Gaston Leroux - The Phantom of the Opera

Author: Gaston Leroux

Title: The Phantom of the Opera

Language: Estonian

Format: hardcover

Rating: 2 stars

Reading challenge: A book that has been adapted into a play that you have seen or are going to see

No of pages: 232

Date read: 04.11 - 08.11.2017

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BLURB:

First published in French as a serial in 1909, The Phantom of the Opera is a riveting story that revolves around the young, Swedish Christine Daaé. Her father, a famous musician, dies, and she is raised in the Paris Opera House with his dying promise of a protective angel of music to guide her. After a time at the opera house, she begins hearing a voice, who eventually teaches her how to sing beautifully. All goes well until Christine's childhood friend Raoul comes to visit his parents, who are patrons of the opera, and he sees Christine when she begins successfully singing on the stage. The voice, who is the deformed, murderous 'ghost' of the opera house named Erik, however, grows violent in his terrible jealousy, until Christine suddenly disappears. The phantom is in love, but it can only spell disaster.

Leroux's work, with characters ranging from the spoiled prima donna Carlotta to the mysterious Persian from Erik's past, has been immortalized by memorable adaptations. Despite this, it remains a remarkable piece of Gothic horror literature in and of itself, deeper and darker than any version that follows.

My first time reading The Phantom of the Opera despite the fact that I have seen the movie adaptation quite a few times (and some snippets from a play they did here in Estonia). I kept hearing the soundtrack from the movie in my head while I was reading the book and while I have to admit that the book opened my eyes to some aspects of the story I was not all that familiar with before, it was also a rather long and tedious read where the writing style didn't appeal to me all that much. Don't rightly know whether it was due to the translation or the Leroux's writing style simply isn't my cup of tea. 

I will definitely keep watching the movie adaptation, but I have doubts about ever reading the book again ...