Classic in the Library: The Phantom of the Opera- by Grace

You’ve probably heard of the Phantom of the Opera. It’s been made into a Broadway musical AND a movie- but way back in the beginning, it started as a novel by Gaston LeRoux. This classic can be found in the library- I first read it there. On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best, I would definitely rate this classic a ten.

It starts at a Parisian opera house, where there have long been rumours of a Phantom who ‘haunts’ the place. Mysterious things start happening when Christine Daae, a very talented singer, first performs at an opera. As it turns out, the Phantom –who is in reality an actual person named Erik, who is the master of ventriloquism and other skills which he uses with craftiness- is in love with Christine, and wants her to marry him.

Determined to stop this plan are the Viscount Raoul de Chagny –Christine’s childhood friend, who is in love with her and to whom she is secretly engaged- and a mysterious person called the Persian, who once saved Erik’s life and is doggedly trying to get Erik to stop his evil ways. When they find out that Erik has given Christine two decisions –each as horrible as the other; one to marry him, and the next to decline and let the whole of Paris be blown up with gunpowder- they are devastated.

What will Christine choose, and how will this classic end?

The Phantom of the Opera was very well-written, and I just couldn’t put it down. The characters were well-developed, especially the character of Erik, who was driven by what seems like pure madness, and whose upbringing and life made me pity him. I also like how everything is described in great detail, so that you can already sort of imagine the scene that’s taking place, and find yourself going along with the story.

You have to check out this awesome book of mystery, suspense, romance and adventure, especially if you enjoyed books like The Prisoner of Zenda, Agatha Christie’s famous mystery novels, or Lemony Snicket's The Series of Unfortunate Events.

Picture from the Broadway musical Phantom of the Opera, taken from http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLG_en___TH288&q=phantom+of+the+opera.