A death-defying soldier-poet in the age of the musketeers, Cyrano's duelling skills were unparalleled, and his wit was every bit as keen as his sword's edge. He employed his sharp tongue and satirical pen in continued criticism of church and state -- his harrowing personal experiences had made him a staunch opponent of Louis XIV's bloody foreign policy--as well as in defiance of social norms -- Cyrano refused to acknowledge his likely homosexuality as a brave and independent thinking that was years ahead of its time but which meant that his life was in constant danger.

Part murder mystery, part literary detective story, Ishbel Addyman presents a fascinating insight into the heroically courageous, sparklingly witty and unfailingly good-humoured man behind the legend.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published February 2, 2009

About the author

Ishbel Addyman was born in North Yorkshire in 1976. She was educated at Oxford University and Paul Valéry University in Montpellier. She took fencing lessons in preparation for writing about the legendary duellist Cyrano de Bergerac but is not yet up to fighting off one hundred assailants single-handedly. This is her first book.

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an admirable man! I think the author did a great job of gather what little research there must be on this grand poet/ soldier. I love the play about him, but there was a lot left out about Cyrano too. I'm glad Ishbel Addyman wrote this. Thank you Ms, Addyman.

[Leelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew that Cyrano de Bergerac was a real man that lived in France in the days of the Musketeers. But that was about all I knew until I started rediscovering him a few weeks ago when I bought and watched Kevin Kline's as Cyrano in his broadway performance. Kline was excellent as usual. Amazon then recommended the French film, "Cyrano, My Love" which is a fun ripoff of "Shakespeare in Love" with Edmund Rostand taking Shakespeare's place. Then I had to watch my Cyrano movie library. I watched Gerard Depardieu in his movie. Then Steve Martin's "Roxanne" which is my #2 favorite version of Cyrano. And then my absolute favorite "Cyrano de Bergerac", Jose' Ferrer in his 1950 classic movie. Along the way I discovered this book which I just finished today. Other reviewers here have complained about disorganization and "the author should have used an outline." But I had no trouble with Addyman's writing style. It seemed to flow easily from start to finish, from Cyrano's birth to his death at thirty-six. I was not surprised to learn that the man was so much greater in many ways than the fictional character. I was surprised to find that every character in the play was taken from history as well. Cyrano knew these people. Some were older than their stage personas. Roxanne and Christian were married but fifteen years older than Cyrano. And Christian did die during a siege at Arras. And Roxanne did live out the rest of her days in widowhood. But the three-cornered romance was Rostand's invention. Actually, it wasn't. Rostand's widow wrote that the stage romance actually happened much like what you see in the play and in the movie, "Cyrano, My Love". In real life Rostand took Cyrano's part as the backstage romancer for a young tongue-tied suitor. So much of what Rostand put into the play was true. But not in the way he wrote it. Details onstage were not exactly what happened in the original Cyrano's life. He did fight at Arras. He may have met Charles de Batz de Castelmore also known as d'Artagnan there or he may not. He is the first published author of Science Fiction and an inspiration for Jonathan Swift, Isaac Asimov and many other famous writers in the genre. He wrote plays and books and articles about the corruption, insanity, hypocracy and evils of his time. He had many friends. But he made many enemies. He was fouly murdered for his writings. But not by a thug with a block of wood or a falling beam. Everyone did fear his sword. In his youth he did take on one hundred men as in the play. And he won --- there were many credible witness to his feat. He was ambushed and shot. But the shot did not kill him right away. He suffered and slowly died. I won't say anything more. Read this book!

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember watching the Steve Martin film as a child. Then a couple of years back I saw the musical version of the play starring Peter Dinklage and it prompted me to want to learn more of the truth. This biography sets out to separate the fact from the fiction and refuses to give in to fancy supposition. An engaging and interesting look at this 17th century French hero.

[Sorobai · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of this book is wrong. It should read: Cyrano: The Life and Legend of Cyrano de Bergerac

[The Idle Woman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a mission: to rescue the real Cyrano de Bergerac from the shadow cast by Rostand's immensely popular stage and screen version. In doing so, Ishbel Addyman conjures up a surprisingly modern figure, who was always alert to publicity opportunities and who constantly questioned the assumptions of the church. He was not only a formidable swordsman but also one of the earliest science fiction writers, creating stories in which his hero travels in a rocket to the moon and the sun. Addyman clearly adores her subject and her enthusiasm is genuinely catching, but unfortunately the writing itself has some weaknesses: sentences are short and choppy and the use of punctuation is erratic. There could also be more focus within the chapters, which tend to dance all over the place. It's a shame, because there's no doubt that Cyrano was a fascinating and controversial figure, but this biography just doesn't quite do justice to him.

For a longer review please see my blog:
http://theidlewoman.blogspot.co.uk/20...

P.S. Please note that I have the UK edition: "Cyrano: The Life and Legend of Cyrano de Bergerac".

[Old-Barbarossa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting account of the life and times of Cyrano, as well as his existance in fiction.
A rebel and writer, as well as the swordsman I'd heard of.
A creator of his own myth who clouded his origins and wrote letters against authority and church. He was a man before his time.
Will now have to hunt down a copy of his: Cyrano De Bergerac's A Trip to the Moon, and watch the film by J.P. Rappeneau.

[Jacob · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book started off pretty promising, but half-way through I began skimming, and then I ended up just reading the last chapter. I think it is a well-written and researched book, but it really talked just as much, if not more, about tangential things as it did about Cyrano de Bergerac. I just got bored.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very interesting stuff in this book with some good insights but could have been sharper, with a more ruthless edit.