The Phantom of the Opera - Gaton Leroux > Reviews (3)

Nearly everyone knows Andrew lloyd Webber's musical "The Phantom of the Opera", but only few know the original story written by Gaston Leroux. The book should be given just as much attention as the musical, if not more - it is truly captivating.
Leroux drags us into Paris in the last 19th century. We follow Raoul, the main character, on his way through Paris and sit next to him in the Paris opera, listening to the beautiful Christine. Of course he falls in love with her - and is on the way to discover her fate, her terrible destiny: a devlish pact in the cellars of the operahouse. It's a love story, a crime story, a historical book - a bit of everything. Leroux's story is entertaining and exciting. I extremely liked the way he began and ended the chapters, thereby keeping up the tension throughout the book. The identification with the main character leads to the captivating effect on the reader. Leroux's description of the opera house, the opera performances, Paris and the even the costumes give the reader a clear picture. He succeeds in creating a film in the readers' minds. His language is simple in the sense of easy to read.
"The Phantom of the Opera" is the only book I have read twice, in English and German, and found it extremly entertaining and captivating. In fact it only took me two days to read it: Once you've started you cannot close it until you have finished the very last sentence of the book. In my opinion it should be given even more attention than the musical. It is fascinating how a book can place you into a different world.