The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

[oryn]

In L'Opera du Paris, the most opulent stage an opera singer could ever hope to perform on, there is an undertone of fear amongst the masques and revels; the Opera Ghost. When Christine Daae, a young soprano, makes her stunning debut, her childhood friend, Monsieur Raoul de Chagny, takes a new, romantic interest in her. However, her constant refusal to see him despite her feelings for him intices him to investigate the source of her rejection - and at the heart of the matter he finds the Opera Ghost.

The so-called phantom, however, turns out to be more man than myth - a tortured soul with breathtaking talents in music who resides in the catacombs beneath L'Opera du Paris. When his obsessive love for Christine reaches a bloody crescendo, it's up to Raoul to rescue his lady-love from the clutches of the Phantom of the Opera.

----

Let me open by saying that I really, really, really liked the story of this book. It's beautiful, haunting, and very dramatic. However... there are two minor problems.

First of all: Raoul - he's a bit of a brat. He's always whining about Christine not loving him enough, and is always professing his jealousy of the Phantom like a stupid kid. And I quote:

"Oh, I hate him!" cried Raoul. "And you, Christine, tell me, do you hate him too?"

"No," said Christine simply.

"No, of course not... Why, you love him! Your fear, your terror, all of that is just love and love of the most exquisite kind, the kind which people do not admit even to themselves," said Raoul bitterly. "The kind that gives you a thrill, when you think of it... Picture it: a man who lives in a palace underground!" And he gave a leer.

He doesn't trust Christine at all, and he goes on in this manner quite a few times throughout the book.

Second problem: Christine's choice of man - Raoul, as I said before, is an untrusting, whiney brat. The Phantom, however, helps Christine come out of her shell, helps her reveal the passion she feels through the beauty of music. And how does she repay him? By falling for Raoul. That is the reason, in fact, for a lot of the drama in the book - the Phantom is just trying to keep Christine close, because he's lonely and desperate for companionship. His need for love drives him to a point of insanity which leads to the climax of the novel. He even allows Christine to have an affair with Raoul on the condition that she doesn't leave him! And I quote:

"Never, till we go away for good! It would bring us bad luck, if I did not keep my word. I promised him to see you only here."

"It is a good thing for me that he allowed you even that. Do you know," said Raoul bitterly, "that it was very plucky of you to let us play at being engaged?"

"Why, my dear, he knows all about it! He said, 'I trust you, Christine. M. de Chagny is in love with you and is going abroad. Before he goes, I want him to be as happy as I am.' Are people so unhappy when they love?"

Raoul doesn't trust Christine; the Phantom does. Raoul is jealous of the Phantom; the Phantom is actually allowing Raoul and Christine to have an affair. And why is Raoul always saying things bitterly?

----

So, all in all, the book is great; enigmatic, gothic, dramatic, and heartbreakingly romantic - however, Raoul and Christine's love for him are two things that will bug me forever.

[Knowvella]

Oh, yeah, I have to agree with you. Raoul was an absolute wuss. x/

I also felt like a lot of the time the narration wasn't close enough to the characters. I read it a while ago, but I don't remember their emotions being described very much and I didn't care much for any of the characters (except for Erik).

[Fiction]

I agree. Everyone except the two leads and Madame Giry, I found, were very thinly written. It was an amazing novel, however.

[Bleeding Ink]

Oooooh I despise 'the fop'. This is one of my favourite books though :) Im in love with the concept and Erik, not so much the writing, the indulgence in Erik makes it difficult to connect elsewhere...

It always annoys me how the Persian is left out in alot of adaptations, he adds a dynamic to Erik which is interesting and lacking in adaptations where he has to romanticised to the extreme by making him so lonely...oh the sadness of this novel :( I adore it.

[botham]

Agree really agree guys. I have gone through by it but have no idea about the emotions being described. Its my point of view what yours?:pirate:

[snow_yuki]

One of the best books ever. :D