Phantom

Jun 03, 2010 Echo rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Phans and only phans

Shelves: romance, duds

If Kay had stopped where The Phantom of the Opera book and musical started, she would have had a decent book on her hands. Despite turning Erik, the Phantom, into a terrible Gary Stu, she did give him an interesting and detailed history. In fact, if you stop reading the book before Christine comes in, I'd imagine it's pretty enjoyable. However, I kept reading, and there's my problem.

(Possible SPOILERS)

Once Christine and Raoul entered the story, I moved from wariness, to shock, to disbelief, to t...more If Kay had stopped where The Phantom of the Opera book and musical started, she would have had a decent book on her hands. Despite turning Erik, the Phantom, into a terrible Gary Stu, she did give him an interesting and detailed history. In fact, if you stop reading the book before Christine comes in, I'd imagine it's pretty enjoyable. However, I kept reading, and there's my problem.

(Possible SPOILERS)

Once Christine and Raoul entered the story, I moved from wariness, to shock, to disbelief, to tears.

First of all, the relationships are not at all true to the characters. In other versions, Christine turns to Raoul for help because of her fear of the Phantom. In this novel, Christine only runs to Raoul when she's angry at Erik because she's jealous of his cat or because he's scared her. Raoul becomes little more than a tool for a tempermental little girl to punish her would-be lover.

Raoul isn't much better. In the other stories, he's patient and kind to Christine. He sticks by her side like the loyal guy he is. In Phantom, when Christine won't let him have his way, he stalks off to sulk until his next encounter with her. Since Christine seems to have mysteriously lost her fear of the Phantom, and therefore doesn't need to turn to Raoul for protection, Raoul becomes nothing more than a prodding figure. He's continually trying to cut Christine's ties with Erik, and all the while it's not what Christine REALLY wants, but she goes along with Raoul because she's confused.

Then there's Christine and Erik. In other versions, the Phantom has the shadow of his disfigurement hanging over him and it distorts his soul. In those versions, it's Christine who shows him love and kindness and helps him find the good in himself. In Phantom, it's the other way around. Despite his tendency to murder people and kidnap people and act like a sociopath, Erik becomes the enlightened figure in Kay's novel. The more Christine is around him, the more educated she becomes, the more deeply she thinks about things. She starts to become ashamed of herself because she doesn't have the courage to touch him. She realizes that the Phantom has loved her as no man has loved a woman before. And yet, I'm not convinced. Because he lies to her? Kills in order to possess her? Yells at her for, say, asking him to kill a spider? Wants to possess her even if it is not what she wants/not what is best for her? Or perhaps it's because he is only content to let her go (and yet STILL doesn't) when he realizes that she likes him best.

It occurred to me that this was the sort of story I would expect to read in a fan fiction, where the story didn't turn out the way some fangirl wanted it to, so she twists and distorts the situations and the characters to fit her own means.

Don't get me wrong. I adore the Phantom. I think he's a phenomenal character. But this, to me, is not a great love story. It is the story that ignores the flaws of the Phantom, and therefore makes his redemption meaningless. In the other stories, when Christine shows him love, she helps him let go of the obsession that made him want to possess her at any cost. Instead, he becomes a noble figure as he realizes that she loves Raoul and he lets them both go, even though it pains him. It's a bittersweet ending, no doubt, but it has an integrity. In Phantom, I felt like that was lost. After all, he loses his moment where he shows his love for her for the first time by allowing her to leave with Raoul. In Phantom, we're robbed of that moment. Instead, the only side we ever see of the Phantom and his love for Christine is the selfish, "I want her because I love her and I'll do whatever I have to do to make her stay with me to make me happy," side of him. In the end of Phantom, I wanted to cry because I felt that all three of the characters were cheated in order to make a "happy ending." But the happy ending, when it is the wrong ending, is not the best ending.(less)

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Oct 25, 2007 Karin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, I cannot say enough about this book. If you were captivated by any version of The Phantom of the Opera and loved the characters - especially Erik - you need to read this book. It was the first book to ever make me cry. Kay was so imaginative when she wrote the character of Erik and I thought she wrote him beautifully. I loved finally getting to explore his mind and the reasons why he was the way he was, and enjoyed reading of his supposed travels and finding out how he gained all of his kno...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: adults

Recommended to Anne by: Phantom Phans

Well, I finally read Susan Kay's "Phantom." Before I wrote my own book, I had read nothing but the original Leroux book as I did not want to be influenced by any other writer.
I must admit that this book is heartwrenching, sad, but beautifully crafted. I was continually amazed at the ability of the author to see into each character in the book and put it to paper.
Erik, of course, broke my heart. I was sick after the first chapter when I saw how his mother treated him. It was a miracle that he wa...more
Well, I finally read Susan Kay's "Phantom." Before I wrote my own book, I had read nothing but the original Leroux book as I did not want to be influenced by any other writer.
I must admit that this book is heartwrenching, sad, but beautifully crafted. I was continually amazed at the ability of the author to see into each character in the book and put it to paper.
Erik, of course, broke my heart. I was sick after the first chapter when I saw how his mother treated him. It was a miracle that he was able to become such a renowned musician, architect, painter and magician. I was constantly saddened as I read each stage of his terribly unhappy life, his desire to be loved, his wish for only a kiss from his mother, which she refused, his treatment in the gypsy caravan and in Persia. then his awakening to the human love with Christine and her gradual awakening to his heart, and the final gift she gave him and the result of that gift, her son, Charles. I must admit, I do not like pre-marital sex, but this was so beautifully written with no vulgarity, but only the desire of Christine to give Erik something that no other woman ever had or would. Her gradual opening to him where she was able to see him as a man rather than a freak, with all a man's feelings, desires and wants, was poignant and beautiful. And I believe while they were alome in her room, and she had his wedding ring, that they did make special vows to each other. I am reminded of reading many books about the Scottish Highlands which were served by way too few priests, and a man and woman could enter into a handfast marriage, which they could annul after one year if there was not child. I believe that is what Erik and Christine did. So I did not feel terrible about what she did. It was not an act of sex but an act of the deepest love.
I was also, as a Christian, touched by Erik's constant battle of trying to find God and to understand why he had been made the way he had.
I love the way the Phantom was portrayed by Gerard Butler. The idea of a half beautiful, half terribly disfigured face, somehow seemed almost harder to deal with than a totally horrific face like Leroux and Kay's Phantom. I could see how he could have constantly been reminded of what might have been.This is the one which stole my heart and made the Phantom part of my life.
However Kay's book is special in its specialness of the truth of Erik as portrayed by his creator, Leroux. I found it much harder to deal with that ALW's Phantom, although both had me in tears.
My rating of 4 stars was given rather than five, only because I was so sad when I finished the book. With only the final pages of redemption and forgiveness, the rest was hard to deal with. But it is a very special book.

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Sep 23, 2007 Meelazou rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everybody who likes to read

Shelves: favourites

First I have to say, I never really was interested in the Phantom of the Opera. I'm still not inclined to see this musical anytime soon.
But the book is different. The author uses beautiful language that describes the emotions of the characters so well that you really emphasize with them. Especially the main character Erik, who was born with a mutilated face and has to wear a mask constantly to hide it.
The book is divided in several parts with different point of views. The first part is written f...more

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Sep 23, 2008 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 19th-century, fluff, italy, romance, guilty-pleasure, victorian, france, persia, russia, opera, circus-freak-shows, paris, doomed-love, prejudice, retellings, middle-east, iconic-characters, music

I was REALLY into Phantom of the Opera when I was about 13, and still love the story and atmosphere, even if I'm not as enthralled with the musical as I was then. I read the novel a few years ago and liked that as well, so at that time I made a list of Phantom-based books, including this one. Basically, it's glorified fan fiction, but it wasn't terrible. One of the great appeals of the Phantom is speculating over his past, and this novel satisfies that in ways I enjoyed more than I anticipated....more

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Dec 02, 2010 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction

What can one say about the Phantom of the Opera that has not already been said. Susan Kay said a lot. I was surprised by this book multiple times. I loved the first 100 pages discussing the Erik's childhood. There were moments where I thought I could cry for him. I found his intellect to be astonishing and interesting.
However, there were many instances where I felt Kay's writing lacked. Many times she would repeat the same exact scenes from a different perspective, which were not needed. I bel...more

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Sep 13, 2008 Cailin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of my favorite books. If you like the story of the Phantom of the Opera, you'll be both astounded and heartbroken by Susan Kay's portrayal of Eric's life - from his birth, to after his death.
Often, with tales from the "bad guy's" perspective, you start to feel sorry for the antagonist. The traditional Phantom of the Opera does this already; you feel sorry for the "bad guy," but you ultimately end up siding with Christine.
Phantom does something a little different. You fall in love wi...more

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Oct 29, 2008 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The description reads that this book is 'Haunting' and that is pretty accurate. When I see the pic of the book cover, I still feel the same way I did when I was reading the book. I'm one of those corny Phantom-lovers so you'll have to take my review with at least that grain of salt.

I LOVED this book and would read it again. I also read this one on a cruise and if you are looking to get lost in a book, this is a great one to get lost in. The author is a wonderful storyteller and this book will ca...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Ioet rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: retelling, music

I love Phantom of the Opera. I'm completely obsessed with it. However, unlike most of the Phantom fans I know, this book really didn't do that much for me - it's not that good - in the end, all I cared about in this story were the animals.[return][return]First, I really did enjoy it. It held my attention well enough. But I found that there was something in it that was just *missing* - I think it may be the writing itself. It's not particularly well-written. It didn't make me cry or laugh or yell...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Ioet rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Phantom of the Opera. I'm completely obsessed with it. However, unlike most of the Phantom fans I know, this book really didn't do that much for me - it's not that good - in the end, all I cared about in this story were the animals.[return][return]First, I really did enjoy it. It held my attention well enough. But I found that there was something in it that was just *missing* - I think it may be the writing itself. It's not particularly well-written. It didn't make me cry or laugh or yell...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Odd Oddtest rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: retelling, music

I love Phantom of the Opera. I'm completely obsessed with it. However, unlike most of the Phantom fans I know, this book really didn't do that much for me - it's not that good - in the end, all I cared about in this story were the animals.[return][return]First, I really did enjoy it. It held my attention well enough. But I found that there was something in it that was just *missing* - I think it may be the writing itself. It's not particularly well-written. It didn't make me cry or laugh or yell...more

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May 19, 2013 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first heard about this book when I happened to see an interview with Hugh Panaro, the then-star of "Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway. He suggested the text as required reading for anyone looking to play the character of the Phantom or anyone looking to understand his character on a deeper level. Since "Phantom of the opera" is (hands-down) my favorite Broadway show, and since I promised my father that I would find a way to produce the show with the Drama Club I direct, I thought I'd give it a...more I first heard about this book when I happened to see an interview with Hugh Panaro, the then-star of "Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway. He suggested the text as required reading for anyone looking to play the character of the Phantom or anyone looking to understand his character on a deeper level. Since "Phantom of the opera" is (hands-down) my favorite Broadway show, and since I promised my father that I would find a way to produce the show with the Drama Club I direct, I thought I'd give it a whirl.

I was impressed with Kay's knowledge of the source material. Rather than simply looking over Lloyd Webber's Broadway show or a movie version, she went back to the original material of Gaston Leroux. She sets her story (initially) long before the events of Leroux's novel; her focus is on the character of Erik, the "phantom." Kay traces his life from birth through the events of Leroux's work and beyond. Taking a cue from both Leroux and Lloyd Webber, Kay spins a tale of a young man with tremendous talents who faces scorn and isolation because of his unfortunate deformation.

Kay slowly unfolds the character of Erik, providing him with sufficient backstory to explain his talents and abilities while simultaneously peppering his life with events to mold his character and response to humanity. The most interesting thing is that Kay accomplished this through a variety of narrators. Each phase of Erik's life is told to the reader through the eyes of a new figure; Erik only narrates about one-third of the book. The use of outside perspectives to narrate the bulk of the story offers a certain objectivity to the reader. The reader can generally relate to the narrator more than Erik since the narrator often mirrors the perspective the reader would likely have. This allows for a deeper sympathetic reaction to Erik's trials and tribulations than would be possible were it Erik who was telling his own story the whole way through.

If you like "Phantom of the Opera" (in any of its iterations), this is a must-read.(less)

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Mar 10, 2013 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh boy. I could talk about this book for longer than it takes to read it, but I think I can sum up my feelings on it in one sentence.

It is my absolute favorite novel that I have ever read.

I have read quite a few novels. It's hard to decisively say which is my favorite. That is, it would be hard, had I not read this book.

I've been in a sort of love affair with the story of the Phantom of the Opera for a year or so now. It started with a webcomic. That's another story. Right now we're talking abou...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Danny Jackson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm really tempted to give this book 5 stars. When people will ask me what my favorite book is, I usually will say this is it. I absolutely love the story of "The Phantom of the Opera" and Kay does a wonderful job of artfully telling the life story of the deranged man we know as Erik, aka the Phantom. Leroux tells us so little of him in his original novel, and Kay writes his backstory so well many Phans (as we call ourselves) accept this as canon, or at least as close as it goes. And i realize t...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this book was quite good. It explained Erik's background and all the questions the original book raised about him. I was quite disgusted by the way everyone treated him though from his mother to his hard-core admirer, Luciana, up to the point where she saw his face. It makes you wonder: is the face really everything? I maintain, Erik was simply born in the wrong age. If he was born in today's world, maybe then his genius and talents would be appreciated. Of course, we also live in a wo...more

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Mar 10, 2012 rayful rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-hate-love-triangles

I love Phantom of the Opera more than... a lot of things. In fact, I'd say that it is my all-time favorite "love" story/musical/production/movie (2004) ever. I have no shame in the fact that I'm literally obsessed with POTO. But, of course, there are a few problems. I think this book a phenomenal retelling of the origianl work, and I appreciated how she attempted to stay (somewhat) close to Gaston Leroux's, and I enjoyed learning about Erik's past, whether or not it was true. I had some problems...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Nate Jenson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a wonderful, horrible story.

I've always been captivated by Andrew Lloyd Webber's music in the telling of this tale and when I found this book, about 15 years ago, it only added to my appreciation for this story. I have read this book several times and I love it, even though it breaks my heart to read it.

This book tells of the beautiful and tragic life of the man who becomes The Phantom of the Opera. It begins when he is born, told from his mother's perspective.

The writing is excellent an...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Hannah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I can see that I'm very much in the minority here. This book did nothing for me, and even though I wasn't expecting to enjoy it all that much I still feel pretty disappointed with it. Susan Kay's 'Phantom' is a spin-off of Gaston Leroux's 'The Phantom of the Opera' (although Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical was obviously an influence on it as well). It retells the life of Erik a.k.a. the Phantom from his birth right up to his death. I first heard about 'Phantom' a couple of years ago but I was extr...more I can see that I'm very much in the minority here. This book did nothing for me, and even though I wasn't expecting to enjoy it all that much I still feel pretty disappointed with it. Susan Kay's 'Phantom' is a spin-off of Gaston Leroux's 'The Phantom of the Opera' (although Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical was obviously an influence on it as well). It retells the life of Erik a.k.a. the Phantom from his birth right up to his death. I first heard about 'Phantom' a couple of years ago but I was extremely sceptical about it and it turns out I was right. In fairness I wouldn't say that this book is TERRIBLE. At least not all of it is. The first half of 'Phantom' is actually quite decent. OK, it is a bit contrived and sensationalistic in places but these are only minor flaws. I will give Kay some credit here. She does a good job of fleshing out the details of Erik's backstory that are only hinted at in Leroux's novel. I have to admit that I found the Rome and Persia sections of this book pretty interesting and I was impressed by the sheer amount of research that Kay must have done. In fact, if Kay had ended her novel right where Leroux's book and the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical start off then I think she would have had a decent prequel to POTO on her hands. Unfortunetly, Kay doesn't choose to end her novel at this point and I carried on reading it.

The second half of 'Phantom' is a total let-down - and to be perfectly frank I think most of it really sucks. First of all, we find out that Christine Daae bears an uncanny resemblance to Madeleine, Erik's mother. Now surely I can't be the only person who finds this a bit creepy and Freudian?! And besides, Madeleine hated Erik and vice versa so wouldn't Christine's physical resemblance to his mother be off-putting to him? Another thing that I found extremely irritating about this book are the bizarre alterations from Leroux's original story that occur. It's really strange because Kay has obviously made an effort, in the first half of this book at least, to keep Erik's physical appearance and backstory accurate to Leroux's descriptions - but when she actually comes to the story that we all know and love she makes weird changes. I'm sure that Kay probably wanted to put her own twist on things and to make the story her own but the way that she did this was just too fanfiction-y and off-canon for my tastes.

There are so many scenes in this book that supposedly take place in Leroux's novel but are in reality nothing like those scenes at all. For example: Leroux's novel has Carlotta croak like a toad on the same night that the chandelier falls, but in Kay's 'Phantom' the chandelier falls on a different night much later on. The unmasking scene here is nothing like the unmasking scene in Leroux's novel. By far the most cringeworthy scene in this book has to be the one where Christine hears Erik's music for Don Juan Triumphant. The music is described as being like a sob in Leroux's novel, as the ultimate expression of grief and rage. Christine is frightened and disturbed. Here though, the music is so incredibly sexy and arousing that Christine *ahem* ends up getting herself off to it. Okaaay then...The book then proceeds to delve even further into the realms of bad fanfiction. I get the strong impression that Kay didn't like how Leroux's novel ended and decided to twist and distort the characters and events of that novel to suit her own purposes like a lot of bad fanfiction writers do.

I love the Phantom in Leroux's novel and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical. I think he's a fantastic character and very sympathetic. In Kay's novel, I felt barely any sympathy for him at all. Also, I can't say that I was ever a massive fan of Christine in Leroux's novel (because I never really found her all that interesting) but reading Kay's novel actually made me appreciate her a whole lot more. OK, Christine does come across as being a bit helpless in Leroux's novel but at least she had some backbone. She was in love with Raoul and was determined to save him. In Kay's novel, Christine is completely incapable of making decisions by herself and seems incredibly childish and bratty. I know that Christine is supposed to be naive and a very young and innocent girl from reading Leroux's novel - childlike as opposed to childish - but Kay seems to take this to mean that 'Christine is stupid and mentally challenged'. Er, no she isn't! Kay strips Christine of every ounce of intelligence and integrity that she has in Leroux's novel and what we have instead is an incredibly annoying character. She also has an aggravating habit of always saying exactly the wrong thing to Erik and she uses Raoul horribly. Basically, she only runs off to Raoul in this book whenever Erik has done something to upset her: whether it's because he shouted at her or because she's jealous of his cat. Raoul is just some tool for Christine to punish Erik with. I felt really sorry for Raoul in this book and he must surely deserve some sort of medal for the crap that he has to put up with! Christine ends up sleeping with Erik right before their wedding - hmm, what recent musical does this remind me of?! - and forces him to accept this. She then takes Erik's cat to live with them and has a son that turns out to be Erik's! Poor Raoul has to put up with the fact that his wife, his son and even his pet are all Erik's! How harsh is that?

To sum up: if you're an E/C shipper who hates Raoul, loves the Phantom unconditionally, and always thought that Christine should have chosen Erik and was in love with him all along then 'Phantom' is a must-read and you will love it. And if you're not, don't bother. Give me the Leroux novel and the ALW musical anyday!(less)

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Jul 25, 2011 Kristine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As soon as I finished this book, I paused for a few minutes and then turned to page one to relive the whole journey again. I loved Kay's writing style. The story was imaginative and fit like a glove for my idea of Erik. I can't say enough about the first 2/3 of the book. AND THEN...I don't know what happened. The last part of the book (essentially where Christine and Erik meet) didn't sit right with me the first time I read it. It was even worse the second time. I realize Kaye had to somewhat st...more

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Feb 28, 2011 Summer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's rare that I hear this much about a book before reading it, and have so many expectations. The beginning was not nearly as painful as I thought it should be and the ending, for reasons I can't even explain, was vastly more so. It felt a little odd that the author sets up the tiniest details in the beginning to jive with Leroux and then, once the story as we know it begins, jumps into a retelling that's one part the original novel, one part of the musical, and one part something else beside -...more

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Nov 16, 2010 arthael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, fan-fiction

- เป็นนิยายที่เขียนด้วยมุมมองของแฟนละครที่รู้สึกเห็นใจแฟนธ่อมเป็นทุนเดิม ดังนั้นจึงเป็นนิยายที่เข้าข้างแฟนธ่อมมากๆจนไม่อาจเถียงได้ว่านี่มันชีวิตรันทดของแกรี่ สตูชัดๆ
- ดังนั้น ควรอ่านด้วยจิตใจลำเอียงอย่างเพียงพอแล้วจะสนุกมากกกก
- ตั้งใจจะให้สี่ดาวครึ่งนะ เพราะคนเขียนเขียนได้ดี รู้สึก engaging
- สร้าง shelf ใหม่ให้เป็นหมวด fan-fiction เพราะคนเขียนเธอบอกว่าเธอได้แรงบันดาลใจมาจาก Musical ของ Andrew Lloyd Webber (ซึ่งก็น่าจะเป็นอย่างนั้น เพราะโทนของตัวละครแฟนธ่อมเคาะกันมา)
- เป็นหนึ่งในหนังสือเกี่ยว...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Debby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gothic-romance

Oh Man! You know when you are on anti-depressants it is pretty hard to emote, but as I was laying on my couch reading about this mother/son relationship trainwreck,I just kept wiping back the tears. I don't think I have read anything that has moved me this much!

I have always been fascinated by people's motivations and the age old question of nature vs. nurture. This author did not disappoint.

I was also touched by the love that Giovanni had for Erik. I think it was one of the most tender relation...more

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Feb 13, 2010 Stephanie D. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My mind has touched the farthest horizons of mortal imagination and reaches ever outward to embrace infinity. There is no knowledge beyond my comprehension, no art or skill upon this entire planet that lies beyond the mastery of my hand. And yet, like Faust, I look in vain. I learn in vain...For as long as I live, no woman will ever look on me in love....

My kingdom lies in eternal darkness, many feet below the level of the Parisian streets outside, shrouded in the chill silence of the grave. Dar...more My mind has touched the farthest horizons of mortal imagination and reaches ever outward to embrace infinity. There is no knowledge beyond my comprehension, no art or skill upon this entire planet that lies beyond the mastery of my hand. And yet, like Faust, I look in vain. I learn in vain...For as long as I live, no woman will ever look on me in love....

My kingdom lies in eternal darkness, many feet below the level of the Parisian streets outside, shrouded in the chill silence of the grave. Darkness and silense have been my companions since the day I chose to turn my back upon the world of men and create an empire that was solely mine.

From the moment of my birth my destiny was to be alone."

I don't know of one person who didn't think Christine Daae a fool for going off with the lackluster Raoul rather than stay with the Phantom. Disfigured he may be, but the Phantom has endured as a magnetic figure of endless fascination. In Phantom, Susan Kay explores the Phantom's life, from birth to death - Much happened before he ever set eyes on the winsome Christine.

We love our misunderstood outcasts and mysterious princes of darkness, which Erik is. Brilliant and artistic, he has been reviled since birth, even rejected by his own very beautiful mother. We follow Erik as he is captured by the evil Javert and exhibited as a freak. Finally escaping the gypsy carnival, he makes his way to Italy to become a master stonemason's apprentice and to his first love, which ends in tragedy. He next surfaces as the dark magician in Persian court. Everywhere he goes, cruelty and devastation follow until at last he retreats to Paris. He becomes the secret genius behind the building of the famous Opera Garnier, where he ultimately decides to hide from the world.

From there, the story roughly follows the well-known Phantom of the Opera storyline, a mix of both the Gaston Leroux novel and the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Kay manages not only to pay homage to both, but surpass them in this superb, beautifully written version. This novel is for all those who, if given the choice, would have picked the Phantom every time.
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Sep 21, 2009 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Phantom of the Opera Lovers, Romance Lovers

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 16, 2009 Eleanor Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: companion-novels

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I liked this book not because of the ending in which Erik (now changed to a complete protagonist) "gets the girl", so to speak, but because of the intricate history Susan Kay weaves for him, causing one to weep, laugh, and boil with anger at given points.

And if the book consisted only of this history, I would have given it a deserved five-stars. However, it was the moment where the plot Leroux created in the original began to be rewritten that I felt this book proceeded to go downhill.

First off,...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Raeann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is quite possibly my favorite book of all time. As a fan of the original novel by Leroux, I was eager to see how Kay would interpret the story and wasn't disappointed in the slightest. Her writing style is descriptive without making the story lag as a result, and the story itself is beautifully told. I enjoyed the change in perspectives, how each milestone in Erik's life was told either by him or someone integral to that moment. This book gives new life to the Phantom, humanizing him in a w...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Tieria's rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When Phantom of the Opera hit Broadway, there was an outbreak of new "sequels" that desperately tried to fix the ending of the original novel. I was going to throw this book into the same category (especially since she seems to be mainly a Romance author) until I read the author's Afterword. Her need to get this story out had nothing to do with the show, but rather with things that bothered her / didn't line up in the original novel - for instance, Christine's inconsistent behavior and Raoul vac...more

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Jul 01, 2009 Briana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-disappointed-me

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Awesome find in the Half Price Bookstore clearance section! So far it's a lot more romantic than the Leroux version.

*EDIT*

Okay. I'm actually not very sure how I feel about this book. I love love love the Leroux version of POTO, and I'm one of those crazy purist types who can't stand to see canon abused...however, I’m very much in favor of character backstory development...provided that it’s done well.

So. The good parts of Phantom...I really enjoyed Kay’s depiction of Erik’s life prior to the Ope...more Awesome find in the Half Price Bookstore clearance section! So far it's a lot more romantic than the Leroux version.

*EDIT*

Okay. I'm actually not very sure how I feel about this book. I love love love the Leroux version of POTO, and I'm one of those crazy purist types who can't stand to see canon abused...however, I’m very much in favor of character backstory development...provided that it’s done well.

So. The good parts of Phantom...I really enjoyed Kay’s depiction of Erik’s life prior to the Opera House. It was suitably dark, very horrible, and altogether believable. Poor little Erik really needs a hug. :( I was also very happy to see Nadir and to hear how he met Erik. I've always, always wondered about the Persian, almost as much as I've wondered about Erik!

The parts I didn't like about Phantom...okay, the thing I really love about Leroux's Phantom is that he's so bizarre, so crazy, and yet so starved for love that I can't help but feel sorry for him, while being fascinated by the horror of it all. Kay's Phantom...he's so close to being just an ugly person that the mystery is lessened, at least for me. Plus, he has a strange sort of attractiveness throughout the book. The Leroux purist in me completely resists the idea of an attractive Erik!! (Which is why the movie perturbs me immensely...) Kay's Phantom barely seems insane at all. He's just very angry and angsty and misunderstood. (And drugged...) I still can't decide whether I prefer a lunatic Phantom or a psychopath Phantom...but I just wish Kay's Phantom had been a little less attractive and a lot more spooky.

I liked about five-sixths of this book, up to the part that Christine comes into the story. She seems like a total idiot in this...although I guess she does in pretty much any POTO rendition. But she was so annoyingly smitten with the Phantom in this...I thought Raoul was very unfairly portrayed in this version. Yes, yes, I know, nobody likes Raoul, tell the Phangirls to sit down and be quiet. But seriously, there was almost zero chemistry between Christine and Raoul. Most of the time, she was being ditzy, and he was being oblivious...they barely seemed like they even knew each other. I thought the Christine/Raoul romance in Leroux's version was very sweet...and honestly, I don't like the Christine/Erik pairing. Leroux's is too nutty for Christine to get stuck with him, and Kay's is too cool to get stuck with Christine.

I HATED the ending!! With a deep, unrivaled passion, I hate the ending to Phantom more than I've ever hated a book ending in my life. There is so much hatred that it leaves me speechless. It...I...he...she...yeah. Basically, it RUINED one of the best tragedies of all time. And I love tragedy.

So. To sum up...the beginning of this book was completely worth it for me. Erik is one of my favorite literary characters of all time, and I loved hearing the whys and hows of his past. But...the ending...after I write this, I must wash my mind out with soap or something, due to the sheer awfulness. But everything that *didn't* have to do with Christine was acceptable (says the POTO snob).

Um...by the way...this is not for kids or sensitive readers. Not quite as graphic as Wicked, but it's pretty up there. Speaking of which, I really want Elphaba and Erik to get together and chat. Musical junkie fantasies...(less)

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Sep 14, 2012 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's been a few years, but I can recall the story well. Coming from an author whose other works are romance novels this was surprisingly free of a lot of the usual plot points in them. I loved that this was a prequel, a version of Leroux's novel, and a short sequel all in one. The story of Erik's life in his different stages and locations were fascinating, but I noticed a pattern of there always being a female interest, whether mutual or not. Christine's portrayal in this book is very flat and I...more

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Dec 26, 2011 Aubrey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This book was amazing! It was a very emotional roller-coaster. It was very intriguing to watch how Kay unfolded the secret story of Erik, Le Fantome de l'Opera. I, when I read Leroux's novel, had the same issue as Kay did. Nothing was described and it left me with a lot of questions such as little ones like, "How, exactly, did Erik get his name?" or deeper ones like, "Did Christine ever really love Erik? Or was it really just pity and fear?" Kay answered all of the questions for me.

This book, a...more

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