Reviews - Wordsworth Classics: The Phantom Of The Opera

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Wordsworth Classics: The Phantom Of The Opera

Upon approaching "The Phantom of the Opera," I was drawn in by its intriguing title, setting in France, and its promise of Gothic allure, further piqued by its Broadway adaptation. Regrettably, my initial anticipation was met with disappointment. The narrative failed to deliver the spectral presence I had hoped for, as the "ghost" turned out to be a disfigured hermit residing within the opera house. This unexpected turn left me yearning for a more supernatural aspect to the story.

While the narrative did not captivate me until the introduction of the Persian's account, this revelation came near the conclusion, leaving me with a sense of missed potential. Furthermore, I found it perplexing that the author, Leroux, and others sought to evoke pity for Erik. Despite his tragic past, I struggled to excuse his reprehensible actions towards Christine. The pervasive notion of excusing his behavior due to his appearance and mental state left me disconcerted.

Additionally, I couldn't help but notice a recurring theme in French literature, where unattractive men become infatuated with women of beauty, reminiscent of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." This observation left me questioning the underlying motivations and societal implications within the narrative.

In conclusion, "The Phantom of the Opera" left me with mixed feelings. While it held elements of intrigue, particularly in the Persian's narrative, the overall portrayal of Erik and the absence of the supernatural left me wanting. The narrative's tendency to evoke sympathy for a character whose actions were deeply troubling left me with a sense of unease. It is my hope that future readers will find a more fulfilling experience within its pages.

faysantillo's review against another edition

2.0

Too BORING! Couldn’t finish

susysstories's review against another edition

4.75

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Finally, finally read this. And I loved it. It's an old classic but its writing style is very accessible. The story is rough and dark, but also contains humor. It makes you wonder who is the true monster? In that aspect it reminded me a bit of Frankenstein’s monster, although the Phantom’s story didn’t quite touch my heart as Frankenstein's monster's did.

Characters 10
Atmosphere 10
Writing Style 10
Premise 10
Execution/Plot 10
Execution/Pace 9
Execution/Setup 10
Enjoyment/Engrossment 8

astrono9's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous funny mysterious relaxing tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

fridayeblack's review against another edition

4.0

This was a fun classic to read since I thought I knew the story pretty well but the novel brought new parts to the story and the characters.

There is a bit of debate over the best translation to read. It seems David Coward is the best English translation since it is unabridged. I read the 1911 translation by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos. While abridged, it was published only two years after the original so it has the sentence structure and style of writing from that time. I'd like to read the 2012 Coward translation at some point to see if it changes the tone of the story at all.

I really enjoyed having a narrator give the history of the maze-like Opera building setting, and fill us in on the side character happenings alongside the main story.