Product Description

He lurked in the shadows of the Paris Opera House--a man with the voice of an angel but the face of a monster. His only hope for love is a beautiful soprano who draws him . . . to disaster.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #367937 in Books
• Published on: 1994-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Customer Reviews

More than Just a Book
When I read Phantom of the Opera, I had already seen the Play in New York and the rescent movie, co-directed by Webber. I had high expectations of the Phantom; the story had already incurred tears of pain and suffering, and I suppose I expected more.
I don't particularly like Leroux's writing style, but there is more - much more! - to the story than that, much more to the story than the catacombs under an Opera house, wonderful singers, distorted genius and Persian policeman. This is Leroux's 'Heart of Darkness.' :)

(A note: the book offers much more (a scorpion or a grasshopper) than the movie, but both are good and, for once, the movie follows the book quite closely, until the last chapter. (I retrive them from this fate, for they could never have done it the way it was written.) I thought it was a nice touch from Webber to add the scene from Don Juan Triumphant, although I don't think that there is anything that could describe that music. "His Don Juan Triumphant seemed to me at first one long, awful, magnificent sob. But, little by little, it expressed every emotion, every suffering of which mankind is capable." I didn't feel this in The Point of No Return, but the idea of performing Eric's opera is wonderful.)

Epitaph to the Phantom, aka Eric, O.G. and The Angel of Music
"Poor, unhappy Erik! Shall we pity him? Shall we curse him? He asked only to be "some one," like everybody else. But he was too ugly! And he had to hide his genius or use it to play tricks with, when, with an ordinary face, he would have been one of the most distinguished of mankind! He had a heart that could have held the empire of the world; and, in the end, he had to content himself with a cellar." (From 'The Phantom of the Opera')

Brilliant!
Often times mentioning "The Phantom of the Opera" ellicits snickers from theatre purists who see the musical as a somewhat ridiculously overblown slightly stupid story which all seems too far fetched to be taken seriously. I confess, I first fell in love with the story when I saw Andrew Lloyd Webber's rendition of the show (which I've seen about five times now) - a show which I now realize that if taken by itself, tends to be a somewhat ridiculously overblown slightly stupid story which seems too far fetched to be taken seriously. The original book changes everything.

Not only does the book contain the story of Erik, the Opera Ghost, but it also includes some of Leroux's own research into the story which he claims as true. Not only does he make this somewhat extrodinary claim to the truth of the story, but he in rather fine detail shows how there was really nothing supernatural at all about the story: even the seeming supernatural elements all have simple solutions: many of which Leroux himself found the 'keys' to while doing research for the book.

The book blows the musical away. Like sand-blasting a soup craker. But before I say more I will say that the musical picks up on many of the important parts of the book: that is to say, I would recommend reading the book and getting to know the story well, because then even though the musical only picks up on many of the important parts and not all, you'll know the rest of the story: and suddenly the musical won't be a somewhat ridiculously overblown slightly stupid story which seems too far fetched to be taken seriously - it's actually very believable.

Admittedly, it would have been far too difficult to make the entire story into a musical: but let me whet your appetite for the fuller details of this incredible love story by touching on a few of the most important difference between the book and the musical.

1. One of the most important characters from the book is gone from the musical. The very mysterious character called simply "The Persian" is not only Erik's one confidant in the book, but he also serves as a link between Erik and other people involved in the Opera. In the musical, Madam Giry represents both her role in the book, and The Persian. (I.e., in the musical, Madam Giry leads Raoul down to Erik's home under the Opera House: in the book, it's actually The Persian who does).

2. There is yet another character, simply called "A Shade" who also appears breifly in the book...a brief part, but actually quite dark.

3. Erik's brilliance as a ventriloquist is lost in the musical but fully explained and examined in the book

4. The most intriging part of the book, Erik's six-mirrored 'tourture chamber' - a major part of the story and a powerful demonstration of Erik's brilliance as a fearsome foe is completely missing from the musical.

This is easily my favourite book that I've ever read, and I recommend it to people all the time. Read it and enjoy it!

"His voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet sound!"
Oh my god! I love this book! Its just so scary! I brought it to my friend's sleepover and read the part when the Phantom takes Christine to his house in the vaults of the Opera house, and they fell in love with it! I would recommend it to anyone!
P.S.If you dont cry after you read the last chapter, you have a heart of stone!