Books

Edmond Rostand. Cyrano de Bergerac. Com�die H�ro�que en Cinq Actes, en very Repr�sent�e Paris, sur le Th��tre de la Porte Saint-Martin, le 28 d�cembre 1897. Paris: Librairie Charpentier et Fasquelle Eug�ne Fasquelle, �diteur, 11, Rue de Grenelle, 11, 1898. 1898, 225 pp, True First Edition finely bound in moroccan leather with moire end papers, gilt dentelles & custom engravings found on both front and rear boards & spine dated 1900 & signed by R. Kaston (?). 7.75 x 5.5", 8vo. In fair condition. Leather boards lightly scuffed at edges and corners. Head and tail of spine rubbed. Top edge gilt. Engravings found on both boards & spine present VERY well - green, red, blue, and brown overall vibrant. Gilt dentelles on paste-downs normally rubbed at corners, but overall attractive. Moire end-papers beginning to fray at top edges. Original paper wraps are also bound with the work, INCLUDING the original spine. Text-block very lightly toned but overall very clean. Light water or tea dampness stain found on fore-edges of page 157 to end of text. Binding intact. Please see photos and ask questions, if any, before purchasing. Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand (1868 - 1918). The play is a fictionalisation following the broad outlines of Cyrano de Bergerac's life. The entire play is written in verse, in rhyming couplets of twelve syllables per line, very close to the classical alexandrine form, but the verses sometimes lack a caesura. It is also meticulously researched, down to the names of the members of the Acad�mie fran�aise and the dames pr�cieuses glimpsed before the performance in the first scene. The play has been translated and performed many times, and it is responsible for introducing the word panache into the English language. The character of Cyrano himself makes reference to "my panache" in the play. The most famous English translations are those by Brian Hooker, Anthony Burgess, and Louis Untermeyer. Hercule Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac, a cadet (nobleman serving as a soldier) in the French Army, is a brash, strong-willed man of many talents. In addition to being a remarkable duelist, he is a gifted, joyful poet and also plays music. However, he has an obnoxiously large nose, which causes him to doubt himself. This doubt prevents him from expressing his love for his distant cousin, the beautiful and intellectual Roxane, as he believes that his ugliness would bar him from the "dream of being loved by even an ugly woman." Roxanne loves Christian de Neuvillette, who is too tongue-tied to romance her. Cyrano famously writes love letters to Roxanne, pretending to be Christian. Beautifully engraved binding: front board features a man (assumedly Cyrano) holding a sword in one hand and raising his other arm up towards a crescent moon with small stars peppering the background. Rear board features hat with a red plume, a glove, and a sword with red roses. Spine features an engraved leaf in every compartment that does not have lettering. It is not clear the identity of the engraver. VERY PRESENTABLE!! True first edition with original paper wraps bound in blue moroccan leather & intricately engraved/hand-painted. RAREF1898DZAB 05/24 - HK1563.

Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand. Although there was a real Cyrano de Bergerac, the play is a fictionalized account of his life and incorporates larger-than-life elements. It explores themes of inner versus outer beauty, love, and heroism.