The Phantom of the Opera has intrigued readers, movie goers, and audiences for close to a century. Based on the legends of the haunting of the Paris Opera House in the mid 19th century, French author, Gaston Leroux, depicts the story of the horribly disfigured, maniacal genius who dwells in the labyrinthine bowels of the opera house. Known as "The Phantom" due to the mask that he wears to hide his disfigurement and his mysterious, ethereal ability to appear and disappear at will, Erik causes a serious of misfortunes and accidents to those who oppose his will. His obsessive desire to possess the beautiful and talented Christine Daae, and the extent that he will go in order to do so, are the premise of Mr. Leroux's novel.
But Susan Kay's Phantom deliciously goes far beyond the intrigues of the opera house. Delving into the Phantom's past - from his horrifyingly pathetic birth until his clandestine collaboration with Charles Garnier to build the famous Opera House, Susan Kay touches every aspect of the Phantom's life. Personally, I was mesmerized by Ms. Kay's prose. The book is written in the first person from the viewpoint of various characters, beginning with Erik's mother, continuing with Erik himself, then his kind, sympathetic Italian benefactor and mentor, onto the Persian, his only friend, and then to Erik once more as he finally returns to France, determined to live the rest of his life as a bonafide recluse, hidden from the human race. But when a chance encounter exposes him to the beautiful singing voice of the lovely, yet strangely familiar Christine Daae, his life takes on a whole new meaning. From there, the first person narration alternates between Christine and Erik, and culminates 17 years after the incidents at the opera house with Raoul.
Ms. Kay paints a portrait of the phantom that is not only stunning and highly seductive, but is filled with intrigue, insight, imagination, and even a few doses of wry humor. This is one rendition of the opera phantom that I would love to see brought to the big screen! I've seen the Andrew Lloyd Weber's movie version, and while I enjoyed the movie, it somehow loses something when the Phantom is depicted as a very handsome man with some disfigurement. When, in Ms. Kay's book Raoul, in speaking of the phantom, remarks that he finds it hard to believe that "anything living could look like that", you get a brief glimpse of how horrifying this man was supposed to be. And yet, the ironic intrigue, the whole heart of the story, was the fact that his voice was as beautiful and ethereal as his face was ugly and repulsive.
Someone remarked in their review that they hated the ending - but I feel that the ending befitted the story, and it's far cry from a sad ending. At first glance, the book looks daunting because it's so thick - but Ms. Kay grabs the reader from the very first sentence of her book, and leads him on a gloriously enchanting adventure that you don't want to end. I've read the book twice now, and yet I'll still pick it up and sporadically read different parts.
The book is out of print so it's not easy to come by. You can find it on Amazon and eBay, but it's very expensive. If you can find it at a flea market, yard sale, or some other type of sale, I'd pick it up quick before someone else does!
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How is this book not a best seller?!?
I have read this book 3 or 4 times now and each time it's a miraculous wonder. The depth of locations and the depth of characters is just outstanding. Susan Kay should be considered world class. I'm reading it now from a psychological view point and it's stunning the author's grasp of human nature and how they think. Her portrayal of the Phantom as a flawed genius is mind boggling. Those that can't do read! I am in awe of the author's writing style. Bravo!
Top reviews from other countries
Jennifer
Ótimo livro para quem é fã do Fantasma da Ópera
Reviewed in Brazil on November 26, 2022
