Classic Starts®: The Phantom of the Opera

By Gaston Leroux, Troy Howell and Arthur Pober

The long-ago mysteries of the great opera house in Paris have never been explained. Why did so many terrible tragedies happen there? Why did everyone flee from it in fear? This gripping story about the “opera ghost” and the beautiful singer he loves launched one of the most popular musicals in Broadway history—and it serves up enough thrills, chills, and surprises to keep even the most reluctant reader fascinated.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sterling Children's Books
• Release date: Sep 18, 2009
• ISBN: 9781402772405

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 Classic Starts®

[booklovera · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good book with a lot of mystery and love.