Product Description

Christine walked the rest of the way inside the room and shut the door. She held the lantern high and turned, inspecting everything. The dresser still had a hairbrush and comb on it, right where she had left them, but pieces of glass were scattered on its top. Christine noticed where her mirror, the only mirror in the house, had hung. Only the frame was left. The glass had been shattered. He must have smashed it after she had left, blaming her refusal on his face. Christine shook her head woefully and turned, wanting to rest once more in the loveseat behind her. She gasped and almost dropped the lantern. “Erik!” Christine Daaè’s return to the house on the lake marks the beginning of a new life, both for her and the Phantom. Death seems inevitable though, when her fiancé, Raoul, is not willing to give her up.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1422747 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 188 pages

Customer Reviews

Simply ludicrous...
Awful, just awful. I'm a huge fan of Phantom in all its incarnations, but this is beyond the pale. Badly written (would girls of the time describe men as 'cute'? NO!), and as for the plot - well, nothing like changing the characters beyond recognition, and making simplistic justifications for it. Example, Raoul goes to England and comes back EVIL (I know Hollywood thinks that all we English are complete horrors, but you don't all take that seriously....do you?).
*********Plot spoilers coming up**********
Finally, after poor old Erik has suffered yet more, I finally was consoling myself by imagining a happy ending (he deserves it, poor soul!), oh no, he finds God (what has God done for the Phantom, oh yes, disfigured him and gave him an unimaginably grim life) and dies; thus 'redeemed' for his 'sins'. A character more sinned against than sinning I have yet to find; the point of the (original) story is that finally, in spite of being treated as a monster and made monstrous by a cruel world, he finds enough character, after a single kindness is shown to him, to display more human compassion and love than he has ever been given. Letting Christine follow her heart was his redemption.
In my opinion, one to avoid like the plague; I know it's expensive, but save your money and get a copy of 'Phantom' by Susan Kay. Also see the show, and definitely buy the film of the musical, and the Lon Chaney original.

And being 17 years old is no excuse for persisting with something (writing) for which you have no aptitude.

Good storyline...horrible execution
I had to give the author credit for coming up with a somewhat convincing storyline-what exactly would it be like if Erik came out into the world as Christine's husband. However, you can tell it was written by a seventeen year old. She puts modern words such as "great" into the story which take it completely out of time, and the characters are rather shallow. Had the plotline been given into the hands of a more experienced writer, such as Susan Kay or even Anne Rice, I felt the execution would have been much better. The author needed to expand on several parts of the story that were merely brushed at in the narrative, such as what EXACTLY about Raoul's visit with the other dukes changed him into such a creep, or give a more convincing set of circumstances which finally sends Christine back to Erik (as opposed to the old romanticized "oh, I really love him despite everything!" sighing damsel in distress routine). Much of the way things were expressed in good pieces of Phantom phiction, such as Kay's Phantom, were in what was NOT said but FELT, as opposed to stating over and over "I love him despite his looks" and "You are everything to me.". It makes the reader go "ok, yes, we know that, now stop pointing out every little detail!" More pointedly, the whole thing lacked atmosphere, and the tension Erik should have felt at being integrated into the real world was lost. Everything was too storybook perfect, even the conflict didn't seem convincing.

It may be something a die-hard Phantom Phan would like in their collection, but as a curiousity, nothing more.

Excellent book! A must-read for all!
I just finished reading "The Phantom of Paris" and I absolutely loved it! I have read both Gaston Leroux's original novel, and Gwenith Vehlow's, and the similarities in style, characters, and emotions are undeniable. Ms. Vehlow brings back the best loved characters from the original novel, including the ever-bickering managers, Moncharmin and Richard, the mysterious Persian, the innocent little ballet girl, Meg, and the infamous diva, Carlotta. This book is full of gripping, intertwining sub-plots, exquisite descriptions, and a beautiful love story, not to mention a wonderful message of hope and an ending that will bring you to tears. A story of hate and love, revenge and justice, bitterness, forgiveness, and redemption, this is a must-read whether you are a die-hard "Phantom Phan," or simply someone like me who read it at the recommendation of a best friend. And by the way-lovely picture on the back, Gwen!