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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like the idea behind this story just the writing was too hard to follow and seemed so pretentious
I've really enjoyed the story of Phantom of the Opera since I saw the Broadway production when I was 18. I have seen the Broadway, read the book, and own the movie. I would highly recommend this story!
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was very different from the musical but I still love Erik.
dark
mysterious
tense
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
For years I have loved the incredible play of The Phantom of the Opera, so when I found out it was initially a book, I just had to read it!
When I read books that have been adapted into a play, I am filled with complete awe at how talented people are that they can create music out of the events of a novel such as this.
This was my first “horror” book, and I have never been so enraptured. The way the author took me on the journey through the trapdoors of the opera house until the final encounter with the Phantom. It was beautifully written and almost lyrical. Absolutely stunning book!
When I read books that have been adapted into a play, I am filled with complete awe at how talented people are that they can create music out of the events of a novel such as this.
This was my first “horror” book, and I have never been so enraptured. The way the author took me on the journey through the trapdoors of the opera house until the final encounter with the Phantom. It was beautifully written and almost lyrical. Absolutely stunning book!
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
TL;DR : Don't go into this expecting a gothic romance. This is a mystery and a tragic look at two men fawning for a woman who doesn't seem interested in either of them but pities and humours them nonetheless.
If you have watched the musical or the movie and would like to read the source material, be prepared for a wildly different story---perhaps not in plot but in vibe, genre, and intention.
Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is NOT a love triangle between Christine, Raoul, and Erik (or, the Phantom of the Opera, or the Opera Ghost). Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is not a gothic romance. This novel is a mystery, a faux-horror, and a drama.
In the movie and the musical, we spend a lot of time dissecting and witnessing the relationship and dynamics between Christine and the ghost. However, in the novel, there is FAR less of this. At it's core, this is a mystery around several murders that occur at the opera house, as well as the temporary disappearance of Christine.
If you care to navigate the romance in this book, you will find a talented, if impressionable, young woman at the beginning of a possibly very successful career pursued by a rich boy and sad boy. You'll find a beautiful woman pursued by a man she seems to have no interest in, yet who throws a tantrum each time she does not return his affections of live up to the idea of her he's had in his head for years---and you'll find a psychopath who lives in the walls, kills people, is meant to maybe be the embodiment of her dead father, drugs her, kidnaps her, and threatens to blow up the entire opera house if she does not agree to his proposal of marriage!
So, no... not a romance.
I speak like I didn't enjoy this. I did. It was good writing and, at times, hilarious. In fact, I am a big fan of the sympathy and overall message about Erik at the end----that he was a talented man who would have gone far if he'd not be ostracized by the world...
Only, he was rather successful wasn't he? In the backstory we get for him, he's achieved great things over his life time (which also calls into question his interest in a woman who seems to be far younger than he). He's mastered several fields and accomplished great things.
Again, I speak as if I didn't enjoy it. I did. I am not sure if I am convincing you or myself, but I did. Perhaps only as a respect for being the source material for a play I quite enjoy, even if the play itself has MANY criticisms as well.
If you have watched the musical or the movie and would like to read the source material, be prepared for a wildly different story---perhaps not in plot but in vibe, genre, and intention.
Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is NOT a love triangle between Christine, Raoul, and Erik (or, the Phantom of the Opera, or the Opera Ghost). Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is not a gothic romance. This novel is a mystery, a faux-horror, and a drama.
In the movie and the musical, we spend a lot of time dissecting and witnessing the relationship and dynamics between Christine and the ghost. However, in the novel, there is FAR less of this. At it's core, this is a mystery around several murders that occur at the opera house, as well as the temporary disappearance of Christine.
If you care to navigate the romance in this book, you will find a talented, if impressionable, young woman at the beginning of a possibly very successful career pursued by a rich boy and sad boy. You'll find a beautiful woman pursued by a man she seems to have no interest in, yet who throws a tantrum each time she does not return his affections of live up to the idea of her he's had in his head for years---and you'll find a psychopath who lives in the walls, kills people, is meant to maybe be the embodiment of her dead father, drugs her, kidnaps her, and threatens to blow up the entire opera house if she does not agree to his proposal of marriage!
So, no... not a romance.
I speak like I didn't enjoy this. I did. It was good writing and, at times, hilarious. In fact, I am a big fan of the sympathy and overall message about Erik at the end----that he was a talented man who would have gone far if he'd not be ostracized by the world...
Only, he was rather successful wasn't he? In the backstory we get for him, he's achieved great things over his life time (which also calls into question his interest in a woman who seems to be far younger than he). He's mastered several fields and accomplished great things.
Again, I speak as if I didn't enjoy it. I did. I am not sure if I am convincing you or myself, but I did. Perhaps only as a respect for being the source material for a play I quite enjoy, even if the play itself has MANY criticisms as well.