One of the buyers is the now 70-year-old Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. It’s horrifying to read but impossible to put down.In 1911 we find ourselves at an auction where some stuff of the Paris Opera House is being auctioned. “The Phantom of the Opera” is an incredible Gothic tale of murder and obsession. It certainly seems believable after reading this book. Who knows? Maybe there really WAS (is?) a Phantom. In some parts of the book, he adds little footnotes that say the Paris Opera House management requested that he give no further detail about a specific situation. Leroux writes as though he has uncovered proof that the Phantom of the Opera really existed. But “The Phantom of the Opera” is one of them. There aren’t many “classics” that will keep you on the edge of your seat. But they encounter plenty of bizarre opera dwellers along the way. Raoul and a man known only as The Persian finally rescue Christine. Later in the story, the Phantom murders a woman, brings down a chandelier and kidnaps Christine, for good. The managers, Armand Montcharmin and Firmin Richard, write off the Phantom but grow increasingly aware of his presence.

The Phantom causes trouble for the new managers of the Paris Opera House by demanding that certain seats be left empty during the performances and instigating anonymous practical jokes. Raoul discovers that Christine is under the influence of a mysterious “Angel of Music.” On several occasions this angel has taken Christine to a mysterious underground world.ĭuring one of these excursions, Christine discovers that her angel is really the Phantom of the Opera, a spirit who has haunted the Paris Opera House for years.

Opera critics say that Christine’s singing is beautiful and stunning.Īround this same time, she reunites with her childhood sweetheart, Raoul de Chagny. Here’s how the story goes: Christine Daae is filling in for the star of the production “Faust” at the Paris Opera House. “The only complete … modern Americanized translation available,” writes translator Lowell Blair. I’m happy to report that there is an understandable version of this classic novel.

So I finally managed to snap up a copy of the Gaston Leroux book. I’ve always enjoyed the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, especially “The Phantom of the Opera.” But I never really understood the story behind the music.

Phantom of the opera book explained