The Phantom of the Opera
January 14, 2007
"The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux
Barnes & Noble Books 1996 hardcover edition
I really hate Andrew Lloyd Webber, if for nothing else than for associating his overdone, gag-inducing musical style to the entire "Phantom of the Opera" concept. The book is everything the musical is not: lean, engaging, entertaining and spooky. Telling the classic story of a madman living in the maze of ruins beneath an opera house, the story moves at a quick pace, pieced together mostly through newspaper clippings and other research rather than through a traditional narrative. The style occasionally works against the gothic atmosphere the novel seems to be aiming for, but generally things move at a solid pace. A classic potboiler that does what any potential bestseller should do: produce entertainment at a ruthless pace without ever insulting the audience's intelligence.
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