Book Review: The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

The Phantom of the Opera is a horror novel written by French writer Gaston Leroux. The book was first serialized from 1909 to 1910. Initially the book was written in French and when it started gaining attention to due Paris Opera fact, it has been made available in other languages, including English version.

Basically, the story enigmatically revolves around very popular opera singer Christine Daae. Tragically, the opera singer (Christine Daae) becomes the object of fascination for the supposedly 'Opera Ghost' and the strange events that take place after he finds out that she is in love with her childhood sweetheart, Raoul de Chagny. So, the lady is in love with a ghost. That’s an amazing crux. Raoul de Chagny is passionate about her, compelled by love and jealousy; he performs bizarre and terrible acts to keep her around him.

The plot of the book is captivating. In snatches, you will find that the writing isn’t that great and engaging, so you may get bored in places but still you will not be able to put it down. Initially, it is slow but gets more interesting by the end. The mystery of the ghost is something that will keep you awake till you completed reading it. He may remind you of ‘Heathcliff’ from Wuthering Heights.

The style is unpretentious. The characters other than Opera ghost do not stand last for many. But, the story is well presented, despite its being twisted, dark, and gothic in semblance. If horror fiction is your cup of tea, well then you should stick to it and have your heart satiated.

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