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The Phantom of the Opera

Gaston Leroux,

Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (Translator)

3.96 · Rating details · 204,496 ratings · 7,127 reviews

First published in French as a serial in 1909, The Phantom of the Opera is a riveting story that revolves around the young, Swedish Christine Daaé. Her father, a famous musician, dies, and she is raised in the Paris Opera House with his dying promise of a protective angel of music to guide her. After a time at the opera house, she begins hearing a voice, who eventually tea ...more

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Paperback, 360 pages

Published December 30th 1987 by Harper Perennial (first published September 23rd 1909)

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Aug 22, 2012 Emily May rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: People who don't view Wuthering Heights as a romance (and maybe those who do ^_^)

Shelves: horror, classics, 2014

Persons who are visited by the Angel quiver with a thrill unknown to the rest of mankind. And they cannot touch an instrument or open their mouths to sing, without producing sounds that put all other human sounds to shame.

Erik, AKA The Phantom of the Opera, is Paris's Heathcliff. This book is a dark tale of a man's descent into violence and madness, and the woman who forms the obsession at the centre of his life.

I should probably confess: I am a shameless lover of The Phantom of the ...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Fabian rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Excellent, marvelous. A phantasmagorical (ha ha!) PERFECTION. NO JOKE. This is one true House of Horrors, perhaps the best one ever orchestrated (maybe discounting Poe). Yes, EVER. The prose is so simple, so readable, that the barest of essentials are there, in all their power & glory: the haunted house, the victim-lover, the victimizer/lover, the clandestine meetings, the haunted past, the switch-over of protagonists, the uncertainty caused by one elegant overflow of optical illusions, the Vict ...more

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Sep 08, 2017 Sean Barrs rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-star-reads, love-and-romance, modernist-movement

The Phantom’s greatest tragedy in life is the fact that he came so close to gaining the heart of the girl he loved, a sense of acceptance he has wanted for an entire lifetime, but because of his scarred and damaged soul he did nothing but terrify her; ultimately, shattering the initial allure and glamour she felt in his presence.

In the vein of Frankenstein and Heathcliff, Erik’s shattered visage, his ruined face, permeates his soul. Society, humanity, perceives his appearance as evil and twiste ...more

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Mar 24, 2009 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, fiction, novels, french, literature, 20th-century

Le Fantôme de l'Opéra = The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux

The Phantom of the Opera is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierre Lafitte.

In Paris in the 1880's, the Palais Garnier opera house is believed to be haunted by an entity known as the Phantom of the Opera, or simply the Opera Ghost. A stagehand named Joseph Buquet is found hanged and the rope around his neck goes missing.

At a gala performance for the retirement of th ...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Madeline rated it it was ok

Shelves: ugh, the-movie-is-better

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Before we start off, let me clarify something: because I can't be bothered to create a "the Broadway stage adaptation is better" shelf, my "the movie is better" shelf will have to suffice here. The Phantom of the Opera, the show, is a giant, absurd, bombastic display of every bad misconception of theater, and is the main reason Andrew Lloyd Weber is able to fall asleep on a bed made of money every night. It's not my favorite show, is what I'm saying - in fact, I don't even really like the show, ...more

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May 19, 2014 Henry Avila rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Sorelli, a principal dancer in the beautiful, new, and fabulous Paris Opera House ( circa 1880) is angry, her dressing - room has been invaded, by half a dozen hysterical young ladies, ballet dancers. The frightened performers have seen the legendary Phantom (Ghost), claiming to have noticed a very ugly man, but well dressed in the passageway. The superstitious but brave woman, opens the door quiet slowly and takes a careful peek. The shadowy in gaslight, reddish walls give a strange ambiance, b Sorelli, a principal dancer in the beautiful, new, and fabulous Paris Opera House ( circa 1880) is angry, her dressing - room has been invaded, by half a dozen hysterical young ladies, ballet dancers. The frightened performers have seen the legendary Phantom (Ghost), claiming to have noticed a very ugly man, but well dressed in the passageway. The superstitious but brave woman, opens the door quiet slowly and takes a careful peek. The shadowy in gaslight, reddish walls give a strange ambiance, but there is nothing around, the door is quickly shut ...The new managers don't take seriously the old ones, MM. Debienne and Poligny, warnings of the Phantom, receiving them as a joke to amuse Armand Moncharmin, and Firmin Richard, such distinguished gentlemen, playing silly childish games. The duo will be sorry they did not take their advise . Christine Daae, a young Swedish singer, gives an awe inspiring performance when La Carlotta, the spoiled prima donna, lead soprano singer, at the Opera House, through illness, missed her engagement . And the "man" in box five, falls madly in love with Christine, he is the Phantom ( call him Erik) and can help her achieve stardom, maybe not with a gentle touch. Many sightings of this phantom, but he is never caught after all, how can you stop a ghost? Trapped doors, secret passageways, magic mirrors, voices inside walls from empty rooms, a lake under the opera house the intelligent Phantom, knows everything about the gigantic building. A stagehand is found hanging , lifeless below in the cellars, he had seen a flaming head no body though, flying by people , thought he was drunk; a heavy chandelier crushes a woman in the audience during a performance, and at the farewell dinner for the old managers, this man with a death mask sits down at the table. No one talks to the weird, would you ... unnerving stranger, he tells the gentlemen that Joseph Bouqet, the dead man didn't commit suicide. And vanishes as fast as he had arrived ... Raoul Vicomte de Chagny, 20, a person who knew Christine, when both were children loves her too, not surprisingly the jealous Phantom, is not happy indeed. Neither is Phillippe , the Comte de Chagny, and snobbish older brother of Raoul, isn't pleased at all either. Erik kidnaps Christine, descends deep down, under the dungeon like cellars, the monster has a house on the eerie lake. He plays on a organ, his opera that he is writing for Christine, a beautiful voice comes out of his grotesque head. Christine is curious, when the fiend is playing with his back to her, she lifts the death mask ... a hideous, unbelievable repellent, repugnant, revolting face, she faints away. Meanwhile the frantic Raoul , meets the Persian, a person everyone knows but nobody can say who he is. But immediately, Raoul trust him, trust him he must, he knows where Christine is. The Persian gives him a revolver, takes another and they walk down, into the vast, darkness of the opera house basement, to rescue Christine, first seeing a shadow moving near them, but the Phantom it is not. Then a flying face all a blazed, thundering noises rising coming closer and closer, they reach the wall and can't go any further , the strange face approaches, the sound deafening ... thousands of rats, from the blackness, the pair, await their doom... A good old-fashioned tale for people that don't take it seriously and like the atmosphere of an amusing adventure too enjoyable to be real. ...more

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Jan 26, 2015 Pramod Nair rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics, mystery, horror

“And, despite the care which she took to look behind her at every moment, she failed to see a shadow which followed her like her own shadow, which stopped when she stopped, which started again when she did and which made no more noise than a well-conducted shadow should.”

Gaston Leroux - who popularized an entire sub-genre of detective fiction called ‘locked room mystery’ through his works like 'The Mystery of the Yellow Room' and his fictional amateur sleuth, Joseph Rouletabille - is most renow ...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Carol rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics, romance, gothic, mystery, read-2015, saw-the-movie

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is a fantastic ghostly tale of love with so much more depth (and evil) to the storyline than I remember from either the play or "old" movie.

Be prepared for murder by hanging, frequent cries of terror from malicious "accidents", and suicide for just a smidgeon of what will "materialize". But, it's the mysterious Opera Ghost who lurks in the shadows using tricks and illusions to work his many evils behind a mask of horror and smell of death that will grab your attention th

...more

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Feb 13, 2017 Candi rated it liked it

Shelves: classics-shelf, mystery-crime, european-literature

"He is extraordinarily thin and his dress-coat hangs on a skeleton frame. His eyes are so deep that you can hardly see the fixed pupils. You just see two big black holes, as in a dead man’s skull. His skin, which is stretched across his bones like a drumhead, is not white, but a nasty yellow. His nose is so little worth talking about that you can’t see it side-face; and the absence of that nose is a horrible thing to look at. All the hair he has is three or four long dark locks on his forehead a "He is extraordinarily thin and his dress-coat hangs on a skeleton frame. His eyes are so deep that you can hardly see the fixed pupils. You just see two big black holes, as in a dead man’s skull. His skin, which is stretched across his bones like a drumhead, is not white, but a nasty yellow. His nose is so little worth talking about that you can’t see it side-face; and the absence of that nose is a horrible thing to look at. All the hair he has is three or four long dark locks on his forehead and behind his ears."

Sounds deliciously creepy, right? Well, no doubt the Opera ghost would have scared the hell out of me if I had ever crossed paths with him! And he was scary; in fact he was downright evil. More evil than I recall from attending a live performance of the musical by the same name many, many years ago. All the elements of a gothic mystery were there; I was intrigued by the corpse-like apparition that was said to haunt the Paris Opera House. Unfortunately, I was more amused than I was terrified while reading this book. I didn’t experience the allure of the gothic atmosphere.

The plot was interesting enough and kept me turning the pages. Christine, trained by the Angel of Music, becomes a sensation at the opera house and falls in love with a young man from her past. Raoul has been smitten with Christine since he was a child. One day, a little boy, who was out with his governess, made her take a longer walk than he intended, for he could not tear himself from the little girl whose pure, sweet voice seemed to bind him to her." But the Opera ghost is infatuated with her as well, and will stop at almost nothing to make her his bride. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the phantom. At times I abhorred him; he seemed to have no conscience. The next moment I felt pity towards this unloved and lonely outcast of society. It’s a bit of an adventure in the underbelly of the Opera House and I did enjoy all the literal twists and turns there. The melodrama and the unpolished dialogue disappointed me, however. The characters felt flat, with the exception of the phantom himself. The Persian was a bit intriguing as well. Essentially, it’s a tragic story with an engaging plot, and it’s quite readable. Just not the remarkable story I was looking for, but I’m getting a bit particular about my gothic mysteries.

"He asked only to be ‘someone,’ like everybody else."
...more

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Dec 11, 2014 Bark | Ladies Of Horror Fiction rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, audiobook

Well, that was melodramatic.

Because I quit a book last week, I forced myself to finish this one. I can finish anything on audio, thought I. I am not a quitter, thought I. But after struggling to focus on this and backtracking 2 hours because I realized I had been daydreaming the entire time, I have come to the realization that the DNF review is not so bad a thing.

This read was torture. Pure torture. I finished it but did not have a good time.

“You don’t love me. But you will.”

Sorry Erik but no. ...more

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Mar 24, 2017 Piyangie rated it really liked it

Shelves: french-lit, my-library

I fell in love with The Phantom of the Opera after watching 2004 movie adaptation. Since then I have wanted to read the book. I never knew what a surprise was in store for me. The movie was simply a love triangle between Raoul, Christine, and Erik - the "opera ghost" and nothing more. But the book is none of that. It is a gothic horror story; quite different from the movie and very dark. Reading of the book reversed my perspective on the story and its characters.

The "Poor Erik" of the movie w ...more

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Oct 29, 2020 Peter Topside rated it it was amazing

I'll admit that I first saw the broadway show, then the 2004 film, and read the book afterwards. The book was a fairly different animal then its other incarnations, but I enjoyed it a great deal, especially the ending, which was much different. I felt that Erik was a tragic character, but you understood his pain enough to dislike him at times, but not hate him. I also very much loved when the phantom appears at the farewell ceremony to the opera managers, towards the beginning of the book. That ...more

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Feb 06, 2017 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: a-failed-romance, gothic-fiction, stuff-blowing-up, adult, twentieth-century, almost-gothic-in-a-natural-way, because-bad-boys, fantasy, imported-from-france, let-s-hunt-some-orc

Part I: The Book

After the melancholy of North and South —where even the grand romance is tempered by children starving and teenagers dying from cotton-clogged lungs—some escapism was desperately needed. And The Phantom of the Opera provided the most sweeping, colorful, splendid escapism one could ask for.

Yet there is a deeper undercurrent here. It was the hatred of the world that drove Erik mad.

The plot of this story is likely familiar to all: a mysterious being known only as the Opera Ghost ...more

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Feb 14, 2018 Melindam rated it did not like it

Shelves: graveyard-of-dnf-books, books-everybody-loves-but-me, french, too-stupid-to-live-heroine, vastly-overrated, meh

Honestly, I tried, time and again. It gave it time, let myself grow older, cleaned the slate to have a fresh start, etc ... it just did not work. EVEN THINKING ABOUT GERALD BUTLER DID NOT HELP. SO IT'S OFFICIALLY HOPELESS.

This book is the winner of my MOST-BORING-AND-POINTLESS-BOOK-EVER award.

The MCs, Whatshername & Whatshisname are the soppiest individuals and the soppiest couple ever.

description

The book's only saving grace is that Terry Pratchett sends it up all the way in his Maskerade. ...more

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Oct 22, 2019 Loretta rated it it was ok

Shelves: classic, my-2019-reading-challenge

I'm really not sure what to say about this book. Was it suppose to be a scary story about a ghost because if it was, I didn't get it. Maybe it was suppose to be a romantic love story but if it was, I didn't get it. Overall, it was pretty tedious and in the end, for me, if wasn't a scary or romantic story. ...more

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Dec 30, 2008 TheKBSeries rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book changed my life...I'm so not kidding. I saw the play years before I decided to read this book. I'm so sorry that I waited so long because it was fantastic! I plan to re-read it again! It has everything in it! It's scary, creepy, romantic, sweet, sexy, dark, sad, depressing, etc. This is the third book on my list that I would recommend to anyone that i meet! (having harry potter and the twilight series at number one and two spots. haha)

W A R N I N G *MAY be a spoiler in this next parag ...more

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Mar 01, 2020 Sophia Triad rated it it was amazing

Shelves: crime-mafia, favorites, 5historical-lovestories-oldtimes

I blame this book for my obsession in stories with misunderstood monsters who only need love.

"I have not come here ... to talk about Count Philippe ... but to tell you that ... I am going ... to die..."
"Where are Raoul de Chagny and Christine Daae?"
"I am going to die."
"Raoul de Chagny and Christine Daae?"
"Of love ... daroga ... I am dying ... of love ... That is how it is ... loved her so! ... And I love her still ... daroga ... and I am dying of love for her, I ... I tell you! ... If you knew h ...more

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Oct 12, 2020 CarolynMarieReads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, read-books-i-own

...*stares into the abyss*
This book is...
Haunting
Dark
Gloomy
Atmospheric
Gripping
Mysterious
...and simply brilliant!!!

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May 14, 2014 Vanessa J. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015, classics, favourites, gothic

“If I am the phantom, it is because man’s hatred has made me so. If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me.”

I believe everyone has at least heard about The Phantom of the Opera. If not for the book itself, then it may be because of the movies. I knew it was a book, and I knew there were movies, but I’ve never watched any of them, and the book I read until now.

In any case, if you’ve heard about this story, then you know it’s a tragic one – and indeed, it is.

The Phantom of the Ope ...more

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May 11, 2015 Evelyn (devours and digests words) rated it did not like it

Shelves: subpar, ghosties, writing-i-would-love-to-imitate, classics, the-big-screens, characters-i-would-like-to-kick, ditched-for-good

DID NOT FINISH @ 73%

What a melodramatic book this is. Lots of swooning, lots of proclamations of love, and lots of unnecessary details that do not add anything to the plot.

'Tis where me and the ghost of the opera part ways for good. I will probably never know the original reasons as to why Erik - the ghost, the genius and the mad came to be what he is in the first place. I don't think I care much to find out either way.

All the care in the world you can give me and it will still be not enough for ...more

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Feb 04, 2021 jade rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone who's ever fantasized about singing Music of the Night on top of Palais Garnier

Recommended to jade by: my own early obsession with masked vigilantes

Shelves: gothic-lit, the-movie-was-better, romance, classic-lit

“all i wanted was to be loved for myself. if you loved me i should be as gentle as a lamb; and you could do anything with me that you pleased.”

early 1900s, paris. a journalist / detective has gathered together witness accounts, interviews, and newspaper articles that might provide insight in the mysterious incidents surrounding the abduction of an opera singer and the death of several opera attendants at palais garnier.

through a whole host of characters, from the opera’s directors a ...more

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Oct 29, 2016 Anna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, horror, romantic

“In sleep he sang to me
In dreams he came
That voice which calls to me and speaks my name
And do I dream again for now I find
The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside my mind
Sing once again with me
Our strange duet
My power over you grows stronger yet
And though you turn from me to glance behind
The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside your mind.”

Στίχοι που προσωπικά κάθε φορά που τους ακούω με ανατριχιάζουν. Τι κρύβεται όμως πίσω από ένα μιούζικαλ που παίζεται διαρκώς εδώ και 25 χρόνια, έχει αναδείξει δε ...more

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Dec 05, 2019 Supratim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, fiction

A long time ago, before I read this book or even heard about it, I had come across references to the eponymous character of the novel in popular culture. I still remember the mystery shows in good old Cartoon Network where there would be a sinister masked character playing the organ. Enough of nostalgia! Now let’s come to the review of this classic gothic tale.

This is a wonderful example of gothic literature. Not that it needs any certificate of merit from a layman like me, but still! The novel A long time ago, before I read this book or even heard about it, I had come across references to the eponymous character of the novel in popular culture. I still remember the mystery shows in good old Cartoon Network where there would be a sinister masked character playing the organ. Enough of nostalgia! Now let’s come to the review of this classic gothic tale.

This is a wonderful example of gothic literature. Not that it needs any certificate of merit from a layman like me, but still! The novel was written by French author, Gaston Leroux, and published in 1909. The story in brief: the Opera in Paris is “haunted” by a mysterious character – the Phantom of the Opera aka Erik. He is a physically disfigured individual and has a very cunning and manipulative mind. He acts as the guardian angel to the young, Swedish Christine Daaé. Erik’s instructions are responsible for Christine’s success as a singer. Erik is romantically obsessed with his young protégé and would leave no stone unturned to have her. But, Christine falls in love with another man of course. Otherwise, how could there be a great story! I have said enough. No more!

This book has every ingredient to be a gothic romance masterpiece – mystery, adventure, interesting characters, drama and even a little bit of humour. I was hooked on to the story from the very beginning and enjoyed the atmosphere of fear and suspense. Some readers might feel sorry for Erik, but I found him to be too ruthless and manipulative for my sympathies. But, to each his own.

I came across the comparison of Erik with Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Both these characters – physically disfigured men would desire beautiful women, and both the stories revolve around unrequited love. I am yet to read Victor Hugo’s classic – so can’t comment about similarities and differences.

Readers need to remember that this book was written in 1909. Therefore, be prepared for an old-fashioned writing style and dialogues. If you don’t mind this, then you will surely enjoy the story.

Gaston Leroux has also written some detective novels featuring Joseph Rouletabille. I am keen on those as well. I particularly look forward to The Mystery of the Yellow Room which is regarded as one of the best locked room mysteries. Let’s see when I can get my hands on a copy.

Stay safe!
...more

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Mar 26, 2014 Ashley Marie rated it really liked it

Shelves: adaptation-loved-it, audiobook-would-recommend, gothic-lovely-gothicness, classics, i-own-it, spookum-season

Side read with the non-crunchy classics crew!

Interesting to see that this was only published around 10 years after Dracula. Loooooove the Gothic vibe that runs between both novels, and again, as with Dracula, I think the wording of the time period is what dulls the story here. I've mentioned in previous posts how my original read of this book (in high school) was really due to an infatuation with the musical adaptation, and thus I was rather disappointed that it wasn't more of a love story, as t ...more

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Jan 28, 2018 Denisse rated it liked it

3.5 So difficult to rate. It caught my interest at first, bored me in the middle and re-conquered me with that beautiful, sad and nightmarish ending. The author begins and ends the novel as if it were a legend, something that maybe happened or not and gives a more realistic touch to the plot. Unfortunately his characters are not as good as his magnificent writing which saves the book.

Es una pena, porque le tenía muchas expectativas a la novela. Pero esas casi 100 páginas a mitad del libro bajan ...more

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Jan 08, 2018 Lauren rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, standalone, 1900s-publication, classics, favorites, adult, kindle, read-in-2018, romance

I cannot believe it! I actually liked this book. No, I loved this book. Me, the girl who hates classics. I have to admit I am very shocked by this. This book was so captivating and dark. I'm still shocked that I loved this book. I cannot believe that in the first 10% I was going to DNF this book.

I remember when I first heard of this story and I instantly wanted to read it. I tried but I just gave up after reading the first chapter. I just picked it up again and I at first I wanted to quit for g ...more

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Aug 13, 2019 Dannii Elle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-hazes, romantic-recollections, classic-captivaton

"The phantom of the opera is here, inside my mind..."

Every night the velvet seats of the Palais Garnier are packed with figures eagerly anticipating that evening's theatrical performance, and still one box is kept free. Every day brings fresh sightings of a mysterious figure who traverses the backstage hallways and strikes fear in the hearts of those who dare travel there alone.

This mystery is the theatre ghost. He makes demands and expects to see them carried through. Those who test his patienc ...more

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Dec 02, 2020 Alex rated it really liked it

4.5*
Christine Daae is a young singer at a French Opera House which is said to be haunted by the Opera Ghost. Disasters follow if the Opera Ghost's orders are disobeyed. Christine loves her childhood friend viscount Raoul de Chagny, but when he comes to meet her near her dressing room after a stunning performance, she doesn't even acknowledge him. Disheartened and sad, he is unwilling to leave when he hears someone singing in her room which he was sure was empty. He sees no one and is scared.

Lat ...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Jonathan Terrington rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-with-films-2, classic-challenge-2, has-a-musical, classic-literature, gothic, thriller

While I was in New York City, living it up on 7th and 27th, I decided that I would go see a musical, with friends, on Broadway. However, being the 'buy-first-think-later' student that I am, most of the musicals were out of my price range. The suitcase load of cheaper comics and novels had something to do with this. However, I did have enough cash to go with two of the ladies on the trip and get tickets to The Phantom of the Opera with Peter Jöback staring as the eponymous character. We all dress
While I was in New York City, living it up on 7th and 27th, I decided that I would go see a musical, with friends, on Broadway. However, being the 'buy-first-think-later' student that I am, most of the musicals were out of my price range. The suitcase load of cheaper comics and novels had something to do with this. However, I did have enough cash to go with two of the ladies on the trip and get tickets to The Phantom of the Opera with Peter Jöback staring as the eponymous character. We all dressed up as you do, for a touch of fun, though I gladly admit the girls looked far more elegant and lovely than myself. And it was a night of friendship and bonding, which we loved for the story, drama, visuals and music.

The book, as is want for novels and their adaptations, differs from the musical to a reasonable degree. Yet the basic premise of the story remains the same. There is the gothic doomed love triangle, as with other works like Romeo and Juliet, in which the handsome, young Viscount Raoul vies for the love of Christine Daae with the dreadful Opera Ghost (if you prefer: The Angel of Music or The Phantom of the Opera).

The writing is elegant, yet hints at and remains grounded in sensibilities from the more romantic eras. This helps create a tone similar to and different from such works as Dracula or The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings. Some certainly might find the manner of storytelling and writing, therefore, dry, old-fashioned or otherwise simplistic. Yet, for myself the novel worked on the whole to further the gothic sense given by the play and highlighted several key points at which the play did not reveal the truth of what was happening as well.

So, which is superior? I would have to admit that the play has a great visual acuity which better helps define the gothic ambience of the story and reveal the forbidden romance elements and therefore stands superior for the most part. Yet both stories serve to question how it is that we as individuals can put on masks to hide our identities from those we love and from humanity in general. As such the true horror of this story is not that of the Phantom, but of how humanity so responds to the wretched outcasts, turning away those who deserve pity and aid. ...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dialogue-iffy, a-own-book-form, movie-seen, monsters, classics, classics-i-have-finally-conquered, read-in-2016, 4-star, reviewed, angst

3.5 stars

“Erik is not truly dead. He lives on within the souls of those who choose to listen to the music of the night.”

I'm not a fan of musicals... at all. I've never seen a play besides a childhood production of the Velveteen Rabbit, which hardly counts. Despite this, I've always wanted to see a live production of 'Phantom of the opera.' What is it about the story and atmosphere that draws so many in? I've seen movies - the musical drama (not my thing), the Robert Englund horror version (sorr 3.5 stars

“Erik is not truly dead. He lives on within the souls of those who choose to listen to the music of the night.”

I'm not a fan of musicals... at all. I've never seen a play besides a childhood production of the Velveteen Rabbit, which hardly counts. Despite this, I've always wanted to see a live production of 'Phantom of the opera.' What is it about the story and atmosphere that draws so many in? I've seen movies - the musical drama (not my thing), the Robert Englund horror version (sorry to say, poorly done and excessively gory), and the even worse horror version by Dario Argento with Julian Sands having an overly personal relationship with rats. Finally, the book...

It's hard to tell how accurate the translation is, but I enjoyed this writing style and the wording. I can never tell when risking these classics, and while it did have a dab of that Victorian age melodrama and overly done wording, especially with painful and romantic dialogue, it was gifted with humor while it made fun of itself and the Victorian age writing style. That's the brightest shine it held- the author was genuinely funny as he tormented the unfortunate, skeptic theater managers and poked morbid circumstances onto the crew.

When he turned serious with characters and romance, it falls short. Really Raoul is just awful, bad enough to where I can see why Christine may be tempted to go with a doomed, insane stalker instead. He's childish, fond of tantrums, over the top with affection, obsessive....I can see him as a Romeo type whose life would be over if his crush went the opposite direction. It was tiring. Christina isn't much better as she seems wishy-washy when she's probably supposed to appear mysterious.

As for the Phantom, I feel all adaptations I've seen missed a unique spark that can't translate over. He's not ideal and perfect since he's clearly bonkers, inconsistent with plans and affections, melodramatic with some of his dialogue, but I'd rather be on the same page with him over the depressing Raoul.

There's not much tension or terror besides the underground track and that bizarre torture room/device - seriously, what a way to go? Have to give props for originality.

Ultimately I didn't get the ending and the death thing and where it's coming from - I would have assumed he was a phantom, not alive fully in the first place, and it's hard for me to pinpoint his exact ailments. If you can shrug aside overdone Victorian tones and appreciate it's daring humor, it's a classic worth reading. Romantic though? Not in the least.

...more

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About Gaston Leroux

Gaston Leroux

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Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux was a French journalist and author of detective fiction.

In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel The Phantom of the Opera (Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, 1910), which has been made into several film and stage productions of the same name, such as the 1925 film starring Lon Chaney, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical. It was also the basis of the 1 ...more