The Phantom of the Opera
by Gaston Leroux
After so many adaptations—silent films, spoken films, musicals, literary take-offs—I figured it was time to read the book. I really like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies—don’t throw anything at me—so I wanted to see how much of his show was taken from the book. Surprisingly, quite a bit.
Even without the tie to the musicals and movies, this is a really fascinating book. And, considering when it was written (1909) it’s exceedingly spooky. I can imagine reading it by candlelight at the turn of the century, getting so spooked I couldn’t sleep. This is first and foremost a ghost story, even though it has been depicted as a love story through the decades. The owners and players at an opera house are haunted/visited by a phantom, and as his behavior becomes more frightening, the supporting characters try to crack the mystery and catch him in the act! The title character is described as such:
“[A skull], dried and withered by the centuries…through the holes that were his eyes, his nose and his mouth – the unfettered anger and sovereign fury of a demon; and yet not the slightest gleam from those eye sockets, for as I was to learn later, his burning eyes only shone in the darkest night. Recoiling against the wall, I must have seemed the very embodiment of terror, just as he was hideousness incarnate.
Then he drew close to me, with grinding teeth and no lips, and as I fell upon my knees, he unleashed his hatred, hissing random words, disconnected phrases, curses, ravings.”
Pretty spooky, huh? That’s a far cry from the half-masked charmer on stage, crooning for Christine’s swooning—can you imagine if that Phantom was haunting your opera house? For those who like gothic stories, or classically frightening ghost stories (like Sleepy Hollow), this is a perfect book to curl up with around Halloween time. And if you like either musical, or the Lon Chaney movie—which, incidentally has the most accurate depiction of the Phantom—you should definitely check it out!
Also, the translation I like is by Mireille Ribiere, so be on the lookout when you buy your copy!
Even without the tie to the musicals and movies, this is a really fascinating book. And, considering when it was written (1909) it’s exceedingly spooky. I can imagine reading it by candlelight at the turn of the century, getting so spooked I couldn’t sleep. This is first and foremost a ghost story, even though it has been depicted as a love story through the decades. The owners and players at an opera house are haunted/visited by a phantom, and as his behavior becomes more frightening, the supporting characters try to crack the mystery and catch him in the act! The title character is described as such:
“[A skull], dried and withered by the centuries…through the holes that were his eyes, his nose and his mouth – the unfettered anger and sovereign fury of a demon; and yet not the slightest gleam from those eye sockets, for as I was to learn later, his burning eyes only shone in the darkest night. Recoiling against the wall, I must have seemed the very embodiment of terror, just as he was hideousness incarnate.
Then he drew close to me, with grinding teeth and no lips, and as I fell upon my knees, he unleashed his hatred, hissing random words, disconnected phrases, curses, ravings.”
Pretty spooky, huh? That’s a far cry from the half-masked charmer on stage, crooning for Christine’s swooning—can you imagine if that Phantom was haunting your opera house? For those who like gothic stories, or classically frightening ghost stories (like Sleepy Hollow), this is a perfect book to curl up with around Halloween time. And if you like either musical, or the Lon Chaney movie—which, incidentally has the most accurate depiction of the Phantom—you should definitely check it out!
Also, the translation I like is by Mireille Ribiere, so be on the lookout when you buy your copy!