The most beautiful work of fiction or drama I have ever read, the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. English language, literally translated into French (or any other language, I suppose), would probably strike French readers as more or less comical, or at least boring. I long ago read an almost literal English translation of Rostand's play; in spite of the stilted language, it was a beautiful work.
And then I discovered the Modern Library edition of Brian Hooker's translation of Cyrano. I have read this book almost to pieces. It is stained with spilt wine, coffee and tears.
I used to feel sorry for people who like to read, who have never read this book. But the pity for others has turned into a sort of miser's glee for myself. I own something precious that nobody else I know possesses. I won't urge it on my friends, because I've done so with other works and found myself disappointed by their judgment and comments.
The movie "Cyrano de Bergerac," made in 1950 and starring Jose Ferrer and Mala Powers, is very good. The book, the play, is exponentially better.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Cyrano de Bergerac
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1 comment:
I remember being unimpressed by The Three Musketeers, until a translation came out when I was in college that was very good. A good translation makes a huge difference.
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