YOUNG CYRANO

A debut YA novel imagines the school days of one of literature’s most eloquent swordsmen.

Growing up in 17th-century France, the teenage noble Cyrano de Bergerac prefers to spend his days dreaming up fantastic inventions and wondering what clouds are made of. Even so, he’s still frequently forced to deal with the less enlightened denizens of his age—bullies, street toughs, assorted brigands—not to mention his father, whose boring plans for Cyrano’s future include training him as a lawyer or tax collector. Cyrano dreams of one day becoming a musketeer, though in practice the young man relies less on brute force than on charm and misdirection to stay out of trouble: “He could be witty, comical, charming, and incredibly disarming. He had the ability to talk his way out of a disagreement as quickly as his arrogance and temper could get him into a fight.” After a summer of reluctant tutoring in art and science by the kindly professor Pierre Gassendi as well as adventures with his favorite cousin (and secret crush) Roxanne, Cyrano and his best friend, Henri Le Bret, head off for the university in Paris. Cyrano discovers that the place has even more rules to follow than his own home. Despite what he considers his “nasty big nose,” he quickly manages to wow his teachers and fellow students with his intellect and wit, including the beautiful Margaux. But not everyone at the college is quite so amused by the loquacious rogue, and Cyrano soon encounters dangerous situations that even he might not be able to talk himself out of. Cicchini’s prose is buoyant and snappy, capturing the spirit of his articulate, quippy protagonist: “After Rhetoric class, the boys moved on to the auditorium for Drama, which Cyrano took to like the proverbial fish to water. When Professor Picard, a tall, thin man with angular features, asked for volunteers for a dramatic reading of an Alexandre Hardy play, Cyrano shot up like his seat had springs in it.” The book has a slightly antiquated feel due to the material, the flavor of the language, and the general lightness of its tone. Still, even readers with no past experience with Cyrano will enjoy his youthful capers and duels.

An engaging, swashbuckling tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously.