The Essential Phantom of The Opera

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful resource
Review: For fans of Phantom of the Opera the musical/movie, or just fans of literature of this time, I think this is a wonderful choice. This copy includes a lot of historical information that someone who isn't from Paris of the time just wouldn't catch otherwise, as well as a lot of critical analysis from an expert.

So, if you want to understand this book much more, this is a great edition.

Rating:
Summary: A reasonable choice
Review: I picked up this copy of Phantom on a whim while at the bookstore and while I do not regret the decision, this book does have some flaws.
There are numerous typographical errors in the text of an obvious nature which do not detract from the story per se, but do make it less enjoyable to read. The annotations are well placed and informative but can become repetitive as their author harps on the basic characterizations of Raoul and Erik. The illustrations are over inked for the coarseness of the paper and can be somewhat unpleasant to look at.

If you are a casual reader, you may not want this edition. However, if you are more interested in the history of the book and the Opera House it depicts than the text itself, this is a copy worth purchasing.

Rating:
Summary: New edition...
Review: This is the second printing of Leonard Wolf's "The essential Phantom of the Opera" that was first released back in 1996 (just in time for the releasing of ALW's Phantom movie...cleaver).

Many Phantom "phans" have been waiting for this book to be reprinted...and many have paid good money for 1st editions just last year. I have had a first edition since 1996, but also purchased this copy as there was supposed to be 8+ additional pages of info included (haven't found them yet, though...hummmm....).

This is a very good resource for those who wish to research Erik, The Phantom, in depth and learn more about him...more than merely what ALW gave us in his play (it lacks greatly in my opinion....).

If you like this book, try the following:

Phantom by Susan Kay
Beauty by Robin McKinley


Rating:
Summary: An Essential for any Phan...
Review: This is the third translation of Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera that I have purchased, and I don't regret it. Most of us are familiar with the "official" translation - the one that is the tie-in for the musical (and countless other editions). Leonard Wolf gives us a newer and - as he feels - more faithful interpretation of the French text. (Sidenote: In the tie-in translation, the Phantom never refers to himself as the Phantom: only as the Opera Ghost, or O.G. In this version, he is always the more musical Phantom of the Opera.)

If you have not read Phantom yet, you may be a bit distracted by the voluminous footnotes. For the familiar reader however, the footnotes are the main reason to buy this edition. Wolf provides valuable insight into many areas of the text. He points out inconsistencies: Raoul goes from being 21 to 20. He provides commentary on the mythological allusions in the text.

Most valuable, he provides artistic commentary on the book. He shows how Phantom fits into Gothic conventions: the damsel-in-distress being menaced by a sexually threatening outsider, only to be rescued by a non-sexual aristocrat. But it is not quite that simple; Wolf shows that there are only two protagonists in the piece: Christine and Erik. He rightly shows Raoul for the foolish little sap that he is. He thinks that Leroux intended it to be that way, and that Christine has a much stronger bond with Erik than she does Raoul.

On the whole, I wish Wolf had written more. How about interpretive essays on the various adaptations, including the Lloyd Weber musical? He does include a lengthy introduction about the novel and Gaston Leroux himself. This volume is a must-have for any Phantom-enthusiast.