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The Phantom of the Opera Hardcover – December 1, 1975
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions5.75 x 0.75 x 8.75 inches
- PublisherBuccaneer Books
- Publication dateDecember 1, 1975
- ISBN-10089966136X
- ISBN-13978-0899661360
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"-- Daily Telegraph
""A venerable, much-adapted story of grand, delicate feelings and gothic creepiness."
"-- New York Times
""Mixes horror and romance in equal measure."
" --Guardian
"
About the Author
Mireille Ribiere is a freelance author and translator.
Jann Matlock is a senior lecturer in the French department at University College London.
Product details
- Publisher : Buccaneer Books; Reprint edition (December 1, 1975)
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 089966136X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0899661360
- Reading age : 5+ years, from customers
- Item Weight : 1.55 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.75 x 0.75 x 8.75 inches
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Gaston Leroux (1868-1927) was a French writer best known for his novel The Phantom of the Opera. Born in Paris, Leroux initially worked as a critic and court reporter for the newspapers L'Écho de Paris and Le Matin. In 1918 he formed a film company called the Société des Cinéromans. After quitting journalism to focus on writing fiction, Leroux went on to publish dozens of novels. He died at his home in Nice, France.
Leslie S. Klinger is considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on those icons of the Victorian era, Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, and Frankenstein. He is the editor of the three-volume collection of the short stories and novels, THE NEW ANNOTATED SHERLOCK HOLMES, published by W. W. Norton in 2004 and 2005, winner of the Edgar Award for Best Critical/Biographical Work and nominated for every other major award in the mystery genre. THE NEW ANNOTATED DRACULA, published by W. W. Norton in 2008, offers a similar in-depth examination of Bram Stoker's haunting classic and its historical context. It received a starred review in Publishers' Weekly.
Since the 1960s, the study of the rich fantastic literature of the Victorian writers has been Klinger's consuming passion. He has written dozens of articles on Sherlockiana, published 20 books on Sherlock Holmes in addition to the Norton work, and regularly teaches UCLA Extension courses on "Sherlock Holmes and His World" and "Dracula and His World." Klinger's Sherlock Holmes Reference Library has been called by the Baker Street Journal "the standard text of reference for all serious Sherlockians." He contributed essays to Playboy Magazine and the Times of London on vampires and served as the technical adviser for Warner Bros. on the "Sherlock Holmes" films starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law.
Klinger has edited several anthologies of stories relating to Holmes, vampires, horror, and Victorian fiction, including "In the Shadow of Dracula" and "In the Shadow of Sherlock Holmes" for IDW Books and "In the Shadow of Edgar Allen Poe" for Pegasus Books. He has also co-edited with Laurie R. King four anthologies of new stories about Sherlock Holmes, "A Study in Sherlock," the Anthony-winning "In the Company of Sherlock Holmes," "Echoes of Sherlock Holmes," and "For the Sake of the Game." The four-volume "The Annotated Sandman" in collaboration with Neil Gaiman for DC Entertainment appeared in 2012-14, and his "Watchmen: Annotated Edition" was published by DC Entertainment in 2017. Also in 2017, his "New Annotated Frankenstein," published by W. W. Norton, was nominated for a World Fantasy Award. Klinger's "The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft," shortlisted for the Bram Stoker Award, appeared in 2014, and a second volume, "New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft: Beyond the Mythos" will be published by Norton in 2019.
Klinger and co-editor Laura Caldwell just completed "ANATOMY OF INNOCENCE: TESTIMONIES OF THE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED," published by Liveright Publishing/W. W. Norton in 2017. This harrowing anthology pairs exonerees with major mystery/thriller writers to tell their tales of despair, hope, and courage. A nonprofit project, proceeds from the book benefit innocence projects.
In 2018, Klinger published "Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s," a massive annotated collection of five novels, including the first Charlie Chan mystery, the first Ellery Queen mystery, the first Philo Vance mystery, Dashiell Hammett's first novel, and "Little Caesar," the first gangster novel. The book was awarded the Edgar for Best Critical/Biographical and is nominated for several other awards.
Later in 2019, Neil Gaiman's "Annotated American Gods," edited with notes by Klinger, will appear from William Morrow.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Klinger received an AB in English from the University of California, Berkeley, followed by a JD from Boalt Hall (School of Law, U.C. Berkeley). Since then, he has lived in Los Angeles, pursuing a legal career in tax, estate, and business planning. Klinger is a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, the Horror Writers Association, and the Mystery Writers of America. He served for three years as the chapter president of the SoCal Chapter of MWA and on its National Board of Directors, and he is the Treasurer of the Horror Writers Association.
Wendi Zwaduk is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to BDSM and LGBTQ themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been the runner up in the Kink Category at Love Romances Café as well as nominated at the LRC for best contemporary, best ménage and best anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com and other websites. She also writes under the name of Megan Slayer.
When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. Find out more about Wendi at:
http://www.wendizwaduk.com/
https://wendizwaduk.wordpress.com/
www.facebook.com/wendizwaduk.meganslayer
https://twitter.com/WendiZwaduk
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/wendi-zwaduk
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3495446.Wendi_Zwaduk
http://www.amazon.com/Wendi-Zwaduk/e/B003KA589U
Eric J. Guignard has twice won the Bram Stoker Award (the highest literary award of horror fiction), won the Shirley Jackson Award, and been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award and International Thriller Writers Award for his works of dark and speculative fiction. He has over 100 stories and non-fiction author credits appearing in publications around the world; has edited multiple anthologies (including the current series, The Horror Writers Association’s HAUNTED LIBRARY OF HORROR CLASSICS, through SourceBooks, with co-editor Leslie S. Klinger); and has created an ongoing series of author primers championing modern masters of the dark and macabre, EXPLORING DARK SHORT FICTION through his press, Dark Moon Books. He is also publisher and acquisitions editor for the renowned +HORROR LIBRARY+ anthology series. His latest books are LAST CASE AT A BAGGAGE AUCTION; DOORWAYS TO THE DEADEYE; and short story collection THAT WHICH GROWS WILD: 16 TALES OF DARK FICTION (Cemetery Dance). Visit Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com, his blog: ericjguignard.blogspot.com, or Twitter: @ericjguignard.
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_The Phantom of the Opera_ is an incredibly simple story that focuses on a love triangle. At the center we have the singer Christine Daaé, who is loved by the aristocrat Raoul de Chagny and by a mysterious “ghost” commonly known as Erik who haunts the Paris Opera House. Erik’s motivation is a strong desire to be like everyone else. Because of his hideous appearance he must hide, but he figures he has everything he needs in his complex, labyrinthine dwelling in the underground levels of the Opera House, and all he needs is a wife. Can Christine develop feelings for him?
At the most basic level, the novel will remind readers of “Beauty and the Beast,” as it deals with the possibility of love beyond physical appearance. We may, in addition, sympathize with the “villain,” as we understand his purpose even as we disapprove of his method. Under the surface, however, _The Phantom of the Opera_ is a completely different story. Leroux wrote it in three months, and his main narrative device is that of the cliffhanger, which should not come as a surprise when one considers that the novel was originally serialized. He begins by creating a mystery: who is this ghost, and how does he manage to appear and disappear so effectively? The story quickly goes from a mystery to a love story, with the appearance of Christine and Raoul. The next element is that of detective fiction, as crimes are investigated. The end of the story is narrated by a mysterious Persian who provides most of the answers concerning the ghost and his doings. By combining subgenres, Leroux varies the tone and the approach, and keeps us turning the pages.
As I pointed out above, my initial reaction to the novel was quite lukewarm. I was not surprised to read that by the time the classic film (Rupert Julian, 1925) came out, the book was out of print. It had gone out of print yet again when, in the mid-eighties, Andrew Lloyd Webber decided to turn the story into a musical. I read Leroux’s novel primarily because I wanted to watch the original film, and I happen to be one of those people who must read the book first. Though not perfect, the film is a cinematic landmark the success of which inspired _Dracula_ (1931), _Frankenstein_ (1931), and countless other monster movies. The filmmakers changed the ending of the story, but the rest of the main elements are there. I have yet to hear the musical, but now that I’ve read the book I feel like that is the next logical step for me. To appreciate the novel, I reminded myself that Leroux was primarily a writer of entertainment fiction. Don’t look for explicit philosophical depth here. On the other hand, the writing is concise and engaging. _Les Misérables_ (please see my review in the appropriate place) is deep, stirring, and unforgettable, but it requires amounts of time and patience that not all readers have.
To me, the central symbol here is Erik’s mask. So, what is the point of Erik hiding his face? His mask is simply more obvious than those worn by the other characters. Etymologically, the word “person” is of Etruscan origin and means “mask.” Ingmar Bergman plays with this idea in his masterpiece, _Persona_ (1966). (The great Swedish director, incidentally, once expressed the belief that cinema was primarily about the human face.) We think of a person as an individual, as “one,” but what the etymology of the word suggests is that one person wears different masks depending on the situation. Personality, in this sense, would be a multifaceted thing.
We all literally wear masks now, but we wore them before too. Our current masks are frustrating because we cannot see much of the people we interact with, but also comfortable in the sense that they allow us to hide from others. I teach English at a local college, and under the current circumstances my classes meet in person only once a week. Students keep social distance and wear masks. I have never seen my students’ faces unless they have chosen to include a picture of themselves in our online platform. My classes used to be 100% interactive and collaborative; now students sit in the classroom looking straight ahead, and the vast majority of them do not participate. It has become very difficult to “read” them. On the positive side, the situation has forced me to do something I rarely did before, viz. to look people in the eyes when I talk to them. The eyes, they say, are the windows of the soul. Maybe by staring into them we can reveal the mystery. We have become, at least at the social level, “eyes without a face” (another highly recommended film). Where am I going with this? The moment in the 1925 film when Erik takes off his mask comes as a revelation and a shock. I believe the mask itself, any mask, is more terrifying than what is behind it. We are identified primarily by our facial features, and most of those are now hidden. We are now better prepared to understand Erik and see things from his perspective. Speaking of perspective, I cannot help but recall the “Eye of the Beholder” episode of The Twilight Zone, another excellent exploration of the importance of the human face.
Had it not been for the film and the musical, _The Phantom of the Opera_ might well have disappeared from the shelves by now. There are many novels from the same time period that are more memorable and satisfying. This is, nevertheless, a quick, entertaining read that leaves you thinking about ever-relevant concepts such as beauty, individuality, shame, and the need for human connection. Bottom line: give it a try.
Next on my list: _The Joy Luck Club_, by Amy Tan.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the book!
And honestly, I'm not sure how good this one is. Given that Ribière is French herself, I assumed that her translation would be most faithful, but there were several points in the text where I found glaring errors (most notably in the epilogue, where a translation mishap sent the Samarkand merchant to fetch Erik from the fair, instead of the Daroga). But, as I'm not perfectly fluent in French (and don't have a copy of the French text handy to compare them, anyway), I can't speak adequately on the accuracy of this translation.
I may be in the minority, but I have always vastly preferred Leroux to Lloyd-Webber's musical. The novel's atmosphere can't be matched, in my opinion. Written as detective fiction, Leroux's speaker is investigating (years after the events of the novel) the legend of the "Phantom of the Opera," a mysterious specter that wreaked havoc at the Palais Garnier in years past. During his investigation, he begins to suspect that there are ties between the Phantom, the murder of Count Philippe de Chagny, and the disappearances of his younger brother, Raoul, and an opera singer called Christine Daaé.
Thus, Leroux takes the reader on a journey into the past, often referencing interviews with, and written documents by, several prominent figures at the opera at the time of the "de Chagny affair." Most of the fantastic tale is seen from the perspective of Raoul de Chagny, whose love for his childhood friend, Christine, seems to be thwarted by an unseen rival - a disembodied voice which has convinced the pious Christine that it belongs to the Angel of Music. Raoul and Christine soon find themselves trapped in a nightmare, as the love-sick "Angel" has no intentions of letting his beloved wed another.
The narrative often shifts to the perspective of the opera's directors, who are at their wits' end with the Phantom's outrageous demands. Most of the latter section of the novel is told from the point-of-view of the Persian, a figure from the Phantom's past who is often left out of film and stage adaptations.
In this day and age, most readers already know the plot to the story, so the strength in Leroux's writing lies less in the "mystery" of it all, and more in his beautiful language and imagery. It is all too easy to imagine the graveyard at Perros-Guirec, laden with snow and blood-red roses, littered with skulls, eerily silent under the full moon. The reader can understand Raoul's terror when he comes face-to-face with the "Death's head" in such a setting. Leroux's detailed descriptions of the opera house, too, lend a sense of realism to the story that leaves the reader wondering if the fantastic tale might not be, as Leroux claimed until his death, grounded in fact.
Perhaps my favorite thing about the novel, however, is Leroux's use of music as symbolism. Every piece of music mentioned by name in the novel is symbolic of something in the plot. Gounod's Faust, which underscores the entire story, tells the tale of a man who sells his soul to the devil for the love of a beautiful woman - certainly a parallel to the doomed love the Phantom holds for Christine Daaé. Other musical selections act as foreshadow. For example, "Danse Macabre (Dance of Death)," played at the gala in the second chapter, seems to herald the arrival of the Red Death at the masquerade ball.
All in all, Leroux's novel is, I would say, a masterpiece. With an ingenious story, tied together with beautiful descriptions, often witty dialogue, and sympathetic characters. It is perhaps one of the only "classic" novels I know which contains a morally grey antagonist whose victims pity, rather than despise, him. While "Le fantôme de l'opéra" didn't sell well upon publication and was, in fact, out of print for several years, the popularity of the story speaks to the brilliance of Leroux's vision. I would advise everyone, particularly fans of the musical, to give this novel a try.