Title : The Phantom of the Opera
Original title : Le Fantôme de l'Opéra Author : Gaston Leroux
Language : French
Publisher : Pierre Laie
Publishing date : 1909 to 1910
Published in English : 1911
Genre : Gothic, classic, mystery, romance Page count : 308 (Vintage Heroes and Villains)
My Rating : 4/5
I love reading Gothic, mysterious books around Halloween to get into the mood. 'Phantom of the Opera' was on my TBR since a long time and when I finally got my hands on this beautiful edition, I devoured it in 4 days.
“She's singing to-night to bring the chandelier down!”
'Le Fantôme de l'Opéra' is narrated by a historian/journalist who unfolds the mystery of the Opera Ghost with the help of newspaper articles, events told by witnesses and interviews. It has a plethora of characters; all having their own theories about the mysterious Phantom. This book has amazing, vivid depictions of Paris, the opera theatre and Parisian society. The writing lifted and carried me to every nook and cranny of the Opera Theatre. It had that gothic element to it which gave an eerie feeling while reading but the everyday hustle-bustle of the theatre provided a vibrant contrast to it. The mystery of the Opera Ghost 'Erik' is the main focus of the book but there are so many things that take the story forward. It is not just a ghost story which will give you nightmares. This book made me feel...A LOT. Having taken place in an Opera and being centered around a singer 'Christine', there is a lot of music in the book and I'm not complaining. The whole book in fact has a sweet rhythm to it. It has a touch of detective element in it with some people trying to investigate the mystery of the phantom. The phantom himself is such a complex character. His intellect though immensely high is clouded by his desires and brings him to do cruel things. The creative mind of Erik, his genius 'magical' creations and his musical art are some of the noteworthy elements in this book. The display of romance and loneliness and sadness accompanied by the dialogues leaves a mark on your mind. The amalgamation of all these gives you the brilliant story and it's Phantom. Frankly though, I feel Christine is better off without both Erik and her childhood friend Raoul :P
At the end, when you finally know the mystery of the ghost you also understand the Phantom. When you know what he truly desires, it surely makes one sad. The book makes you think; who is to be blamed and a lot about what the presence or so to say the absence of love can do and what really is the Phantom here. The cruel acts of Erik are not to be excused but it does make you wonder what would have become of this musical genius if only he was treated better. It leaves you with a few mysteries unsolved which is very fitting to the book. The resemblance of the story to the real Paris Opera and similar events taking place makes it all the more mysterious.
All the while, I felt like I was traveling along wherever the book took me, enjoying every place and wanting the journey to never end.
P.S. : This book took me out of an 8 day reading slump, so that's something
precise👌
Extremely well written!