melinas_reads 's review for:

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

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🎭 The Phantom of the Opera 🎭

On his deathbed, Christine’s father promises that he will look out for her, and send an Angel of Music to guide her. When a voice reaches her in her little room at the Paris Opera House, she knows it must be the angel. He helps her grow her talent and confidence in exchange for her eternal love. However, when her childhood sweetheart Raul makes a reappearance, the Angel of Music suddenly becomes a murderous ghost intent on keeping Christine for himself.

The Phantom of the Opera is one of my favourite musicals - and yet I had never read the book!! 😱 so I was super excited when I received this as a little gift from my dad (thank you 💚) - and since it coincided with with me finishing another book I picked it up immediately! It is obviously not the same without the wonderful musical numbers - but I loved it nevertheless. It’s such a sad tale, maybe even a tragedy, at its core. A man born with a supposedly hideous face, whose mother would recoil from him instead of hugging and comforting him. A man who society has deemed monstrous simply because of his face - eventually ends up becoming what everyone thinks he is. Murderous, jealous, unhinged. Despite all the terrible things he does - I cannot bring myself to hate him (and he does redeem himself a little at the end) - however can appreciate that what he did to Christine and Raul is not ok. 

It’s also sad that whilst he was invisible, just a voice, Christine actually accepted him, but when he became obsessive with his “love” he scared her off - before she’d even seen his face. Which then only reinforced his fears that he is a monster and unworthy of love. 

The mystery surrounding the Phantom, the element of crime was very well written. I also loved all the descriptions of the inside of the Opera house and the kind of behind the scenes. I did like that the book does explore more the genius of Erik, even if misguided. Overall - another favourite classic!