jenniferhanson 's review for:

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

3.25

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Wow. I’ve watched the musical adaptation many times and was pleasantly surprised by the book. 

What the musical fails to capture is the horrifying description of the phantom. His sunken, hollow, yellow eyes and his gaunt figure that smells of death is very different than I imagined. 

I liked the difference in how Christine hid her love for Raoul to protect him from Erik, and we slowly saw that she did love/remember him. 

Reading from the Persian’s perspective for a few chapters was very interesting. I loved how specific details were omitted and revealed near the end through his POV. 
The scenes in the torture chamber and tunnel system were very intense. The illusion of the massive forest and desert, while they grow delirious in a small room was very exciting. 

Lastly, Erik is much more a gruesome and evil character in the novel, BUT they show more of his backstory and let us get to know him. I really didn’t expect that I would, but I felt pity towards him in the end. 
I was really saddened by him being so touched by Christine’s demonstration of kindness towards him. She didn’t react with disgust when he showed his face, and she cried with him and her tears mingled with his own. This touched Erik enough, this simple act of compassion, that he was satisfied for a lifetime and had a change of heart to let her and Raoul go.