I found this audiobook edition of Cyrano de Bergerac to be an incredibly tough listen. The full cast speak their lines so rapidly and nearly on top of each other that it's almost head spinning to figure out what's going on. Slowing down the speed doesn't help since the lines are spoken so closely together.

Cyrano just may be better suited to be read or watched as a play to help keep the characters and storyline straight.

Awkward.

I had the audiobook. There are multiple narrators and sound-effects. My biggest problem was the sound/audio consistency. Voices would be too loud, then too low, then just right. The first two-thirds of a 3 hour audiobook were insanely awkward. It was impossible to comfortably listen and take in the story. I tried ear buds as well as a speaker to no avail.

Of note, I have listened to The Bible Experience for years with no problems. I believe the intention is for Cyrano to be setup and enjoyed the same way, and sadly it is a miss.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for accepting my request to read and review Cyrano de Bergerac.

Listing to this story was a delight. The voices made it feel like been in a theater without the visual effects of the performing actors.
Been a big fan of Molière I loved the reference near the end about Molière stealing his play and indeed this story also feels a bit like reading some of Molière’s plays. I will not give the plot summary because the story has been produced so many times for theaters, films and TV; many people will have seen one version or other. What most people don’t know that there was a real Cyrano de Bergerac and the play was based on his life. If interested check Wikipedia to read the small write up on Cyrano.

There was nothing about this play that I liked. I guess I in general don't like the tale of Cyrano, but I also didn't like the writing of it here. The dialogue was choppy and unnatural, and I never cared about any of the characters. The one scene in which Cyrano lists off possible insults for his nose was a bit enjoyable, but the rest of it felt like a slog and I just wanted it to end.
It just wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

Having never read or seen this classic play, I was delighted for two reasons: the story itself, and the excellent production contained in this audiobook. I found the play to be very entertaining, and the principal actors performed very finely. I would recommend this production to anyone who enjoys full cast audio dramas.

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

I’m familiar with the story through many offshoots so when I saw this audiobook I jumped on a request. It was great being able to hear the production in the comfort of my home whilst doing dishes and cleaning. So glad this was produced.

An advanced copy of this audiobook was provided to me courtesy of NetGalley, Dreamscape Media for review purposes. Thank you so much.

This play is written by Edmond Rostand, originally published in 1897. It is a play based on an actual event, and was made into a number of theater productions and a few movies, most current of which came out last year in 2021. The story itself is lovely, and popular. This audiobook is narrated by a full cast and features original music.

I have seen a theater production as well as Steve Martin's modern movie version "Roxane." I love classic literature so I jumped this opportunity. As the story is classic, I feel it would be unfair to give feedback to the story itself - and it is a right mix of comedy, drama, and tragedy. I feel it is popular because all the characters are flawed - like any human. Despite their shortcomings, you wish the best outcome for each character.
I enjoy the story, and the dramatic full cash production was a good choice. I was not complete satisfied with this production though, as the voice actors came across somewhat flat, especially female characters felt cold to me. Original music was lovely and enjoyable, and the translation was smooth and easily understandable.

I knew the basics of this story, I have seen the movie Roxanne with Steve Martin [just a T A D different than this story it turns out] and thought I was pretty well versed in what was going to happen.

I was wrong.

This is a tragic love tale [must they ALL be tragic? Apparently] that really tugs at the heart and makes you wish for a different outcome. It is well-written and in this case, well acted out. I think I would like to experience all plays this way - it was such a great way to experience the writing without the distraction of other things going on on the stage [I listened to Anna Christie and The Crucible this was as well and both were absolutely spectacular. I would highly recommend those versions as well as this one] and I certainly hope to find more to listen to this way. I loved the story, even with all the sadness and was surprised at how much I dislike Roxanne, as I expected to like her more.

Very well done and worth an afternoon of your time. You will not be sorry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media LLC for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a theatrical reading of Cyrano de Bergerac. I thought it was fine, good for students. I didn't find it that enjoyable. The Cyrano character's voice wasn't that easy to pick out, honestly. I could have used more voice acting, since this is an audio medium.

A superb rendering of the classic Rostand play. Thisproduction achieves the effect of attending a live version, giving minimal explanation when necessary to maintain clarity without distracting from the action. I knew the premise of the work and the basis of several scenes, but had never read or seen the full play. After listening to this one, Cyrano has a tender spot in my heart. I highly recommend this work.

Thanks to all of the actors, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This new audio production of Edmond Rostand's classic play, Cyrano de Bergerac, is a perfectly competent, occasionally lovely rendering of one of the great plays of the French canon. With every stage direction included in the reading, the larger ensemble scenes tend to lose the energy and flow of the monologues or two-person scenes, but energy, flow, and elegance don't seem to be this production's goal, anyway. The cast generally seem to be prioritizing careful enunciation and clarity of every word over emotional acting, and it might be best considered as a resource for students or others who just want simple access to the play, rather than a dramatic performance in its own right. (A note on that - perhaps credit the translator? It would surely be helpful, at least, for listeners to know which English version they're hearing.)

Still, Rostand's heart-stirring, swashbuckling, glorious play shines through it all, just as moving and absorbing as when I first read it. Five stars and beyond for the play itself, of course; this rating is for this specific audio production.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think this was just too much of it’s time for me. I might have found it more entertaining if I could have seen the play rather than having tried to listen to the audiobook. Had to DNF at 36%.

Cyrano de Bergerac is a play based on true events and individuals by Edmond Rostand. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at a little over three hours and is narrated by a full cast and features original music.

Cyrano de Bergerac is a man who is just as talented with his words as he is with his sword. He loves a woman named Roxane, but knows he could never really tell her about it because he finds himself too ugly for her. She falls in love with a soldier named Christian, who isn't very good at wooing. Cyrano decides to help Christian win the hand of the fair Roxane using love letters he will write for him.

This was a really enjoyable listen! I always love listening to plays narrated with full casts, and all of the actors did amazing jobs here. This was originally written in French in 1897, and the translator for this version did an amazing job.

CW: war, death

Special thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing an audio galley of this book for me to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.