Customer Reviews: Read 212 more reviews...
 I'll Stick With The Movie October 25, 2008
Here's one case where the movie was 100 times better than the book. It's no wonder that Leroux sold very few of these books during his lifetime because, quite frankly, the book was awful. The story idea itself, though, is interesting. Therefore, it's no wonder that it made it to the movies. In the novel, a disfigured man lives underneath an opera house in France and becomes obsessed with one of the opera singers. He seems to haunt the opera and makes demands that must be met lest the opera feels his rage.
The author really isn't very good at telling a story. There were a few very interesting parts that lasted no more than 2 or 3 pages, but they were few and far between. Most of the characters were very one-dimensional and indistinguishable except for the main three. The author has difficulty switching between scenes; one moment two guys are locked in an room filling with rising water, then they are sitting in front of a fireplace, and then they are above ground. The author also doesn't explain his settings very well; is he talking about a proper house or rooms underground and how in the world does a forest of trees suddenly appear in an an underground room? Some of the problems might have been with the translation (such as the mistranslation of "shadow" as "shade", but I think the main problem was with the author himself.
I completely slogged through this book and really don't recommend it for a pleasurable read
 Highly recommended! August 12, 2008
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
This is an exciting and mysterious book. It is a must read for any phantom fan!
Better than I'd have thought! August 10, 2008
I started this book with low expectations, but was plesantly suprised that I turned out to love this book! I would also recommed "Phantom" by Susan Kay.
EXCELLANT READ!!!!!! June 29, 2008
The Phantom of the Opera: The Original NovelAfter seeing the play years ago and recently seeing the movie, I was curious to see in what ways they differed from the original novel. What a pleasant surprise! Leroux is wonderful at bringing characters and feelings to life and indeed makes it a hard book to put down. The introduction tells you that Leroux in fact studied the phenomenon and that the story is based on fact. This makes it all the more interesting to me and I would HIGHLY recommend this book to any reader, especially ones interested in the supernatural, mysteries, thrillers and love stories. The history of the Opera House is fascinating as well. I LOVED IT!!!!!
 The one that started it all. May 13, 2008
A captivating love story, and Leroux's surprisingly modern style was much easier to read than I expected. This volume contains much more character background than the movies/musical do, but still leaves the reader wanting more. If you're a fan of the Phantom, I also highly recommend Susan Kay's "Phantom", which does Leroux's story justice.
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