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The Phantom of the Opera

Gaston Leroux

Start date: July 1, 2013

Finish date: July 31, 2013

Discussion: Jul 2013 - Phantom of the Opera

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Jul 2013 - Phantom of the Opera

* Prologue - Chapter 5
By Karena · 17 posts · 156 views

last updated May 23, 2015 12:05PM

* Chapters 6-10
By Karena · 11 posts · 79 views

last updated May 23, 2015 12:06PM

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What Members Thought

Dec 12, 2017 Beth Diiorio rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, classics, france, historical-fiction, translated

Yup...another favorite of mine...love this story!

3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 22, 2013 Jess rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tower-teams-team-c, books-to-movies-challenge, read-in-2013, owned, new-2-u-author-challenge

This book was quite short but I enjoyed it. I’m glad that I read it without having seen any of the film adaptations, so I could judge the book and the book alone.

I really, really loved the descriptions of the Opera itself. It sounds like the most fascinating place. It’s so huge, and so much goes on there, and it’s full of so many different types of people, and no one really knows all of its secrets. The cellars are so dark and creepy, with all the sinister types that lurk around down where no on This book was quite short but I enjoyed it. I’m glad that I read it without having seen any of the film adaptations, so I could judge the book and the book alone.

I really, really loved the descriptions of the Opera itself. It sounds like the most fascinating place. It’s so huge, and so much goes on there, and it’s full of so many different types of people, and no one really knows all of its secrets. The cellars are so dark and creepy, with all the sinister types that lurk around down where no one ventures. This is a huge contrast to the bustling atmosphere surrounding the stage, and it works really well.

Raoul tends to cry and break down a lot, and though he certainly is dedicated to Christine a lot of the times he hasn’t got the brains to really pull things off. Thank god the Persian is there to assist him - in a way he’s the real hero of the book, with all the knowledge and the schemes to rescue Christine.

In the first part of the book Christine comes off as quite a strong character but towards the end this strength sort of tapers off. But then right at the end she’s strong again, but we don’t get to see that, and only hear it in the Persian’s narrative.

Now let’s get to the villain of the book, shall we? The Opera Ghost, Erik, is clearly a very intelligent being. His life is full of scars which have shaped him, and this is what makes him such a good villain - you can’t hate him. You can hate some of the things that he does, definitely, but you can’t hate him. He evokes feelings of pity and sadness, and longing to help him, and this is why he is so excellent. Truly all he wants is someone to love him despite his appearance. Threatening and kidnapping was not the way to go about this, but given his experiences dating back to childhood, it’s sort of understandable that he’s lost all sense of normal love and will do anything to obtain this. That is exactly why you can’t hate him despite all the horrible things he does throughout the course of this book.

So, overall, the two things that really stood out for me in this book was Erik and the amazing setting of the Opera. It’s a very worthwhile read, I would say. ...more

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Feb 27, 2013 K. G. Whitehurst rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf

Perfect definition of a potboiler. A terrible novel.

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Jun 26, 2013 Shanea rated it it was ok

Shelves: classic, historical-fiction, cwac, france

I might be attacked by serious fans for this, but I did not find this book particularly interesting or engaging. It wasn't badly written, but I just didn't particularly attach to it. I thought some aspects of it were intriguing, but overall didn't love it. ...more

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