The Phantom of the Opera

Written by Gaston Leroux

Narrated by Jeremy Nicholas and Peter Yapp

This nineteenth-century French thriller tells of the mysterious Erik, grotesque and elusive ‘phantom’, who hides himself from the world in the labyrinthine bowels of the Paris Opera and entices with his angelic voice the beautiful opera singer Christine. Her abduction prompts a dramatic search not only for her, but also for the truth about her strange captor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks
• Release date: Mar 1, 2006
• ISBN: 9789629545499

Gaston Leroux

Gaston Leroux (1868-1927) was a French journalist and writer of detective fiction. Born in Paris, Leroux attended school in Normandy before returning to his home city to complete a degree in law. After squandering his inheritance, he began working as a court reporter and theater critic to avoid bankruptcy. As a journalist, Leroux earned a reputation as a leading international correspondent, particularly for his reporting on the 1905 Russian Revolution. In 1907, Leroux switched careers in order to become a professional fiction writer, focusing predominately on novels that could be turned into film scripts. With such novels as The Mystery of the Yellow Room (1908), Leroux established himself as a leading figure in detective fiction, eventually earning himself the title of Chevalier in the Legion of Honor, France’s highest award for merit. The Phantom of the Opera (1910), his most famous work, has been adapted countless times for theater, television, and film, most notably by Andrew Lloyd Webber in his 1986 musical of the same name.

Reviews for The Phantom of the Opera

[tess_schoolmarm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

[ Phantom of the Opera] by [Gaston Leroux] was a Gothic tale centering around the ghost of the Paris Opera House, Eric (as they call him). I have seen the musical twice and much prefer it over the book not because of the scenery, the costumes, or the music, but because of the tale, or the lack of it The book is very very detailed and we have a nice little wrapped up package in the end, where everybody ends up "happy", even Eric; who finds another opera house. I much prefer the "unknown" of the musical. The book also seemed to drag for about 4-5 chapters when telling about the dungeon. I read this and listened to it on audio while driving. The audio was very well done. A good read; not a great read.

[madepercy-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A timeless classic in the Gothic horror genre, rightly compared with Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre-Dame. The afterword mentions an American reviewer's distaste for the opera ghost being merely human, but after seeing many horror movies in recent times where the face of the supernatural being is revealed, I am inclined to prefer the man masquerading as a ghost any time. Apparently Leroux wrote detective novels before this work and the influence is noticeable. The nature of the building and the brilliant descriptions (or more accurately, allusions) to the opera itself recall many a nightmare where one is trapped underground. Leroux had access to the Palais Garnier to research his work and it is obvious in the story. This was an easy and enjoyable read and one I should have completed many years earlier. While I do not usually have a preference for the Gothic genre, this 1910 classic presents a complex mood that, for me, was belied by the images of the phantom singing with Marina Prior that haunted Australian televisions screens throughout the 1990s.

[vyode_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

sat unread for years.this translation ( or prose style ) is not the easiest or most engaging to read. but after slogging it through it's a little bit better than expected/anticipated

[tess_w · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

[ Phantom of the Opera] by [Gaston Leroux] was a Gothic tale centering around the ghost of the Paris Opera House, Eric (as they call him). I have seen the musical twice and much prefer it over the book not because of the scenery, the costumes, or the music, but because of the tale, or the lack of it The book is very very detailed and we have a nice little wrapped up package in the end, where everybody ends up "happy", even Eric; who finds another opera house. I much prefer the "unknown" of the musical. The book also seemed to drag for about 4-5 chapters when telling about the dungeon. I read this and listened to it on audio while driving. The audio was very well done. A good read; not a great read.

[the1butterfly · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I consider The Phantom of the Opera to be a retelling of the "Beauty and the Beast" fairy tale. The phantom in this version is kind of a creepy stalker guy. We get depth in some aspects missing in the musical (although we do not have the depth of feeling that the musical conveys), but really, if you want a good retelling of this story, read Susan Kay's Phantom. Leroux gets credit for the story line, but his writing is just as boring as that of other authors whose works have been turned into really awesome musicals- Victor Hugo and Charles Dickens. Were men of that general period just completely incapable of writing?

[malbebe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gaston creates a wonderful and dark, fascinating world in the Phantom of the Opera. This book is a quick read, and the story flows with each word. This is the story of Christine, who is a beautiful singer. The Phantom, Erik, falls in love with Christine. He would do anything for her. With Raoul de Chagny in the picture, comes a love triangle. Who will Christine choose to be with? Will she make the right choice when the lives of others depend on her choice? I liked the bond that Raoul and Christine had. The mystery of the whole novel was very intriguing. I wish I could go visit the opera house, and see for myself what Gaston was talking about. Who wouldn't want to go underground and go through a maze of tunnels.The managers were skeptical of the opera ghost, and the things they did added a little bit of comedy. As for the Phantom, he grows on you. He may have had a terrible past but he wants to redeem himself and be happy with someone that loves him. We all want to feel wanted and loved, and this is why I felt sympathetic towards him. There is also a message that goes along the book, but it might give away the entire book so I'll let you figure it out yourself.Four Stars!

[aryadeschain-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Back when I bought the book, I do remember that I hadn't seen the movie so that I wouldn't ruin any images that I might formulate, but on second thought, perhaps it would've been better if I had had watched the movie before start reading it. I think I had to stop reading two or three times because it is too boring. Since the beginning my favorite character was the phantom and, for some reason, I hated Christine's childhood friend. Maybe that helped for me not liking the book.

Ok, I know that judging the book in favor of a certain character is not cool, but I just couldn't help it. I thought that the Phantom was such a well-elaborated character, but the main romance was just too sugarish for my own taste.

Perhaps I read this book with the wrong mood and now that I've seen the movie, maybe I start thinking differently if I ever decide to read it once again. It's a book for those who appreciate the classical romances, but it's just not the book for me.

[lit_chick_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

2004, Blackstone AudiobooksRead by Ralph CoshamPhantom of the Opera, highly reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, is resplendent with gothic elements: castle setting (actually the Paris Opera House), gloom, horror, supernaturalism, murder, mystery, disfigurement, and a woman in distress. There’s even occasional humour which plays out between the two ridiculous managers of the opera house. Character development, unfortunately, is uneven in the story. We are well familiar with Eric, the Opera Ghost. But Christine Daae, another central character, I found underdeveloped and not particularly likeable. Ralph Cosham does a decent job narrating. Overall, I enjoyed Phantom of the Opera but admittedly wished for its conclusion sooner than it came. The last several chapters seemed interminable. However, to be fair, gothic genre is far from steady literary fare for me.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as good as I had hoped, but still interesting. I guess I just prefer the musical.

[christina0525 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had always been a big fan of The Phantom of the Opera (both the play and the movies) hadn't read the book until recently. I thought I knew everything there was to know, but the book blew me away. Nothing like I expected, and I loved every moment. I loved the story before, and I grew to love it even more.

[andyray_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book is better than the movie(s) or, to be more precise, it is excellent in print and the second movie with Andrew Lloyd Weber's score in it was excellent as in that art form. In this book, we see excellent development of the phantom, opeera ghost, or Erik, and fairly good development of the dahomey and some other secondary figurfesk, but the hero and heroine (the count and christine) are flat, picture-like characters and act mostly as a foil to Erik's jekyl and hyde personality.Of course, it was written in French and the publishers didn't bother to give us the name of the translator. This is a pity as I believe he or she did a marvelous job.

[atimco-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera is a book that, by all rights, I ought to like and simply don't. It is a mystery with a touch of the supernatural, stagily melodramatic with a brooding atmosphere. It is an acknowledged classic, with a story loved by many who have never read the original novel but who are avid "Phans" of the famous Broadway production. And yet this is my second time around with this book and I just can't warm to it. Why not? (This review contains spoilers, so please proceed carefully.)In many ways this is just another spin on the old tale of Beauty and the Beast, and furthermore shares many similarities with one of that legend's derivatives, King Kong. Both Kong and Phantom feature a hideous monster falling in love with a beautiful young woman, who of course cannot stay with him. She has another love interest, but she does care about the monster who has imprisoned her, pitying him for his isolation. He is doomed from the beginning; beauty destroys him because he is incompatible with it. In both stories much is made of the young woman's physical frailty compared to the monster, but she wields a mightier power than mere brute force. And of course the tale is rendered more complex when we start pitying the monster and finding ways to humanize him. But his ending is always tragic; he cannot exist without the woman he loves, and she loves another. The Beast dies of Beauty.But though I very much enjoy King Kong, Phantom is a disappointment. I found most of the characters hard to like. Christine Daaé is extremely gullible, even stupid, to so implicitly trust this "Angel of Music." Somehow I have always found that whole idea rather cringeworthy, and disliked Christine for being so dimwitted. And Raoul is little better. I suppose his impatient frustration as a young lover is realistic, but he annoyed me more than anything else. They are both very childish. One thing I did appreciate was how Christine and Raoul had a pre-existing relationship as friends before falling madly in love. As a child, he had gone into the sea to rescue her scarf and they were friends all through their childhood years.Parts of the story are very tedious, such as the detailed conversations between the two managers and the blow-by-blow account of their evening when the Phantom steals the 20,000 francs right out of their pocket. No one cares about that! Get to the dark subterranean world beneath the Opera House already. The involved descriptions of the dancing girls at the beginning of the story also drag a bit. And after setting all that up, we never go back to them. However, I understand from a friend that this could very well be the fault of the translation. Though it purports to be complete and unabridged, never believe it. Stay away from de Mattos (apparently he took great liberties with the book, even excising parts he didn't like and changing the meaning of others) and look out, if you can, for the Wolf or Bair translation. It's a pity that de Mattos' work is the most widely published English translation.The novel does have some interesting thoughts on the definition of true love. Is Erik's passion for Christine really love, or just lust? He says he adores her, but he also imprisons her... and then lets her go. Would a person who truly loved take away the freedom of the one beloved, or is that a selfish love? Is overpowering emotion an excuse for criminal acts? Do such acts "prove" the power of such love, or do they reveal a soul that cannot truly love anything but itself? Sometimes I was pulled one way in this story and sometimes the other. I must grudgingly admit that Leroux does set this up admirably and I found Erik's last speech to the Persian gripping. He is still incredibly selfish — to all the Persian's questions about Christine's welfare, he answers that he, Erik, is dying. All he can think about is himself, still. But he does give Christine up to her own happiness with Raoul at the end; he does do that one great unselfish thing. It's complicated.Though really, isn't it a little too much that Erik should die of love at the end? It strikes me as sadly overblown romanticism. Of course Erik must die; there is nothing else for him. And I've alluded to his final speech with the Persian and how fascinating I found it. But to have him die of love is just too melodramatic. This is where it starts tiptoeing up to the edge of corny.I thought that listening to this story on audiobook would help me appreciate it more, but interestingly enough, my reaction is almost exactly the same as my first time reading it. This Blackstone Audio production is read by Ralph Cosham, who was fine for the part but not outstanding. And overall I just found this so tedious, overblown, overhyped, and overdone, with just a few parts that caught me with their complexity. Perhaps I would like the Broadway production better, though I've seen the film version with Emmy Rossum and wasn't impressed. Maybe it's just me and not the story at all that is to blame! I'll give this a couple stars because I do see why it's considered such a classic, and there were a few parts that were memorable and emotional. But I just don't love it, and it hasn't earned a third read with me. Ah well.

[engpunk77 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was worth reading. I enjoyed comparing this version to the movies & Broadway version. While I enjoyed the story and found it so much more believable than the latest movie's version, what I gained mostly out of reading this was a deeper understanding of some of the elements of the most recent movie. For example, the director's choice in having a white horse in the basement of the opera house seemed outright stupid and random, but the book had a scene in which he stole Christine's boyfriend's horse so that he could offer her the same... Not an important detail, but I'm just trying to show that the book provides insight into the other versions.

[lilyevans_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I borrowed this book from a friend because I really loved the soundtrack about two years ago when I first heard it. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to read the actual book. I read it in the span of a day while traveling on vacation (in the car and on the train). It was a pretty good book, though I felt it was dragged on a bit and I got a bit bored sometimes. But I loved the suspense and I kept wanting to read. I love mysteries about history, so I thought this was a pretty good book.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Book on CD narrated by Alexander AdamsIs 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, he remembers the little girl whose scarf he rescued. Now he wants nothing more than to rekindle their relationship. Christine is drawn to Raoul, but still tightly in the grasp of the phantom she believes is the Angel of Music her father promised to send her when he was on his death bed.The passion of the story, as well as the horror, mystery and danger, have kept it a favorite for over a century. It’s been adapted to film several times, and of course made into the hit musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber, but the novel does much more to explain The Phantom’s underlying psychology and twisted motivations.I enjoyed the story, but it’s not really to my taste, and I found it hard to believe the characters. I think this may be partly due to Adams’s reading; he has a voice with an annoying tone. (Remember hearing those OLD news reels circa 1930s or 1940s? He sounds like those announcers.) At times I felt he was just reading words, without any feeling behind it. Other times I felt the emotion was just forced.

[bkoopman_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I appreciate the Opera of the Phantom MANY times more now that the holes in the storyline of the opera are patched up. This is an intriguing mystery, a complex story about human frailty, but mostly, it is a lovely love story.

[ajjacobson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Have you been mystified and enchanted by Andrew Lloyd Weber's "The Phantom of the Opera"? Did you know that the musical was based on a book? Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera" is an excellent read for anyone who loves the musical or anyone who loves detective novels. The novel is written almost as a documentary, with the author trying to figure out if the Phantom of the Paris Opera was ideed real or not. He recounts the strange events attributed to the Phantom, and claims that they are all real events because the Phantom is a real man. He was not a ghost or ghoul, but a real man with real emotions.This book is very similar to the musical, but offers more insight into the thoughts of Christine, Raoul, and Erik (the Phantom). It also introduces a few new characters who help smooth out some of the rough/confusing parts of the musical.This novel proved to be an excellent example of our "who's the hero" theme. Raoul is a daring, physical hero who risks life and limb to save the love of his life. Christine is the selfless, internal hero who gives up all of her happiness for the happiness of others. It could be said that Erik is a hero as well, due to his undying love and selfless acts at the end of the novel. There are several heroes in this book, and all are special in their own unique way. It was interesting to see how they faced their various moral dilemmas.I really liked this book. Personally, I had just seen Phantom of the Opera on Broadway in November. I had never known the storyline before then. I was slightly confused about some of the things that happened in the play, so reading this book really cleared things up. The detective/mystery style layout of this book made the book really fun and easy to read. I really enjoyed it and I recommend it to anyone who loves the Phantom or just a good mystery!

[melydia_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I get the distinct impression that had this book not been made into a fabulously popular musical, it would have been largely forgotten. The writing is largely dreadful, with long passages of dialogue consisting mainly of people repeating themselves and each other. Meh.

[ssimon2000-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

2.5 stars

The Phantom of the Opera is almost universally acclaimed as a classic Gothic horror story, and I’ve often heard that it rivals Dracula or Frankenstein. There is no denying the influence of this book, and Leroux deserves a great deal of credit for creating an incredible plot. Conceptually, it is a perfect storm of Gothic nightmares: the ancient, labyrinthine opera house; the many colorful characters that make the beautiful Paris Opera House the center of their lives; a love triangle in which one of the lovers is an actual monster; echoes of Persephone and Hades... What more could a gothic aficionado want?

Well, unfortunately, good writing is at the top of the list. Leroux's ambition far surpasses his ability. The book is poorly written in nearly every detail. The dialogue is ridiculous; even when the characters are engaged in the most serious discussions, their cartoonish dialogue ruins these scenes. The narrative itself is repetitious, tedious, and contrived, so that the overall effect is rarely horrific or suspenseful; ultimately it was quite mind-numbing and dull. The tone of the book careens widely from slapstick to the thrilling, with the result that any attempted atmospheric consistency is never fully established. The characters are not particularly interesting or sympathetic. Christine Daae is self-centered and manipulative, never demonstrating any admirable qualities. Okay, she is beautiful and talented, but her personality isn't worth all the trouble her suitors go through for her. Raoul, the young man who is madly in love with her, is never develops into a believable character. He is simply too plain to be accept as “real”. The Persian and the Phantom are naturally more interesting, given the air of mystery that surrounds both, but little is done to develop them to something more than minor set characters.

Frankly, I struggled to finish, and skimmed the audiobook for the last hour or so. Ultimately, I just didn’t care what happened because of the lack of development mentioned above. The potential of the plot is great, but the story wasn’t brought to life for me.

I also struggled with the narrator and the recording itself. It seemed to change sound levels and tone at random throughout the book, perhaps where the narrator stopped recording for the day, and picked up another time. Whatever the case, the sound guys didn’t save the settings, which didn’t help with the possibilities of this book.

[ck2935 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Leroux's descriptions of the Paris Opera House.

[sweetsarah_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ohhh this is one of the best books i have ever read. i love how the phantom is so madly inlove wiht christe that he will do anything and nothing will stop him from loving the beautiful melodies that spring out of Christine Daae's voice. not even Roul will stop him

[tryion · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent read. Full of humor, suspense and romance.

[wanderlust_lost · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had no idea what to expect as I wasn\'t familiar with any of Leroux\'s other novels and I hadn\'t heard anything about it from anybody else who\'d read it. I fell in love with it from the start. It\'s the perfect Gothic novel. It\'s ingenious, beautiful, and dark. I love it.

[chihirona · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story was mysterious.The phantom was terrible man.But he was poor man, too.

[rachelpenso · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My brother (who is a manager at Powell's City of Books) found me this copy of this book. I absolutely love it. It truly adds to the story.

[belles007-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's an ok read, but I suggest seeing the stage play instead.

[bluenichols_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ok classic book

[theokester · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My prior exposure to The Phantom of the Opera is almost exclusively tied to the Broadway musical (or the movie musical adaptation of the Broadway play). Apart from that, all I knew about the Phantom came from random references in Scooby Doo or other peripherally related media. Thus I wasn't at all surprised to find the book have significant differences from what I know of the Phantom. Still, I felt a general sense of familiarity to the story and could envision many of the scenes…probably my biggest struggle was to stop internally singing songs from the play as I read the book.As was the case of many of the novels of the time, this book includes significant commentary from the author as he emphasizes that this is a true story that he has happened upon and researched over time. The author assures us that he has personally vetted out the claims of the research materials he has used and that he has personally investigated the locations of the story. This technique always strikes me as a little interesting and makes me laugh a little at the mindset of novelists and readers of a century ago. In spite of the fact that this story is certainly a work of fiction, it is very evident that Leroux conducted at least a moderate degree of research. At the very least, he had a great knowledge of the layout, look and feel of the Paris Opera House. The edition I read included an article in the appendix from a historian who commented on the attention to detail and accuracy. The article commented on the nature of the descriptions of the Opera House in the book as compared with reality. It indicated that there was certain literary license in some areas of the description (particularly with regards to some of the secret passages and such), but for the most part the book presented a true and accurate representation of the Opera House and could serve as a valid reference.Apart from the accuracy of the descriptions, I found the descriptive nature of the text very engaging but not overly so. I wasn't distracted from the descriptions, but I felt like I had a vivid feel for the Opera House (and other locales) and could truly envision the scenes presented. The characters felt a little stereotypical and predictable to me…though part of that could be due to my knowledge of the story as well as the fact that this story is a century old and perhaps when it initially came out, the characters were more unique than they are today.For those who have seen or are familiar with the Broadway play, you'll be familiar with a lot of the general aspects of the story. I can't speak to other film versions of the story. There are quite a few significant differences in the story as well. Probably the biggest difference is that there are many more scenes that happen away from the Opera House. In the play, we go up on the roof at one point and I believe the graveyard scene is supposed to happen away from the Opera House (it's been a while since I saw the play…and my memory is unclear). In the book, we find out where Raul and his brother live. We find out where Christine grew up and lives away from the Opera House. We wander the streets around the city. There's more backstory given to Christine as well as to her earlier interaction with Raul. We hear the folk story around the "Angel of Music" and understand even more why he is so enticing to her. All of these elements helped enrich the book and will certainly throw some interesting light on the play.Where things got a little weird for me in the book was in the character of the Phantom as well as a character not in the play…the Persian. We get an interesting back story on the Phantom's life prior to coming to the Paris Opera House. This story is intriguing though I think a lot of my interest was more in the way the story was laid out. Rather than giving you the whole story at once, which could have been done easily enough, we get hints and allegations throughout that allude to the Phantom having previously "haunted" another large building in similar ways. This was an interesting revelation to me. What was fun though was not only learning more and more about the Phantom (who is given a name in the book…but I'll leave readers to find that out as they read on their own) but also learning about the kingdom he'd built in the Opera House. As a contractor helping work on the construction of the Opera House, he had full access to all the nooks and crannies of the building and was able to make his own modifications as well. Once the construction was finished, he simply stayed behind and continued building his fortress. In addition to the trap doors and secret passageways, the Phantom was a sort of technological illusionist and had built a number of very complex rooms and areas with devious intent. There's a scene near the end of the book where we learn of a room called the Torture Chamber. We stumble into the room (along with other characters) in the dark and it's a while before we fully learn the workings of the room. Initially I envisioned a room with Medieval torture devices…a Rack, a Wheel, an Iron Maiden, Knee Splitters, Cats Paws, and others. Instead the room was a sort of "Sensory Illusion" or "Sensory Overload" chamber. By using light, mirrors, sound recordings, image projection, environmental control (hot/cold/etc) and quickly changing "set pieces" moving in and out, the Phantom used the room to conduct psychological torture on his victims by sending them "virtually" into a variety of locations specially organized to drive a person insane. The concept of this actually being torturous seemed laughable as I read it. However, as you think back to the late 19th and early 20th century when this sort of "magic" was inconceivable, I suppose it is more likely to consider that a person may be driven insane by creative manipulation of their environment. After all, there are reports of audience members being terrified as they watched an early "movie" of a train barreling towards the screen…many jumped out of the way. So even though we know/imagine these effects aren't 100% realistic, when we consider no other basis for evaluation, it could have been terrifying.The Phantom is one of those paradoxical characters…we are made to both pity him and to fear him. He is a misshapen, grotesque misunderstood human being who has been shunned and despised all his life and as a result turned into a recluse. On the flip side, he also took advantage of his reclusive moments to frighten, torture and murder people who got too close to his personal kingdom. While he's very smart, his moral logic was very young and fraught with the childish snap judgements and vengeful ideas that you might hear in a playground argument. When it becomes evident to him that Christine will not likely opt to love him and be his bride, his moral logic gets all the more desperate and he turns to a "if I can't have her, nobody will" mentality. The Phantom gives Christine two choices, in the figures of a scorpion and a grasshopper. He explains that she must either choose to love him, or she and everyone else will die. Turning the scorpion or the grasshopper invokes one of the Phantoms inventions. Once again, the confrontation in this moment felt a little silly but the mechanisms involved did create serious tension…especially when it became clear that either choice has catastrophic consequences in Christine's life (the extent of the "good" choice also being bad isn't crystal clear to her but as a reader, we can quickly deduce what will happen with each choice…in either case, someone is meant to die).As the story draws to its conclusion, the Phantom grows more and more pitiable but never forgivable (since he never exhibits any true remorse or responsibility for his actions). I think in these final chapters/pages, we are meant to be drawn in by his anguish and feel some sort of compassion on him. I can say that I did feel bad about his situation, but he still was certainly not a lovable character. By the same token, I didn't feel that much love for the other love interest (Raul) as he felt like a stereotypical hero…rather flat and predictable. Still, he had redeemable qualities.Overall, I'm glad to have read this classic novel. It's an interesting view into literature and life in the late 19th and early 20th century. The scenes, characters, and descriptions are all well-crafted and very vivid. There are a number of scenes that were a little dry and more boring than informative, but they were easy enough to skim by. I didn't feel the sense of horror and fear that this book may have created when first released, but if I put on the mystical goggles of the early 20th century, I can appreciate the form and function of the plot devices and see how this could have been terrifying to readers. In some way, this story and the way it's presented reminds me of some of the crime dramas on TV these days…insofar as we are not only told the story of kidnapping and murder in a prominent location, but that we also get to see the psychological element of the Phantom and how he became what he is.While it seems to hold up generally over time, the sometimes slower pace and the outrageous plot devices may be a little hard to swallow for many modern readers. But if you have interest in "classic literature" at all, or in the workings of early 1900s Paris, this will likely be an interesting read for you. Otherwise, you may want to stick with the Broadway play or movie.****3.5 out of 5 stars

[mhanover10 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very enjoyable as an audiobook.

[factory_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story is very famous. I had not read though I knew the title of this story. This story is a talk that centers on the true colors of the ghost that appears in the opera house. Because the story of the original had been easily brought together as for this book, it was very comprehensible. Because characters' names were French, it was not easy to have read. This title is very fear but story was very interesting!