A suitable story for Valentine’s Day maybe.
I do understand that Geraldine McCaughrean did not originally pen this story. It was written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand completely in rhyming couplets. Since that time it has been reworked and rewritten countless times. It has been staged and filmed and pulled around for years. This edition published by OUP is small, hardback, with appealing artwork on the dust jacket and written for young people.
This is a story of desperate love and maybe really, really true love, where Cyrano, who feels himself unlovable with his very large nose, puts the love of his life, Roxanne, first in all things and the story ends in tragic heartbreak.
The words of Cyrano’s letters and poetry are written on behalf of another and yet it is these descriptions of love that Roxanne adores, rather than the young soldier who purports to send them. Here is a flavour of the writing:
‘Like starlings roosting at sunset, the letters fluttered into Roxanne’s life: sometimes single sonnets, sometimes twelve pages of close-written prose told her of her inner and outward perfections. Their language was so full of stars and planets, comets and constellations … myth and magic, alchemy and astronomy were woven into flying carpets and laid at her feet.’
Geraldine McCaughrean is a delightful writer whose output is mainly but not wholly for children. Some years ago I wrote to her and she was kind enough to reply. I had written the story of Mrs Noah, building on the few words about her in the Bible and then I came across a book she had written called: ‘Not the end of the world’ where she had done the same thing. I sent my offering to her and she sent me a constructive critique for which I was very grateful.
This book would make a lovely gift, no matter the age of the recipient. I would wrap it in deep purple tissue paper and tie it with lime green chiffon ribbon.