Book Review: ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ by Gaston Leroux
The Phantom of the Opera is perhaps one of the most famous Broadway shows of all time. The masked villain, the falling chandelier, the romance and mystery. Even if you’ve never seen the musical, you know those aspects. But few people know that The Phantom of the Opera is based on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel of the Same Name. It has all the same mystery and romance of the musical, without all the singing…
[Warning: My review of The Phantom of the Opera contains some spoilers!]
Disbelieve the phantom at your own risk
Everyone who works at the Opera knows about the opera phantom (aka the ghost). He is never seen, but if his demands are not met, then trouble is sure to follow. When new managers take over the Opera, they laugh the ghost off as a prank by the previous managers. But everyone else knows better, especially young Christine Daaé.
Christine Daaé is a young singer who mostly hides in the background. At one time, she was on track to be an incredible force in the musical world, but after her father’s death, she lost her spark. Until the Angel of Music shows up and begins to give her personal lessons. Christine never sees this angel, but under his tutelage, she blossoms into the opera’s new star.
And the new star catches the eye of the young Vicomte de Chagny, Raoul. It turns out the two have some history and pick right up where they left off. But the Angel of Music isn’t happy about that. He has been arranging Christine’s career and falling in love with her at the same time. Now he doesn’t appreciate the Vicomte stepping in to take his place in Christine’s heart. He decides that if he can’t have her, no one will. Maybe the Angel of Music is really the Angel of Death.
A fascinating story that is a little dated in style
The Phantom of the Opera is a great story. There are a few good mysteries that are all connected. There’s a classic love triangle. There’s danger and adventure. And of course there’s a happy(ish) ending. The story really pulls you in. Unfortunately, The Phantom of the Opera was written over a hundred years ago, in France. That means that the style is very dated. There’s a lot of over-explaining and a lot of long-winded passages that don’t feel necessary to a modern reader. It slows the action and keeps the story from being a page-turner. It’s really too bad because the story is interesting, and it has an unexpected character that was actually my favorite part of the story.
The Opera is the best part of The Phantom of the Opera
We don’t usually think of buildings as characters, but the Opera in The Phantom of the Opera certainly feels like a character to me. I suppose part of it is really the phantom himself, but the building is so huge and so mysterious that it takes on a life of its own. While reading it, I was fascinated by the building’s layers and secrets. As much as the story of Christine, Raoul, and Erik intrigued me, I wanted to go and wander the Opera more. I wanted to uncover all its secrets and discover just how deep and far the basements went. It’s a bit of a sidetrack, I know, but I challenge you not to feel the same way after reading LeRoux’s work.
Erik’s backstory needed more explanation
When the Persian shared some of Erik’s backstory, we learned how he came to be at the Opera and where he was immediately beforehand. But I could have done with an entire prequel devoted to how Erik became the man he was. When the Persian met him, he was already a very damaged man with a very unique skill set. I think the story of how he acquired those skills and how he got hurt would be fascinating.
No one starts out evil. And while the phantom does do some very dark things, both in the book and in his past, he does want to be loved. There is still a human part of him that craves connection. In the book, he is a villain, but there’s just enough humanity in him to make him pitiable. But I think with a more in-depth backstory, he might have become sympathetic rather than just pitiable.
A classic worth reading
If you’ve never seen The Phantom of the Opera, then you’re just like me. Even though I grew up near Toronto and was constantly bombarded with advertisements for the musical, all I knew about it came from the commercials. I still can’t say that I’m interested in seeing the musical (as much as I love music, I don’t like musicals), but I am glad I read the book. Its style was a little stiff, but the story was engaging. I was led into a mysterious world that I would have been sad to miss out on. So if musicals aren’t your thing, reading Gaston Leroux’s original work is a great way to connect to this cultural touchstone without all the singing. If, however, you have seen the musical, then you should still consider reading the source material. From what I understand, the endings are a little different. Personally, I like the one in the book better. But you can read and decide for yourself which fate is kinder for the characters, and which they truly deserve.
My Rating: 7/10
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is available now for purchase from Simon & Suchester! Have you read this classic before? Do you like it as much as the musical? Share your thoughts on social media and tag @bsb.insider to continue the conversation!
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