‘The Phantom of the Opera’ is a riveting story. Leroux’s novel combines romance, mystery, and horror, set against the backdrop of the actual Palais Garnier opera house. It has inspired numerous adaptations, including Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical.

I don’t know that there is really much different about this edition of The Phantom of the Opera that I would really think to recommend it over another. If truth be told, I’d probably just tell anyone who wanted to read this book that any edition will do and likely recommend the purchase the cheapest one unless they’re looking for a Collector’s Edition. And in the event of a Collector’s Edition, I’d probably recommend the prettiest one.

As far as the story goes, I’ve always loved The Phantom of the Opera. I’ve loved people’s romanticization of the abusive Phantom less so than I love the story—which perhaps would be the only reason I would ever select the story for a class. And at that point, I would also be selecting it for a class of adults, whom I don’t generally teach often enough for that to be relevant.

But it’s a good book, it’s a good story. Even if some don’t interpret it well.

The book was archived before our group could download it. We are sure that we would have enjoyed the book judging from the reviews it has received.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, pages. Poisoned Pen Press, 2020. $16.
Language: PG (9 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
The narrator has gathered the facts and is writing to put forth the true story of the Opera Ghost – who surely was real. Madame Giry knew him as generous. Management knew him as a curse. Christine knew him as the Voice, her Angel of Music. Raoul knew him as a rival.
Originally published in French in 1909, this classic is one that the Horror Writers Association (HWA) wants to keep alive in their horror genre reprints, though reading it didn’t feel like how I imagined a horror would. Leroux includes footnotes throughout the book, and the HWA have added notes in the introduction and after the epilogue to expound on the context of this story and its author. While the text can be difficult to work through at a few points, I enjoyed reading the original story behind the beloved musical.
Christine and her father are Swedish, Daroga is Persian, and Carlotta is Spanish. Raoul, his brother, and all the other characters are French. The mature content rating is for mention of alcohol. The violence rating is for gun use, mentions of hanging and murder, and attempted suicide.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

More than a simple translation of the original text, this edition provides a richer reading experience. The Phantom of the Opera is a classic, tragic tale of love and obsession and I hope this edition makes new readers actually read it instead of watch the not-so-great movie. I also think the cover is very cool.

Having no knowledge of the musical, I did read a bit about it before venturing on this read. Erik is in love and will do anything to further the career of his love Christine - but it is an obsessive, all pervasive love which overshadows everything. All he wants is to be loved in return for himself alone.

Being rejected did not sit well with him and it turned him into a bitter, deeply venomous monster.

This is I feel better portrayed as a play rather than a book.

I was given a copy of this book for review.

Having read this book in High School, I did enjoy it but found it difficult to read. This new publishing of the story is far easier to read and very enjoyable.

The Phantom of the Opera is so well known that I don't think I need to put a synopsis of the plot here. There have been so many movie adaptations, book sequels/prequels by various authors... and who can ever forget the sucessful stage production (which I am guilty of seeing twice)?
The strength in this editon of The Phantom of the Opera lies in the introduction, the afterword, and especially the added information concerning the Paris Opera House itself. I read the novel years ago and it was just a simple translation. This edition provides much needed background information on Gaston Leroux and his motivation for writing The Phantom of the Opera that enriches the reading of the novel. The Afterword also shines a light on the founding of horror fiction itself including The Phantom of the Opera's place in it. The "Haunted Library" has undertaken a welcome exploration of the history of the horror genre itself. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

I am a big fan of gothic and horror fiction and, of course, Phantom of the Opera is one of the classics. I am a big fan of the movie so it was great to revisit the source material.

The Phantom of the Opera was a very agreeable surprise. I was familiar with the basic story: a talented beautiful opera singer, a childhood friend who becomes the lover and the Ghost obsessed with the same musician; but i was not expecting such an intense and consuming story of love, jealousy and madness.
Gaston Leroux really created a masterpiece, a story situated in the heart of the famous Paris Opera House, with such a diverse cast of characters.
I loved reading it, i sympathized with the poor doomed couple, and for moments i almost felt sorry for the Ghost "poor Erik".

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for release of this review copy!

The was so good! Some things with Phantom of the Opera are hit and miss with me and I think the author of this book did a great job! I will make sure I check out more of Gaston Leroux's work. I recommend this if you like Phantom of the Opera reading.

I have never actually read a version of this before and was glad to finally read it. This is the story of obsession as well as love. Christine is a young singer and understudy that finds the limelight. She is loved by her special someone, but the Phantom also is obsessed by her. This is a nice retelling of this classic and for a modern reader. But, I think if you haven’t read it before and you enjoy it as well as enjoy the classics then reading an older version might be OK too or even a better option. But, since I haven’t read it before now I was happy to have read this adaption and found it worth it. If this is the only time you are going to read it understand what it is as you might find it a story that drags on because it is not a fast paced musical or movie. There is so much more to the story to get more on the stage. If this wasn’t a classic then you wouldn’t have enjoyed it, but knowing it was a classic you would find it more enjoyable. The classic novel is outweighed by dynamic existence of the movies and musicals.

Having a background in theatre I am familiar with the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical so this was like reading the musical without the big numbers. However there was a portion of the novel (when Christine Daae was kidnapped) that was so much more horrifying than I remember.

If you are interested in the origins of more modern stories read this one so that you know the source material for a modern classic of the American stage.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy of this re-release in exchange for an honest review.

Poisoned Pen Press does a lovely re-release of this wonderful classic Gothic horror tale. I think the story is pretty well known but for anyone who has lived under a rock for the past 100 or so years, here is a quick recap. Fair maiden and all-around talented Parisian performer, Christine, meets The Angel of Music, aka Eric aka The Opera Ghost. Raoul, an old childhood friend, a regular opera enthusiast, and bonafide star-struck lover is not too pleased about this connection. Does Christine love him or the evil masked man? Is the masked man real or truly a ghost? And how does The Persian fit into all this? Of course, there is singing, intrigue, a mysterious underground lake, and the issue with the missing money as well as a few deaths, and some other odd occurrences; making this an epic novel of Gothic proportions.

I absolutely enjoyed Leroux's writing. It reminded me of Lewis' The Monk, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and even Stoker's Dracula. I imagine this novel was quite a scandal when it was published. It clearly has erotic undertones, makes fun of Parisian society, and plays with our fears. There are love and jealousy, revenge and murder plots, paranormal events, some comedy, and a whole lot of sarcasm. It's kind of delicious, to be honest. One of my favorite things is that the narrator breaks the fourth wall talking to the reader. In a surprising way, Leroux recounts actual events of the Parisian Opera, and we are left hanging to find out how much of this story is real and what is fiction. The entire book could be just an eye-witness report of some puzzling events that took place in 19th century Paris allowing our imagination to go wild.

I highly recommend picking up this wonderful re-release and to check out any others in The Haunted Library of Horror Classics by Poison Pen Press. This collection will be a horror-fan-delight.

DNF 37% (Chapter 10)

I have been struggling to reading this book since December 27. The writing is so dry and boring that I was barely reading a chapter at a time. I also didn't really like the characters. I have it 10 chapters and I still don't like it.

I think this will be the first time I have ever said this but the movie was better.

*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I absolutely love this musical and the movie they produced of it also, so I thought I’d give the book a try. I’m not usually a huge fan of “the classics” and this was no exception. I struggled through this book. Christine in this novel is a simpering mess and just was way too helpless and damsel in distress for me. And Raoul didn’t seem brave or heroic like he does in the musical to me, he seemed more immature and childish. And the Phantom in the musical seems brooding and mysterious and a little dark but in the book he’s a big whiny crybaby and honestly super abusive and crazy. The author isn’t alive anymore so I’m not really worried about hurting anyone’s feelings with this but I didn’t care for this book. I think the re-print of it is fine and the cover is actually very well done but the writing and story line itself I didn’t care for.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is a classic, and has been placed in many different genres from Gothic romance to mystery to horror.  What few tell you, is that it is part comedy, although that may be an "era" thing.  Some of the dialog is hilarious.

First, let me thank NetGalley, and the publisher Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

When young understudy Christine Daaé is forced to replace an ailing singer, she takes the Paris Opera House by storm. Her amazing voice brings her to the attention of Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, who knew her when they were children.  He falls in love.

Unfortunately, another is also enraptured by her...the one who is teaching her to sing so beautifully.  Christine initially believes that he is the Angel of Music sent by her deceased father to train her.   She is wrong.

The Paris Opera House has a ghost.  When new managers take over, they cannot believe that everyone is playing this massive joke on them.  They even receive correspondence from the Phantom, who goes by OG (opera ghost), who insists that Box Five be left vacant for his use.  As well, he demands a monthly sum of money.  Shaking their heads, the managers dismiss the joke.  It will not be long until they explore things in more detail.

When Christine disappears in front of an entire audience, Raoul knows he must find the Phantom if he is to find Christine.

Then there is the Persian, who seems to know the Opera House like the back of his hand, and seems to have a lot of information on the Phantom.  Raoul and the Persian will have to rely on each other if there is any chance of saving Christine. 

My Opinions:

Well, after a really long introduction and prologue...we finally began.

The author was inspired by events at the Palai Garnier around 1870.  Leroux researched the building and the rumours, and insists he wrote the true version of events.  In fact the Opera House exists,  the underground lake exists and the tale of the chandelier falling is well-documented.  Leroux even on his deathbed, insisted the phantom was real.  True or not, the book has captured the hearts of many.

The characters are very strong.  Christine is a very naive young girl, Raoul is a heartsick young man, and Erik is an angry, bitter and obsessive man. The Persian is a kind-hearted man who wants to see justice done.

The story is a tragedy.  It is a story of unrequited love and jealousy, of compassion, of hatred.  Although some of the writing seems "old",  it is good to remember it was written in the early 1900's.  For a book of that era, it actually reads very easily.

The overly dramatic atmosphere of the book translates well to stage, and I have to say that I really enjoyed the Andrew Lloyd Webber play.  Webber really romanticized the phantom,  and although I am not a fan of romance novels, it worked for the play.    However, the book had so much more depth....

Bottom line....it was good.

Why is it there are so many people who don't know the musical "The Phantom of the Opera" is based on the Gothic horor story Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by French author Gaston Leroux?

Originally, Le Fantôme de l'Opéra (translated as The Phantom of the Opera) was published as a serial from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910 in the French newspaper Le Gaulois. It was published in volume form in March 1910. The book has been reprinted many time over the last century. There have even been several retelling and sequels written by other authors. Also, there have been many stage, radio, film, and television adaptations, including the classic silent film starring Lon Chaney, Sr., and 1962's Hammer Horror version.

Now available from Poisoned Pen Press (an imprint of Sourcebooks) is a new reissue of The Phantom of the Opera, which is this first release in"The Haunted Library of Horror Classics" series presented by the Horror Writer's Association, a non-profit organization of writers and publishing professionals. The editors of this edition is by Eric J. Guignard and Leslie S. Klinger, and features a short introduction by Bram Stoker Award Winning Author Nancy Holder.

FYI: The following is my condensed synopsis of The Phantom of the Opera. I left out plenty of details so I wouldn't spoil the book for anyone.

Set in Paris in 1880, the classic tale centers around the Palais Garnier opera house, which is said to be haunted by the Opera Ghost. When the leading opera singer, Carlotta, becomes ill, newcomer Christine Daaé steps in as her replacement. The audience loves her performance, including Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, an old childhood friend who has feelings for her.

To make a long story short, Christine has a secret — she has a tutor ― the Opera Ghost!

Yep, it seems the Opera Ghost (a.k.a. The Phantom) has been talking to Christine through the walls. She has never seen him in person, and there's a reason for that ― he's disfigured. (Like you didn't already know that!)

There's a love triangle here between Raoul, Christine, and The Phantom, whose real name is Erik. The Phantom becomes jealous and kidnaps Christine during the production of Faust, which leads to a night of unspeakable horror.

Final Thoughts

Upon reading this new edition, I wasn't aware of how many book lovers haven't read Gaston Leroux's classic Gothic tale. It seems everyone is aware of the Broadway musical but not the original story that inspired it.

My first introduction to "The Phantom" was when my mother bought a kid's version of the story when I was in elementary school. I loved reading it, though, sadly, the book vanished long ago. I recall dressing up as "The Phantom" for Halloween in either the second or third grade. It wasn't until I was in high school that I read the original book for the very first time, and this was way after I had seen many of the horror film adaptations.

The Haunted Library of Horror Classics is a lovely new edition, featuring a haunting cover design and a short but well-written introduction by Nancy Holder. The back of the edition features "The Paris Opera House," which is the original publisher's notes from the 1911 American edition; "Haunted Library Afterward" by Lisa Morton, president of the Horror Writer's Association; and "Suggested Questions for Classroom Use."

The Phantom of the Opera is one of the greatest horror stories ever written. If you haven't already read the book, then I highly recommend that you do so, especially if you love horror.

Love the movie, love the musical and love the book.

The latter is a bit different, since it's meant to be more a mystery than a love story but it was inevitable. The author turned it into a Gothic romance, with a love triangle between Christine, Raoul and Erik, a.k.a. the Phantom/Opera Ghost. Erik is supposed to be the villain, the bad guy but one can't help but feel sorry for him, for how the world has treated him. Murders and mysteries, the author didn't shy away from investigations and how they were done, in the 19th century.

Full of feels, it's a book that has been known for a couple or so centuries and I'm sure will keep on being read, just like Dracula, Frankestein, to name but two.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book via Netgalley. 5 stars.

I really enjoyed this edition of The Phantom of the Opera, the notes were well placed and as it's always been a favorite of mine, I can be rather picky of editions for it. If you're looking for a clear, laid-out version of this amazing story, I definitely would recommend this edition from Poisoned Pen Press, thank you to them and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.