Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable and inspiring
Review: I read this book before hearing the musical or seeing any of the movies. Although the musical is great, this book is wonderful. You probably know already but, anyway.. it is about a deformed man living in the underground levels of the Paris Opera who tries to gain the affection of a young singer, Miss Daae. The phantom, Erik, is bitter towards society and does not obey the laws of common men. He is a born genius of magic and illusions, construction, various fields of engineering and ofcourse music. Compared to Hugo's Quasimodo, he is more fortunate, and to Shelley's Frankenstein monster, less bitter. He commits evils and crimes in his efforts to conceal his existence and to win Miss Daae. There is ofcourse, the good and gallant Vicomte Raoul de Chagny whom she loves, and so the triangle is formed. Ok now I make it sound like a silly love story, but it isn't.The book is fast paced and action packed. If you don't usually read classics, don't hesitate to read this one, it has everything you'll find in contemporary fiction. In fact, it was written sometime in the early 20th century, it's not that old. The book is readable, difficult to put down, and enjoyable in every sense of the word. The efforts of the managers and other members of the staff at the Opera to uncover the mystery of the Phantom are hilarious and thoroughly engaging. There is much suspense during the various chilling encounters and events that take place with Raoul and the Persian in the sub-levels of the Opera. So you see, it is quite 'fun' to read. I chipped off one little star because the book is too short, and although Erik is the main character, he doesn't appear that much. Also, it is perhaps a tiny bit void of emotion. Although the parts where the phantom meets Christine, and at the end of the book, will move you and inspire you to think. "Poor unhappy Erik! Shall we pity him? Shall we curse him?" Leroux treats the novel as an account of an investigation in which he is himself a part. Another little gripe is that the language is bland and quite unremarkable, but it might just be my translation, a Penguin Popular Classic. However, by no means should you not read this book because of this. It is not the greatest work of literature or anything, but still very much worth reading. And I will go so far as to say not to be missed, if only because it's such a short, quick read.
Rating: 
Summary: Little Literary Merit
Review: Later screen and stage adaptations inevitably present this story as a dark romance, with the Phantom a misunderstood man driven to madness by society's reaction to his deformity. Leroux's original creation, however, is quite a bit different: he is a professional torturer and a serial killer whose evil nature is mirrored in his grotesque physical appearance. Wanted by the police, he conceals himself in the Paris opera--and the authorities promptly use his interest in a beautiful singer as bait with which to capture him. Although the storyline has been reworked enough times for us to admit that Leroux was onto something here, Leroux was not a great writer and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA reads very much as if Charles Dickens had suddenly elected to write a Victorian "penny dreadful." Leroux never uses one word when fifteen will do, and the story moves very slowly with many a detour; even as the heroes crawl through the opera's basement labyrinths they find time for considerable conversation along the way. Fans of the later adaptations will be greatly interested in the novel, but most people will find it an up-hill read with little reward for all the effort. Primarily of interest to scholars, historians, and hardcore fans of later adaptations.
Rating:
Summary: Phantom Just Average!
Review: Phantom of the Opera is a detailed book about a lonely phantom that haunted the opera, and the life of the young opera singer Christina Daae. The phantom threatens to kill and murder if he cannot have Christina Daae. Christina Daae suddenly disappears after her breathtaking preformance and one man named Raoul was willing to risk his life to find where the opera ghost has imprisoned her. This book spent way too much time describing the people, and Christina Daae's unhappiness, but overall the book was pretty good. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate it an eight. The book was very exciting and it is hard to put it down once you get into it!
Rating: 
Summary: A Truly Great Book
Review: This is a great book and is one of my favorites.If you liked the musical,you will love this or even if you didn't it's a great place to start on the Phantom legend.It's the story of Erik,the Phantom,a tortured soul who lives beneath the Paris Opera House.He abducts Christine, a small ballet girl in the opera and gives her lessons.This sends her lover Raul into a desperate search to find her during that time.When she finaly returns she trys to avoid him and when he speaks to her she won't tell him anything that went on.She's also wearing a wedding band!I would recomend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery or suspense novel,it will keep you hooked to it's shocking conclusion!
Rating:
Summary: Before Andrew Lloyd Webber. . .
Review: I first picked up Leroux's Phantom of the Opera when I was a young girl. Now, I am a high school student, and I am proud to say that I took more from the book the second time around. The Phantom of the Opera is both profound and enjoyable. Anyone can enjoy this exciting, romantic tale. Christine, the starry-eyed chorus girl is wooed by both her childhood friend, Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, and a mysterious voice named Erik. He is the phantom, a gruesome man who was driven mad by the cruelty of the world. He, like many of us, does not let just anyone into out "secret lair." His lonely seclusion and wish for understanding actually make the reader understand the root of his evil -- it has come from those who hated him for his appearance. Christine is an innocent girl searching for answers; she is caught between her purehearted friend and the alluring mystery of her unseen teacher. She is a charcacter that everyone can identify with, she is fundamentally good, but she is drawn by the forbidden nature of evil. The chilling desciptions od Erik's face blended with the heated dialogue between the passionate Raoul and the confused Christine make for a performance that outshines the Broadway play. Now, this book has climbed to my top 3 list of books! (For the curious: Jane Eyre, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and the Phantom.)
Rating:
Summary: Unusual and moving...
Review: I just recently got the Wordsworth unabridged edition, so I don't know how different it is... but oh, it was fantastic! I am a huge fan of the soundtrack of Phantom of the Opera, circa Andrew Lloyd Webber, and I have also read and enjoyed Phantom by Susan Kay. I think these added great depth to the experience of reading the original version here, and I definately recommend them. Kay's Phantom provides background and character to Erik (the Phantom), while the musical provides not only good background music while reading, but also puts a voice, face, and pronounciation to the characters (as it is translated from french).
But on to Leroux's version. I thought this was the most ingenious way of writing Phantom of the Opera, and even now I'm not sure how much is real and how much he elaborated! Leroux wrote this book in the style of an investigation, with details and police reports and interviews, and included the Persian's narrative parts that took over for the climax, adding personality and humanity to the novel.
I found this an exciting read, and an interesting and different viewpoint to read a story from, as it is thrid person (like an observer, no thoughts heard) so this added to the importance of the actions of the characters. I felt this novel was a good length (rather short) and definately incrediable. I had a little trouble following all the descriptions of passages and corridors of the Paris Opera House, but I must go and visit it now to figure it out ;) There was much detail and it seemed like there was much accuracy too... so if this was pure fiction, it was written so well I could not tell.
I love this novel, and it definately belongs with the classics.
Rating:
Summary: Vive "Le fantome de l'opera" et M. Gaston Leroux
Review: Greetings for those who have not yet decided whether to buy this book or not! My name is Joseph and I am 14. I live in CAlifornia. There goes the introduction.
In my opinion, this book is one of the best mystery books ever to be written. The descriptions are the most vivid and I'd say that this book is as good as Mr. Tolkien's imaginations in the book, "The Lord of the Rings". Gaston Leroux is a poetic genius that has created a magnificent work. Well, I don't want to tell you the story because it might spoil your fun. So, make up your mind and buy one. I guarantee that you will be fascinated by this melancholy, but magnificent story.
Rating:
Summary: outstanding
Review: The Phantom of the Opera is by far the best book I have ever read. It has evreything you look for in a book. The way Gaston Leroux wrote this book is great. I enjoyed every second I was reading this book. It is a true work of genus.
Rating: 
Summary: Heartless, Illogical, Super Market Trash!
Review: I would like to just make a quick preface to this review: I am not some gungho, obsessive fan of the musical who was undeniably compelled to pick up the book so I could know the full story behind the Broadway show. I have seen the musical, but so many years ago I can scarcely remember anything other than a mirror and a chandelier. I don't own the CD, nor any other Andrew Lloyd Webber work, and so i consider my opinion to be somewhat unbiased by the overall phenomenon. And with that in mind, I'll admit just how little I think of this book. Upon searching for it at a book store, I was disheartened to discover that it was not situated in the literature section, but in the mystery section. I ignorantly assumed that any book that has persevered for nearly a century must be in the former category. My early thoughts have now been proven abundantly incorrect. There is something in Gaston Leroux's style, something in his method of storytelling, something in his construction of plot that not only suggests but pales to supermarket sensationalist novels. Moreover, while Leroux does little to promote anything resembling a realistic character or--God forbid--an emotion, the whole situation is made worse several times over, since this novel is represented in the form of a non-fiction account that all but depleats any narritive power the book might possess, but ultimately does not. In fact, other than the mere POTENTIAL of the situation--meaning everything that I presume to have been realized on the Broadway stage with more than a little modern manipulation--I can find nothing to praise. The idea of the Phantom is a mysterious and frightening idea; unfortunately Gaston just strikes out inning after inning, never realizing anything that might entertain. The pacing is entirely capricious and flows with all the fluidity of a crippled elephant, character motivations are all too driven by Leroux's desire for tension rather than anything resembling common sense or self preservation, meanwhile--and as previously mentioned--not a single character is worth caring about, as little effort as necessary is devoted to actual feelings and emotions. Leroux might even have been able to sell me on the tale if he could at least convince me that HE cared for it, but I cannot even attest to that. So much of the story is represented and depicted in a farsical, slapstick way as to wonder what the true intention of the novel is. Ultimately, if the design is intended to have any moral, which it very well might by evoking pity for the shunned Phantom, then it fails on all accounts by revealing the truly unfortunate aspect of his scenario until AFTER the climax. Thereby, we are given a HINT of the emotion we were supposed to have felt toward such a wronged individually, but the moment for true implementation has already passed and we can no longer do anything but regret the time we wasted on the novel. To top all of these faults off, the plot takes some of the silliest and most unsuccessful twists and turns that I've ever encountered. And so I come to the ultimate question not why this book is not preserved in the literature section of the book store, but why it is still in print at all, why it is stored in any genre, and how it was that Andrew Lloyd Webber and Co. ever saw fit to make--and fortunately remold--this awful, poorly written novel into a grade A musical. It's really a blessing in disguise, as they knew how to better effect the intrigue of the opera ghost better than dear old Gaston did. In finality, Webber and Co. utilized the only valuable aspect of which this novel possesses: it's mysterious potential. Everything else is trashy, unsympathetic, lame, illogical, and lacking a certain intelligence--no COMMON SENSE--that might grant this novel even mild success. In short, be thankful for the artistic liberties taken onstage: they've made this bomb a classic without any help from its author.
Rating:
Summary: Man of Mystery:Phantom of the Opera Tops the Charts
Review: The Phantom of the Opera is one of the best books ever written. It is about a disfigured man who lives in the depths of the opera. He falls in love with one of the singers and takes her away as his prize. A book full of mystery, suspense and romance, it is much better than the play. True passion comes from this book making you want to be the beautiful Christine Daae, the young foolish Raoul, or the deceiving Phantom. This book is a must read for everyone!!!!!! SO READ IT!!
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