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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I started out wanting to compare the book to the musical, but as I read I completely forgot about the musical. The details are so different and the narrative comes from a direction that cannot exist in the musical due to the shifting of characters. All in all, it was an interesting book, though Andrew Lloyd Webber was able to convey the magic of the music more strongly than Leroux's own words.
I've always been a fan of the musical and 2004 film so I felt it was time to finally read the book.
It was a lot shorter than I expected, to be honest. It was an easy read though I had to detach what I knew from the musical and film to follow the story in the novel -- there are quite a few differences. Still, it was rather enjoyable and I'm glad I finally read it.
The pacing in the book is rather shocking and it feels like a lot happens in such a short amount of pages -- which is probably why I had always assumed it was a longer story. I'm amazed ALW was able to make such a coherent and well paced musical from the source material.
I did find myself disliking Raoul more in the book over the other versions I was used to. He is not as charming as he is in the film, sadly. Christine has a lack of personality or agency in the book as well, which surprised me.
I know she is easily influenced / manipulated by O.G in the other media too, but in the film especially, she seemed to more fleshed out and have a stronger presence.
All in all, a quick and entertaining read.
It was a lot shorter than I expected, to be honest. It was an easy read though I had to detach what I knew from the musical and film to follow the story in the novel -- there are quite a few differences. Still, it was rather enjoyable and I'm glad I finally read it.
The pacing in the book is rather shocking and it feels like a lot happens in such a short amount of pages -- which is probably why I had always assumed it was a longer story. I'm amazed ALW was able to make such a coherent and well paced musical from the source material.
I did find myself disliking Raoul more in the book over the other versions I was used to. He is not as charming as he is in the film, sadly. Christine has a lack of personality or agency in the book as well, which surprised me.
I know she is easily influenced / manipulated by O.G in the other media too, but in the film especially, she seemed to more fleshed out and have a stronger presence.
All in all, a quick and entertaining read.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
I love watching Phantom Of The Opera (2004) so I said fuck it and decided to read the book. Its a pretty quick read but sometimes its hard to understand and it almost feels like we’re entering in the middle of the story? Regardless I enjoyed reading it, especially when comparing it to the movie.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
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
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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:
Complicated
big fan thank you France for nothing but this book. I love how Leroux's journalism background is embedded into the novel, and it adds a super interesting layer to the book that i think is a huge charming point. it kept the book engaging in ways beyond just the suspenseful content and i can defintitely see how the way it toys with a non-fiction reporting style wouldve captured the interest and the buzz of the french public upon its release.
though a proportionately long part of the book, the exploration of Christine and Raoul's love did not feel overly drawn out. Instead, it helped me feel connected to Raoul through our shared (lack of) understanding and information, only for the missing parts to be filled in via the reporting style narration which kept me satiated as an audience. This choice created an even more obvious contrast between the love that Erik and the Viscount have for Christine and made it impossible to not draw parralels between the two love stories. also i read this entire book thinking he died at end which made me pity him so badly and i gave myself extra confusion at the end of the book so my bad
liked how its the close minded skeptics' foolish dismisal of the phantom's existence, supernatural or not, that keeps them from uncovering anything. in a weird way it translates to how this attitude wouldve prevented them from seeing erik as a person rather than a ghastly apparition or lesser than if they somehow managed to discover him. its this same inability to accept and the propensity to mock, seperate, and alientate that created erik's problems in the first place.
wish we heard more from phillipe, but narrative wise i get why we dont but im a nosy bugger. eriks burial and the refusal of labelling his corpse by the police or whatever due to indefinite appearance really puts the nail in the coffin in an almost gratifying way that it is in his death he is finally alike to every other person which he dreamed of being. his identifying feature is the gold ring, and he is kept special via christine's 'love' or rather commitment and compassion towards. it is this same naive compassion that drives and resolves the entire story and it guides erik to his grave.
overall a thumbs up for sure . if i followed some shady rando in a massive opera through a series of rooms and floors and traps and down a hole and he goes "we have fallen in the torture chamber" i would actually lose it
though a proportionately long part of the book, the exploration of Christine and Raoul's love did not feel overly drawn out. Instead, it helped me feel connected to Raoul through our shared (lack of) understanding and information, only for the missing parts to be filled in via the reporting style narration which kept me satiated as an audience. This choice created an even more obvious contrast between the love that Erik and the Viscount have for Christine and made it impossible to not draw parralels between the two love stories. also i read this entire book thinking
liked how its the close minded skeptics' foolish dismisal of the phantom's existence, supernatural or not, that keeps them from uncovering anything. in a weird way it translates to how this attitude wouldve prevented them from seeing erik as a person rather than a ghastly apparition or lesser than if they somehow managed to discover him. its this same inability to accept and the propensity to mock, seperate, and alientate that created erik's problems in the first place.
wish we heard more from phillipe, but narrative wise i get why we dont but im a nosy bugger. eriks burial and the refusal of labelling his corpse by the police or whatever due to indefinite appearance really puts the nail in the coffin in an almost gratifying way that it is in his death he is finally alike to every other person which he dreamed of being. his identifying feature is the gold ring, and he is kept special via christine's 'love' or rather commitment and compassion towards. it is this same naive compassion that drives and resolves the entire story and it guides erik to his grave.
overall a thumbs up for sure . if i followed some shady rando in a massive opera through a series of rooms and floors and traps and down a hole and he goes "we have fallen in the torture chamber" i would actually lose it
I absolutely loved it. I even went to see the musical three times. It's truly a powerful and moving story.
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A