The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Set at an opera house in Paris, Christine Daae is a young singer with a beautiful voice. She has been tutored by a man she calls The Angel of Music, later revealed to be Erik, the Opera Ghost. Raoul, a friend she has not seen in many years, falls in love with Christine, which makes Erik very jealous. Erik wants to keep Christine for his own and attempts to force her to stay with him.

The Erik/Christine relationship is abusive and controlling. Raoul is annoying and flat. However, the writing is excellent and the story is told in an amazing way. The book makes the musical make more sense at some parts. Even with how abusive Erik is toward Christine, I found myself feeling very sorry for him and what he had gone through in his life just for the crime of being “ugly.” I was left feeling a bit hollow when I finished The Phantom of the Opera, but I still recommend it, particularly for fans of the musical.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2015: 77
Pages Read in 2015: 22,119
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