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fuyukko's review against another edition
2.0
I was excited to read this because I watched thr musical over 10 years ago when it came to my home country, and in a few weeks I'll be watching it in London. I'm a firm believer of "the book was better" (except for maybe brigerton) but this wasn't for me.
The first half was okay, a bit draggy. The second half lost me almost entirely. I ended skimming most of the end. I think I'd rather read a summary before I watch the musical again.
The writing was kind of confusing too.
I've read gothic fiction one other time before, and I'm starting to think it's just not for me...
Honestly I'd rather read fantasy. I'll leave the phantom of the opera as a musical in my memory. Maybe in the future, I might be able to appreciate this more.
The first half was okay, a bit draggy. The second half lost me almost entirely. I ended skimming most of the end. I think I'd rather read a summary before I watch the musical again.
The writing was kind of confusing too.
I've read gothic fiction one other time before, and I'm starting to think it's just not for me...
Honestly I'd rather read fantasy. I'll leave the phantom of the opera as a musical in my memory. Maybe in the future, I might be able to appreciate this more.
smateer73's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so good. It was masterfully crafted, and kept me in perfect suspense until all was revealed. It calls into question humanity, and the gifts of music, the way the mind works, the fits of human and superhuman love. Overall I loved this book, it is so different from the musical in the way Erik is presented, however. He is dark and degraded, but only wants love. Are we to judge him, for wanting the impossible and going to great, horrendous lengths to get there. This was expertly crafted, yet another example of how modern literature can never match the time honored classics.
trin's review against another edition
3.0
"Erik, you promised me!" I insisted. "No more murders!"
"Me, a murderer?" he asked, amiably.
Classic Poor Little Meow Meow behavior on display here.
It fits. This book is delightfully camp. I've never been an Andrew Lloyd Webber girlie -- I have in fact never seen the show -- but this is fun. Gothic, silly, (intentionally!) funnier than I expected. I appreciate Leroux's experimental narrative style, where he tells things out of order like a Steven Soderbergh film, and pretends to quote from various fake historical accounts. I know nothing of his life or writing process, but the result has a tossed-off cracky quality that I honestly enjoyed. Go wild, king.
Surely a beautiful woman has the right to love a hideous monster, especially when he can seduce her with music and she happens to be a distinguished opera singer.
Surely!
"Me, a murderer?" he asked, amiably.
Classic Poor Little Meow Meow behavior on display here.
It fits. This book is delightfully camp. I've never been an Andrew Lloyd Webber girlie -- I have in fact never seen the show -- but this is fun. Gothic, silly, (intentionally!) funnier than I expected. I appreciate Leroux's experimental narrative style, where he tells things out of order like a Steven Soderbergh film, and pretends to quote from various fake historical accounts. I know nothing of his life or writing process, but the result has a tossed-off cracky quality that I honestly enjoyed. Go wild, king.
Surely a beautiful woman has the right to love a hideous monster, especially when he can seduce her with music and she happens to be a distinguished opera singer.
Surely!
val12's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
dnandrews797's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed lingering over this book and savouring every part of it. A seminal gothic romance with a pure and innocent lead and the dark and tortured phantom lingering in the bowels of the opera house. Brining a sense of sophistication and foreboding to the entire narrative. Some passages were slower than others, but overall well rounded. The managers were great comic relief and I even laughed aloud in some parts. However, I find the viscount Raoul tiresome in many portions. He’s unsympathetic and childish, but I suppose he has to win in the end. At any case, a marvelous read.
tinchenbienchen's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sweets_reads's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emmaisnotavampire's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I know, I know, how could I call myself a gothic lover without ever having read this? Well, now I have, and I’m glad I did. Bohemian meets horror, a match made in heaven for me… with a little touch of twisted romance, but we’ll let it slide. Phantom of the Opera is the only “nice guy” redemption (and we all know what the quotation marks mean) I will allow.
I love the atmosphere of this novel, ballet and music and high society, and death and myths and mystery, and clever tricks and deception. As I also thought when reading Villette, it is quite common for seemingly supernatural stories to reveal themselves as perfectly rational in the end, but what is particularly interesting about this novel is that the logical truth isn’t any less creepy. The Phantom is scary, yes, but Erik? Erik is terrifying. Erik is one of those men who’d make me choose the bear. To get to love, he has no scruple, except is it really love he feels for Christine if her wellbeing isn’t of interest to him? Let me reword it, he has no scruple to get to what he wants: threats, murder, blackmail and all of his horrible crimes, all perfectly valid means to an end as a sort of compensation for the way he’s been treated and hurt, even by nature itself. Love and revenge, revenge and love blend into one in his twisted mind, a prey of ambiguous appearance; yet, no matter how evil, how clever that mind is! All of his secrets, his methods, his acts, his applied scenography skills kept me glued to the page, who would have even thought of such things!
I found it fascinating how smartly he appealed to Christine, how he exploited the figure of the Angel of Music the same way he did with the legendary Phantom of the Opera, forever tying the poor girl to himself out of unjust gratitude, of the absurd belief that her musical skills are all just thanks to him, that she’d simply lose it all were she to refuse to submit to him and forget her true feelings for the Viscount. It was pure manipulation, but genial in its conception, despicable yet so interesting to read about. Once again, Erik is nothing but the stereotypical “nice guy” who isn’t nice at all, and that tries to corrupt people into loving him because “he deserves it”, when in fact judging from the way he treats them he really doesn’t. He does seem to redeem himself in the end, which I normally wouldn’t be happy about, but I’ll close an eye this time: he is still portrayed as a monster, although a sad and unfortunate one, so I guess no one is going to be tempted to take him as a model anyway.