The Phantom of the Opera: The Original Novel by Gaston Leroux
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Book Reviews of The Phantom of the Opera: The Original Novel
Book Review: I'd just like to clear something up...
Summary: 5 Stars
Reading these reviews for such a wonderful tale, I was struck by the profusion of slights to the tedious style employed by the author. Now, I thought this was a fact anyone reading the book would have known from prior knowledge, but I guess not: Gaston Leroux was not an Englishman! His story is not tediously, almost boringly written, the English translation from the original French is! When transferring a work of literature from one language to the other, it is necessary to make concessions to the cadence and stylistic idioms of the adopted language, thus necessitating a change in form and style, since a verbatim translation is a thing practically impossible to obtain, particularly when translating from a Romance language (like French) to a Germanic language (like English.) Consider this: would one expect Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, if translated into another language such as French or German, to retain the poetic gravity that it possesses in its native English? Works of literature are written to conform to the rules, and indeed beauty, of the writer's native tongue, and therefore only retain their true beauty in that language. The phrase "lost in translation" reserves more pertinence here than anywhere else! Oftentimes a difference in translator can make the diferentiation between a good work and a great one (for proof of this phenomenon, compare the Norman MacAffee translation of Hugo's Les Miserables to that of Wilbour)but since relatively few translations of Phantom exist, we shall have to read that with which we are provided and merely speculate (unless the reader is fluent or at least conversational in French) at the beauty these words possessed in their native tongue!
As for the novel itself, I"d highly recommend its reading, and that is not just because I am an avid aficionado of French literature but, as I am myself a writer, because I recognize worthy literature when i read it. It is indeed refreshing to see the story of the Phantom as it was originally intended, before being heavily romanticized by Weber, and then Schumacher. For a fairly true-to-the-novel film adaptation, I'd suggest the 1926 silent film starring Lon Chaney. Adieu!
Book Review: A tragic, horrifying, love story
Summary: 5 Stars
The first time the words "The Phantom of the Opera" meant anything to me was when I was seven years old. My dad discovered the fabulously composed Andrew Lloyd Webber musical version. Well to my young ears the music was unbearable. The pounding, clashing cords scared me half to death and I was constantly begging him to turn it off. Seven years later, I was fourteen and in a selective singing group at my school in which we were doing a medley of "Phantom" songs for a Spring Concert. To make a long story short, I soon learned that at seven I had no musical taste and had been horribly wrong about "Phantom". That same school year I chose to read the original novel for a school assignment. Already captivated by the gripping love triangle between Raoul, Christine and "The Phantom" (as he is called in the musical version), I fell madly in love with the whole entire story after finishing the book in only a week.
I truly believe that in this amazing work of literature Leroux created some of the most memorable characters in the history of story telling. His ability to make any reader sympathetic towards a disfigured, criminally insane genius is a task even some of the best writers couldn't hope to recreate.
"Phantom" takes the words "Illusion" and "Reality" and throws them out the window. Blending both what is for certain and what is not into a haunting dreamland, where an unfortunate soul who has never known compassion does not have to see the truth and can pretend that the world is a more forgiving place.
Running themes in Phantom include love, empathy, and the shallowness a vast number of us fail to realize we're guilty of. The best parts of the book (in my opinion) are when Raoul asks Christine is she would love Erik if he weren't so unbearably unattractive. And when Erik sorrowfully confesses that not even his own mother knew how to love him.
"Phantom" challenges readers to care about the feelings of an inwardly and outwardly distorted maniac who's gone crazy in his solitude and only wants to be loved. It's a fabulous expose of the human nature of the most unfortunate type of person and the insufferable way he is doomed to be treated by the rest of the world.
Book Review: The perfect mix or horror, suspense, tradgedy and love!
Summary: 5 Stars
The first time the words "The Phantom of the Opera" meant anything to me was when I was seven years old. My dad discovered the fabulously composed Andrew Lloyd Webber musical version. Well to my young ears the music was unbearable. The pounding, clashing cords scared me half to death and I was constantly begging him to turn it off. Seven years later, I was fourteen and in a selective singing group at my school in which we were doing a medley of "Phantom" songs for a Spring Concert. To make a long story short, I soon learned that at seven I had no musical taste and had been horribly wrong about "Phantom". That same school year I chose to read the original novel for a school assignment. Already captivated by the gripping love triangle between Raoul, Christine and "The Phantom" (as he is called in the musical version), I fell madly in love with the whole entire story after finishing the book in only a week.
I truly believe that in this amazing work of literature Leroux created some of the most memorable characters in the history of story telling. His ability to make any reader sympathetic towards a disfigured, criminally insane genius is a task even some of the best writers couldn't hope to recreate.
"Phantom" takes the words "Illusion" and "Reality" and throws them out the window. Blending both what is for certain and what is not into a haunting dreamland, where an unfortunate soul who has never known compassion does not have to see the truth and can pretend that the world is a more forgiving place.
Running themes in Phantom include love, empathy, and the shallowness a vast number of us fail to realize we're guilty of. The best parts of the book (in my opinion) are when Raoul asks Christine is she would love Erik if he weren't so unbearably unattractive. And when Erik sorrowfully confesses that not even his own mother knew how to love him.
"Phantom" challenges readers to care about the feelings of an inwardly and outwardly distorted maniac who's gone crazy in his solitude and only wants to be loved. It's a fabulous expose of the human nature of the most unfortunate type of person and the insufferable way he is doomed to be treated by the rest of the world.
Book Review: Very entertaining, very engaging book! HIGHLY recommended!!
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all - I would like to say that this is one of my most favorite novels!
I was first introduced to the story of the Phantom of the Opera back in 1998, when Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical came to my part of town! I went to see the show, and needless to say, I instantly fell in love with it! Not too soon thereafter, I started doing a little research into the story, and found out that the original story had created by an author by the name of Gaston Leroux. (I immediately went to one of the local book stores, purchased my own copy of the novel, and read it from cover to cover in a couple of days [with great interest and eagerness], and fell so head-over-heels in love with the novel - that I couldn't tell that I was walking upside-down for a while! LOL!)
This book and its author, are in my humble opinion, simply AMAZING! The amount of detail - and the mental images that one can get/imagine while reading this book - are WONDERFUL!! The book is not only well-written, but it also has a great storyline, with full-bodied characters, unforgettable lines, and wit and humor like you would never believe! (I truly wish that Gaston Leroux were still alive - I would have *LOVED* to meet him in person! He seems like he would have been such an interesting, funny person!)
I, myself, have been to the Opera Garnier in Paris, France on a number of different occasions - and can honestly say that it is the *PERFECT* setting for a story like this! (As you walk through the marble-lined halls of "thee" Opera, you can imagine Erik, the Opera Ghost, flitting about - darting between the marble pillars, hiding behind the cascading red curtains, sitting quietly as he silently observes you from Box Five!)
All in all, I would *HIGHLY* recommend this book to ANYONE! (Including reading groups and school reading assignments!) I think that there are so many great lessons that one could think of/learn from reading this book - and perhaps, the book and it's lessons could gently touch another person's heart the way it has touched mine!
Book Review: The Phantom is Phenomenal!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Phantom of the Opera is best known as the cult classic musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Weber, and we overlook the masterpiece that inspired the great musical. Do NOT overlook this book, it is a must for both fans of the musical and new readers of all ages.
The Phantom of the Opera is the story of Erik, a horribly disfigured man who was a torturer in a Persian court, who has lived his life in sadness. He is forced to flee from the court in Persia because of a threat on his life and after serving in many other places, he retires to the cellars of the Paris Opera House. Here, he spends his days composing his very own operetta, Don Juan Triumphant, which becomes his life's work. However, when he is not hard at work composing, sleeping, or wallowing in self pity, he meddles in the affairs of the opera house and takes control of how things are run by posing as the Opera Ghost.
It is in this fashion that he meets Christine Daae, a young woman who once had a glorious voice, but her talent was dimmed for grief at the death of her father. Christine's father had told her tales of sending her an angel of music when he died, so Erik posed as Christine's angel and gave her singing lessons. Then, one brilliant night, Christine triumphed by performing her first lead (Margarita in the opera Faust.) It was a divine performance and all were enchanted by her.
Enter, the Viscompt de Chagny, who is madly in love with our young starlet;Christine returns his affections;this does not bode well with our dearest phantom.
Thus begins a battle between Raoul the Viscompt and Erik the Phantom of the Opera, over the heart of young Christine Daae.This turns into a battle of life and death, but who emerges the victor? And where does Chrisine's heart truly lie? Will Christine discover the dark secrets of Erik's past?
This book is absolutely exquisite and is filled with lush, gothic, imagery. A must read.
Hope that helps!
Bohema