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gabi_starry_paperback 's review for:
The Phantom of the Opera
by Gaston Leroux
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera is one of my favorite pieces of art. I was apprehensive about reading Leroux’s original because I have heard that the musical surpasses the book on all fronts in terms of quality, but as a true fan, I wanted to see for myself if that is true. Sadly, it is.
The best part of the novel is the Phantom, no doubt about it. I enjoyed that the book gives us a little more about his life story. He is terrible, scary, and sadistic, but also hurt and lonely. This pitiful creature makes the reader question: was he born a monster, or is the monster the product of years of rejection and abuse? Should we be scared of him, or should we extend our compassion?
However, the book focuses more on the other characters. While that could have been interesting—exploring the effect of the menacing presence of the Phantom on others—it doesn’t work that well in the book. Other characters are, for the most part, flat and forgettable. At worst—see Raoul—they are insufferable. I was slogging through the book because it was constantly focusing on things that did not interest me much.
I have to admit that my opinion of the book is coloured by my love for the musical, and I cannot help but compare the two. In my view, the musical takes the interesting elements of the book—the Phantom, his obsessive love for Christine, Christine’s conflicted emotions towards the Phantom—and expands on them, while erasing the less engaging elements.
The best part of the novel is the Phantom, no doubt about it. I enjoyed that the book gives us a little more about his life story. He is terrible, scary, and sadistic, but also hurt and lonely. This pitiful creature makes the reader question: was he born a monster, or is the monster the product of years of rejection and abuse? Should we be scared of him, or should we extend our compassion?
However, the book focuses more on the other characters. While that could have been interesting—exploring the effect of the menacing presence of the Phantom on others—it doesn’t work that well in the book. Other characters are, for the most part, flat and forgettable. At worst—see Raoul—they are insufferable. I was slogging through the book because it was constantly focusing on things that did not interest me much.
I have to admit that my opinion of the book is coloured by my love for the musical, and I cannot help but compare the two. In my view, the musical takes the interesting elements of the book—the Phantom, his obsessive love for Christine, Christine’s conflicted emotions towards the Phantom—and expands on them, while erasing the less engaging elements.