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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
“If I am the phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so.
If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me.”
(I read the Mireillie Ribiere translation for this review. It is personally my favorite translation out of all those I've read, so keep that in mind if you read the public domain English or other abridged additions.)
It is 19th century Paris, in the glamourous city of Paris where everyone wears a mask, but none so much as our mysterious Phantom. In the Paris Opera, strange things start to happen, and it is blamed on the mysterious ghost of the opera that is said to haunt it. But even the most skeptical and reasonable people have a hard time explaining away all that is being done.
Does the ghost truly exist?
And why all the sudden is the ghost so suddenly obsessed with an up-and-coming singer, Christine Daee?
I'll be upfront with all of you. I am a shameless phangirl and self-admitted Eric!Simp. I love POTO so much, I have both a DVD of the Royal Albert Hall Performance and the 2004 movie of it. One of my favorite things to do after a long week at work on Friday afternoons is to take a long bath while listening to the music on my phone through spotify.
Yes, I am utterly shameless in my love for Phantom. I love the musical, movie, retellings, and, of course, the original novel.
The Ribiere translation is by far the best and is the only English translation done by a French person, her translation is so beautiful and lyrical, it gives the sensuality and romantic nature than the other translations just completely miss, and I am so grateful for her to translate this from her native language.
I love to dive into the world of Phantom, and seeing Eric's humor, anger, love, and humanity throughout the novel through the eyes of the other characters. Eric is really both the villain and hero of the novel. The novel indirectly (Through the eyes of others) tells of his redemption.
Eric was outcast from birth due to his looks (I strongly recommend the Susan Kay 'Phantom' retelling for a great Erick backstory. But be prepared with a box of tissues) and as a result has been rejected and scorned his whole life with hardly anyone showing him an ounce of kindness, and that is what made him the monster.
“If I am the phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so."
His lack of love develops into an utter obsession with Daee as he slowly grooms her to be his ideal woman. Admittedly, it is not nearly as romantic as the later adaptions, but the original novel isn't meant to be romantic at all. Leroux intended it to be a gothic mystery with horror elements.
"If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me.”
The question of is evil born or made has been a question asked since time began, but in POTO the answer for Eric is that in his case it was made. He was rejected from birth by his own mother, hardly an ounce of kindness shown to him, and hardly a chance at finding loves and getting married to live the ordinary life of a man he craves.
However, Christine shows him kindness and love that he has never been given before, and what was left of his humanity comes back to life. And the novel is his redemption. Once he sees the error of his way, his humanity is restored after his first taste of sincere love and kindness from a woman.
In the end, the novel shows that evil is made but also can be redeemed.
If Erik had been born with an ordinary face, he would have been the greatest of mankind, but he had to contend himself with a cellar. He had a heart that could have held the empire of the world.
"Yes, we must pity the Phantom of the Opera."
If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me.”
(I read the Mireillie Ribiere translation for this review. It is personally my favorite translation out of all those I've read, so keep that in mind if you read the public domain English or other abridged additions.)
It is 19th century Paris, in the glamourous city of Paris where everyone wears a mask, but none so much as our mysterious Phantom. In the Paris Opera, strange things start to happen, and it is blamed on the mysterious ghost of the opera that is said to haunt it. But even the most skeptical and reasonable people have a hard time explaining away all that is being done.
Does the ghost truly exist?
And why all the sudden is the ghost so suddenly obsessed with an up-and-coming singer, Christine Daee?
I'll be upfront with all of you. I am a shameless phangirl and self-admitted Eric!Simp. I love POTO so much, I have both a DVD of the Royal Albert Hall Performance and the 2004 movie of it. One of my favorite things to do after a long week at work on Friday afternoons is to take a long bath while listening to the music on my phone through spotify.
Yes, I am utterly shameless in my love for Phantom. I love the musical, movie, retellings, and, of course, the original novel.
The Ribiere translation is by far the best and is the only English translation done by a French person, her translation is so beautiful and lyrical, it gives the sensuality and romantic nature than the other translations just completely miss, and I am so grateful for her to translate this from her native language.
I love to dive into the world of Phantom, and seeing Eric's humor, anger, love, and humanity throughout the novel through the eyes of the other characters. Eric is really both the villain and hero of the novel. The novel indirectly (Through the eyes of others) tells of his redemption.
Eric was outcast from birth due to his looks (I strongly recommend the Susan Kay 'Phantom' retelling for a great Erick backstory. But be prepared with a box of tissues) and as a result has been rejected and scorned his whole life with hardly anyone showing him an ounce of kindness, and that is what made him the monster.
“If I am the phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so."
His lack of love develops into an utter obsession with Daee as he slowly grooms her to be his ideal woman. Admittedly, it is not nearly as romantic as the later adaptions, but the original novel isn't meant to be romantic at all. Leroux intended it to be a gothic mystery with horror elements.
"If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me.”
The question of is evil born or made has been a question asked since time began, but in POTO the answer for Eric is that in his case it was made. He was rejected from birth by his own mother, hardly an ounce of kindness shown to him, and hardly a chance at finding loves and getting married to live the ordinary life of a man he craves.
However, Christine shows him kindness and love that he has never been given before, and what was left of his humanity comes back to life. And the novel is his redemption. Once he sees the error of his way, his humanity is restored after his first taste of sincere love and kindness from a woman.
In the end, the novel shows that evil is made but also can be redeemed.
If Erik had been born with an ordinary face, he would have been the greatest of mankind, but he had to contend himself with a cellar. He had a heart that could have held the empire of the world.
"Yes, we must pity the Phantom of the Opera."
This novel is a true classic that I’ve enjoyed revisiting over the years. Leroux does a fabulous job depicting the story of the opera ghost in such an imaginative and horrific way, while also giving moments of comedic relief with the managers. I have just a few critiques, but my main one is that the story feels a bit disjointed at times due to the change in narration styles from novel to a historical account. I also wish there had been more character development for Christine and Raoul as well as “the Persian“. (Susan Kay at least had the decency to give him a name in her novel lol). But overall, I just love this story so deeply. While I love the musical, I really hope to one day see a new film or mini series adaptation that is faithful to the novel in all its gothic glory.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
it just didn't hold me like it did when I was a teenager
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
The Phantom of the Opera had its moments, but overall felt slow and overly dramatic. The characters made frustrating choices, and the pacing dragged at times. Still, the gothic atmosphere and iconic story kept it just interesting enough to finish. Classic? Yes. Enjoyable? Eh—sometimes.