From the Bookshelf of Retro Chapter Chicks …

The Phantom of the Opera

Gaston Leroux

Start date: February 1, 2017

Finish date: February 28, 2017

Discussion leader: Kris (My Novelesque Life)

Why we're reading this: Our February Mixed Bag features a Gothic romance. Members suggested and elected our book.
[close] Our February Mixed Bag features a Gothic romance. Members suggested and elected our book.

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Feb 13, 2017 Candi rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery-crime, classics-shelf, 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

83 likes · Like · see review

Jul 23, 2021 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it liked it

Shelves: audio, library-book, 3-stars

I didn’t love it. I don’t even know what I feel. So I’ll leave it at 3 stars!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

82 likes · Like · see review

Jul 12, 2011 Book Concierge rated it liked it

Shelves: audio, culture, france, concierge, music, library

Book on CD narrated by Alexander Adams

Is there anyone left on the planet who doesn’t know this storyline? Christine Daaé is elevated from the ranks of the chorus to opera star, thanks to the private lessons by and the patronage of The Opera Ghost. “OG” (as he signs his notes to management) also sees to it that anyone standing in the way of his protégé meets with an accident or is otherwise persuaded to stand aside. But when Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny, sees Christine at the Paris Opera House, h ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 26, 2014 Elsbeth marked it as to-read

Jul 11, 2013 Bianca marked it as to-read

Dec 23, 2019 Maureen marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

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