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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
So, it wasn't as big and grand as I thought it was going to be. I ended up listening to the audiobook. I knew of it because of the musical, and so I took an interest in reading it. The idea is interesting, new, fresh, and not what you would expect. It's almost magical, it keeps you on your toes but ends up being underwhelming, for myself at least. The ending was the most infesting thing for me. It's not a great book, but it is a good book.
Here are the main reasons you might enjoy a book: A book can be well written (word choice and sentence structure), it can have moving, 3-dimensional characters that you care about, or it can have a plot that is engaging and interesting. There are lots of reasons to read a book, but those are the big three.
For me, the Phantom of the Opera has none of these traits. The language and structure is needlessly convoluted, it doesn't invite me to like or take an interest in any of the characters, and the plot is boring and predictable.
I kept reading, kept searching for the reason behind this book's popularity- I can't find it. A friend who recommended it said it was best appreciated "as a comedy"--and I can almost see that--there are some odd, madcap, almost slapstick moments, exaggerated reactions, the letters from the ghost and so forth. I can also appreciate the writing if I imagine I was reading one of the weaker Sherlock Holmes stories, for example-- a similar sort of feel at times. But that's about it.
The book, and the story itself as retold in the musical, are often described as "romantic". Nope. Not remotely.
I'm sorry world, but I'm a PotO hater.
For me, the Phantom of the Opera has none of these traits. The language and structure is needlessly convoluted, it doesn't invite me to like or take an interest in any of the characters, and the plot is boring and predictable.
I kept reading, kept searching for the reason behind this book's popularity- I can't find it. A friend who recommended it said it was best appreciated "as a comedy"--and I can almost see that--there are some odd, madcap, almost slapstick moments, exaggerated reactions, the letters from the ghost and so forth. I can also appreciate the writing if I imagine I was reading one of the weaker Sherlock Holmes stories, for example-- a similar sort of feel at times. But that's about it.
The book, and the story itself as retold in the musical, are often described as "romantic". Nope. Not remotely.
I'm sorry world, but I'm a PotO hater.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another reread, another buddy read. This whole month I've been infected by the phantom. From watching different screen adaptations to listening to the Andrew Lloyd Webber soundtracks every single day (that I'm sure my neighbours are getting tired of by now), it makes sense that I'm gravitating towards the original source: Gaston Leroux's novel.
What a blast it was to be in the opera house again. To be swept up by the emotions of these three main characters (Raoul, Christine, and Erik), and having the soundtracks run in the background of my mind. In just two sessions, we devoured this book. The possessiveness, the desperation, the fear and love and jealousy. It was downright delectable and I enjoyed every minute of it.
What a blast it was to be in the opera house again. To be swept up by the emotions of these three main characters (Raoul, Christine, and Erik), and having the soundtracks run in the background of my mind. In just two sessions, we devoured this book. The possessiveness, the desperation, the fear and love and jealousy. It was downright delectable and I enjoyed every minute of it.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like the stage musical better, but this was neat. Erik truly is the most lovable incel out there.
Wow! what an incredible story. I went into it as a fan of the musical, unsure of what to expect, but I came out deeply moved. One of the things that struck me most was how the Phantom, Erik, is portrayed. In the musical, there’s a certain allure to him. He’s tortured, mysterious, even romantic. But in the book, Leroux doesn’t hold back. Erik is described as grotesque, skeletal, smelling of death. He wears a full mask, and people recoil in terror when they see his face. He’s more than a tragic figure, he’s been treated as inhuman his entire life, even by his own mother. And so, over time, he comes to believe that he isn’t human.
And yet, despite this, he is brilliant. Erik is a gifted composer, engineer, ventriloquist, architect. He had the potential to be so much more, but because of his appearance, society rejected him. And so, he built a world in the shadows.
Christine came to believe in the Phantom as the Angel of Music, her father was musician and had told her before his death. After losing him, Christine found singing too painful; it was like her voice died with him. But when the Phantom begins to speak to her, she believes the Angel of Music has finally come, as promised by her father. In that belief, there’s a beautiful kind of exchange: Christine reconnects with her voice, her music, and in a way, with her father. For the Phantom, her belief is redemptive. He is finally seen as something other than a monster, he is a guide, a source of beauty, even love. It’s the first time he feels a sense of humanity, of worth. Because he’s only ever known illusion, he was raised among carnivals and circuses, trained in deception, trickery, and manipulation. He clings to this identity of the angel through falsehood. He manipulates Christine, trying to maintain her belief for as long as he can, because he’s finally receiving what he’s been denied his whole life love, attention, dignity. He tries to hold on to that through lies, because illusion is all he’s ever known. It’s tragic. It’s so brilliant on one hand, I don’t feel bad for him he’s controlling, deceitful, and murderous. But on the other, he was never loved, not even by his mother, because of the way he looked. Christine’s compassion gives him something real, something he’s never had before. It’s not romantic love it’s the recognition of his humanity.
What fascinates me is how many different forms the Phantom takes throughout the story. To Christine, he is the Angel of Music a divine, almost sacred guide sent from her father. To the opera house staff, he is a ghost, an unseen force haunting the rafters. At times, he is described as death itself. Later in the story, when Raoul and the Persian descend into his lair to rescue Christine, he is called a “drunken demon,” unhinged and dangerous, threatening to kill everyone unless Christine agrees to love him. He moves between identities, constantly shifting depending on who is looking at him and what they fear. And behind each role, there’s the same desperate longing for humanity. But the tragedy is that even as he tries to show the best parts of himself, he ultimately becomes the worst versions of all the masks he wears.
And yet it is in that moment, near the end, when Christine allows him to kiss her forehead, and she doesn’t recoil from him and she cries with him. That simple act of compassion is what changes him. It’s the first time he feels genuinely loved as himself, not as a ghost, not as a voice, not as an illusion. And that’s what finally gives him the strength to let her go.
Reading this made me think so much about the privilege of beauty, how we often equate being lovable with being attractive. Erik’s story is tragic not just because of his actions, but because his fate feels sealed from the beginning. He was denied love because of his appearance, and that rejection shaped the rest of his life. His story shows what happens when someone is treated as less than human for too long, how it warps their sense of self and their ability to connect with others.
And for fans of the musical, yes, the book is different in tone, but the themes are very much the same. The musical is a simplified and a romanticized version, but it pulls from the heart of the book. The lyrics, the ideas, the emotional core they’re all there. If anything, reading the book adds a layer of depth to what the musical only hints at.
And yet, despite this, he is brilliant. Erik is a gifted composer, engineer, ventriloquist, architect. He had the potential to be so much more, but because of his appearance, society rejected him. And so, he built a world in the shadows.
Christine came to believe in the Phantom as the Angel of Music, her father was musician and had told her before his death. After losing him, Christine found singing too painful; it was like her voice died with him. But when the Phantom begins to speak to her, she believes the Angel of Music has finally come, as promised by her father. In that belief, there’s a beautiful kind of exchange: Christine reconnects with her voice, her music, and in a way, with her father. For the Phantom, her belief is redemptive. He is finally seen as something other than a monster, he is a guide, a source of beauty, even love. It’s the first time he feels a sense of humanity, of worth. Because he’s only ever known illusion, he was raised among carnivals and circuses, trained in deception, trickery, and manipulation. He clings to this identity of the angel through falsehood. He manipulates Christine, trying to maintain her belief for as long as he can, because he’s finally receiving what he’s been denied his whole life love, attention, dignity. He tries to hold on to that through lies, because illusion is all he’s ever known. It’s tragic. It’s so brilliant on one hand, I don’t feel bad for him he’s controlling, deceitful, and murderous. But on the other, he was never loved, not even by his mother, because of the way he looked. Christine’s compassion gives him something real, something he’s never had before. It’s not romantic love it’s the recognition of his humanity.
What fascinates me is how many different forms the Phantom takes throughout the story. To Christine, he is the Angel of Music a divine, almost sacred guide sent from her father. To the opera house staff, he is a ghost, an unseen force haunting the rafters. At times, he is described as death itself. Later in the story, when Raoul and the Persian descend into his lair to rescue Christine, he is called a “drunken demon,” unhinged and dangerous, threatening to kill everyone unless Christine agrees to love him. He moves between identities, constantly shifting depending on who is looking at him and what they fear. And behind each role, there’s the same desperate longing for humanity. But the tragedy is that even as he tries to show the best parts of himself, he ultimately becomes the worst versions of all the masks he wears.
And yet it is in that moment, near the end, when Christine allows him to kiss her forehead, and she doesn’t recoil from him and she cries with him. That simple act of compassion is what changes him. It’s the first time he feels genuinely loved as himself, not as a ghost, not as a voice, not as an illusion. And that’s what finally gives him the strength to let her go.
Reading this made me think so much about the privilege of beauty, how we often equate being lovable with being attractive. Erik’s story is tragic not just because of his actions, but because his fate feels sealed from the beginning. He was denied love because of his appearance, and that rejection shaped the rest of his life. His story shows what happens when someone is treated as less than human for too long, how it warps their sense of self and their ability to connect with others.
And for fans of the musical, yes, the book is different in tone, but the themes are very much the same. The musical is a simplified and a romanticized version, but it pulls from the heart of the book. The lyrics, the ideas, the emotional core they’re all there. If anything, reading the book adds a layer of depth to what the musical only hints at.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
muito bom, no início é meio confuso e parece que não estamos a chegar a conclusões nenhumas mas depois começa a ficar bué intenso e ficamos hocked. nada a ver com o musical, mas ADORAVA ver um filme mesmo accurate com o livro porque o erik do livro é uma personagem incrível! só não dou mesmo as 5 estrelas por causa da confusão inicial and also a forma de ser escrito é tipo "eu sou o gaston e vou vos contar como a história aconteceu. disseram me que o fantasma disse a Cristina que queria come la" e foi difícil de get used to it personally
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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