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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book makes so much more sense than the musical; there is more of a background story for all of the characters, and more details about how the Opera Ghost accomplishes his trickery. As a long time lover of the musical, this vagueness always bothered me and it was gratifying to read a clearer version of the plot.
I found this book surprisingly funny at parts, as well as creepy, tragic, and difficult to put down. I've always been fascinated by descriptions of hidden passageways and trap doors, and this book is chock full of these in the descriptions of the weird and secret underworld of the Paris Opera House. The characters, aside from the useless Viscount Raoul, were sympathetic and had interesting motivations, despite the fact that I didn't really like any of them. Overall, more impressive and entertaining than I expected.
I found this book surprisingly funny at parts, as well as creepy, tragic, and difficult to put down. I've always been fascinated by descriptions of hidden passageways and trap doors, and this book is chock full of these in the descriptions of the weird and secret underworld of the Paris Opera House. The characters, aside from the useless Viscount Raoul, were sympathetic and had interesting motivations, despite the fact that I didn't really like any of them. Overall, more impressive and entertaining than I expected.
It was a bit convoluted at the end, but overall it was quite an enjoyable read! The humanization of The Phantom/Erik was really interesting. I would have liked some more explanation of how the Persian and Erik met, because it seemed as though the narrator assumed we knew, and I also would have liked maybe one additional chapter explaining the ending more/a better epilogue. I really liked how established the idea of “the Opera Ghost” was in the opera house and how everyone basically just accepted that he was there.
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love PotO, and I love the 2004 film and was able to see it live in London. Both interpretations are fantastic to me. The book proved to be just as dramatic as I was expecting, and once I started reading, I thought that it was no wonder that it was chosen to become a techno-rock opera!
The real star of this book is Raoul, in all honesty. It might as well have been called The Misadventures of Raoul the Drama Queen and Hopeless Romantic. He has so much more character in the book, because most of it is revolved around him as the protagonist. Raoul made me laugh like no other. Erik, also, has much more character unlike you see in the stage/film. He comes off more childish (mentioned in the text) and certainly socially stunted, but you also see his genius unravelling as Raoul and the Persian navigate his twisted traps and tricks.
The book is also interesting in that it's told in a journalistic, investigative manner. Leroux (a journalist) tells the story as if it were not fiction but truth, and gives the background for the story up until Erik's end. I wasn't expecting the book to be told like that, but it added that air of mystery and drama.
The real star of this book is Raoul, in all honesty. It might as well have been called The Misadventures of Raoul the Drama Queen and Hopeless Romantic. He has so much more character in the book, because most of it is revolved around him as the protagonist. Raoul made me laugh like no other. Erik, also, has much more character unlike you see in the stage/film. He comes off more childish (mentioned in the text) and certainly socially stunted, but you also see his genius unravelling as Raoul and the Persian navigate his twisted traps and tricks.
The book is also interesting in that it's told in a journalistic, investigative manner. Leroux (a journalist) tells the story as if it were not fiction but truth, and gives the background for the story up until Erik's end. I wasn't expecting the book to be told like that, but it added that air of mystery and drama.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Listened as audiobook.
I saw the musical for the first time earlier this year and adored it. I felt like the book was a great extension, the story being very much the same but with far more depth and detail. You really miss in the musical that this novel at its heart is a murder mystery.
All characters (primary and secondary) were very well fleshed out without an exhaustive amount of time spent on them. I enjoyed that we saw more of Raoul's story in the book, as the musical focuses more on Christine (I would feel the opposite way if I had read the book first - I recommend witnessing the two versions in tandem, especially since music is so key, the musical adds the dimension that is lost from losing the detail of the novel).
I saw the musical for the first time earlier this year and adored it. I felt like the book was a great extension, the story being very much the same but with far more depth and detail. You really miss in the musical that this novel at its heart is a murder mystery.
All characters (primary and secondary) were very well fleshed out without an exhaustive amount of time spent on them. I enjoyed that we saw more of Raoul's story in the book, as the musical focuses more on Christine (I would feel the opposite way if I had read the book first - I recommend witnessing the two versions in tandem, especially since music is so key, the musical adds the dimension that is lost from losing the detail of the novel).
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This feels like an OG crime novel. We are introduced to the story through the lens of a missing opera singer and a dead man. What follows is decadent, funny, and disturbing. The opera house is a perfect setting for all the dark and mysterious occurrences. Is it ghost, a swindler, a mere man? In the movie adaptation, the Phantom is deformed, but somehow sexy (thanks Gerard Butler). In the book, he is death. A mummified, cold, and even smelly corpse man. Which is not sexy, but much more horrifying for Christine and our cast of characters.
I listened to this via audio (shoutout to Classic Ghost Stories Podcast who does a fabulous job). I enjoyed listening, but likely would have found the text confusing and/or tedious to read at certain points. I also didn't care for the characters. Raoul was annoying and possessive. The phantom was irredeemable, but not in an interesting way. Christine and her backstory was nice! She had moments of agency that made me like her character. I was disappointed there wasn't a performance scene with the Phantom and Christine as that was a highlight for me from the movie adaptation. Overall, a fun experience despite the critiques.
I listened to this via audio (shoutout to Classic Ghost Stories Podcast who does a fabulous job). I enjoyed listening, but likely would have found the text confusing and/or tedious to read at certain points. I also didn't care for the characters. Raoul was annoying and possessive. The phantom was irredeemable, but not in an interesting way. Christine and her backstory was nice! She had moments of agency that made me like her character. I was disappointed there wasn't a performance scene with the Phantom and Christine as that was a highlight for me from the movie adaptation. Overall, a fun experience despite the critiques.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
I would pick this back up. Kindle unlimited trial ended