Customer Reviews

Phantom of the Opera

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Having been a phan for over a decade, I enjoy reading other authors' spins on the timeless story of Erik. This book was interesting. It's not the worst POTO spin-off I've read, but not the best, either.

The book follows Leroux more than anything, but there are some major adjustments to the story. Raoul is very likeable (I found it very difficult not to want him to end up with Christine!), very smart, and isn't so childish and petty as he is in Leroux. Christine isn't as naive as she was in Leroux, although she's still fairly gullible. Philippe, Raoul's brother, encourages Raoul to pursue a serious relationship with Christine, is happily married, and is actually funny and warm. And Erik is insane - as in literally mood-swings-that-make-you-dizzy-just-reading-about-them, stark-raving-mad, insane. Erik spends much of his time running around and jumping up and down like a little boy, laughing maniacally, and trying to kill people who get in his way. The time frame is also a bit different - the story is set in 1888 (which explains the mention of the Eiffel Tower in the book, as construction started in 1887).

The biggest disappointment I had with this book was the ending. I won't give it away - but let's just say that the beatiful themes of redemption and undying love that are found in Leroux's book just aren't in Bischoff's tale. Leroux's Erik is so complex - a genius, a madman, a murderer, a composer, and so much more - and I cannot help but feel empathy for him. Bischoff's Erik, however, is rather flat in comparison. I laughed at some of his antics, but I didn't feel a connection with the character at all.

I think your level of enjoyment of this book depends on what you are looking for in a Phantom story. If you're looking for a romantic Erik, definitely skip this book. If you're looking for a story of redemption, this isn't the book for you. If you're searching for a faithful retelling of Leroux, steer clear. But if you're looking for an Erik that is insane, if you're looking to laugh a bit, or if you are a huge phan and must have every book ever written about Erik, well, you might enjoy this.

This is the type of 'Phantom' novel you either like or you hate. It is definately not a copy of the Leroux version, that's for sure. Erik doesn't get very much page space until the end of the book and he is written as being somewhat more...hyperactive than the other versions. The storyline deviates very drastically from the Leroux version and it's not a book for die-hard purists out there. In this version Christine and Raoul have never met before, until the night when she made her debut. Christine has never met Erik face-to-mask either before he takes her down to his lair after kidnapping her from the stage. He then acts somewhat bi-polar and more of a madman than the feel you get from the others. Raoul ends up meeting up with the Persian as in the Leroux novel, but he and Erik aren't as friendly with one another as they were in the Leroux novel or the Susan Kay novel. They really didn't seem much more than aquaintances. Erik's backstory was delved into more in this, though, not nearly as much as in the Susan Kay version. The ending is not at all close to the original novel, save the inclusion of the scorpion and the grasshopper. Also a slight twist...but that's all I can say without giving the book away.
I'd recommend it to obsessed phans as a must-read. I myself found it very enjoyable and thought that Erik was adorable, but that's just me.
One little thing that I thought was humorous, but that could be percieved as nit-picking: Bischoff mentions Raoul and Christine went out on a little day trip and saw the Effiel Tower. This is very interesting as this version of PotO took place in 1881 and contruction on the Effiel Tower did not begin until the twenty-third of January, 1887.

After going over the various reviews on this page I realized some people just don't know Phantom, don't get me wrong one or two of you were kind to the book, but most of you must of lied when you clicked yes to the are you over 13 question. This book is not for the romantic phantom lover, it was written before 1986, so the phantom is more of a murderous deformed madman than a half-disfigured Valentino. What Bischoff really did is take the Lon Chaney, Claude Rains, and Herbert Lom film versions, plus a big chunk of the original novel, and mix them together to make this story. I think this would have made a good film version(it's about time we get a phantom who goes back to his Gothic horror roots). Like in the original novel Christine is blonde, but to me she seems more inteligent, Raoul, who is less whiny and more likable in this, still has an older brother named Philippe, but he is warm hearted not cold and approves of Raoul and Christine's relationship(actually Raoul and Philippe act like Anitole and Raoul from the Claude Rains film, but I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing), Erik is still a walking Corpse and crazy( although in this I'm surprised Erik didn't overdose on those crazy pills he was taking, because he is NUTS!!! in this, but I though that was cool), the Persian is in this too but it seems Erik must of never done him those small favors that made them friends like in Leroux. The Lair was cool, it's more like Herbert Lom's Phantom's Lair. My favorite scene was when Erik and Christine are having wine at the table in front of the fireplace, and Christine asks to leave, but Erik ignores her ranting on about something, and she asks again and Erik gets frustrated and says something like "Don't you understand, YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE!" and breaks his wine glass, but then he's full of guilt for what he's doing and puts his head in his hands. Also the Unmasking scene was great, if they ever make a film version accurate to Leroux they should film the unmasking the way it's described in this book. I thought the mask was cool(described as being half the mask of comedy and half the mask of tragedy and white), also the idea of iris and pupil-less glow-in-the-dark eyeballs is a cool one, but not very realistic.

About Erik lusting after Christine in this and not Leroux, that's not true. In Leroux Erik lusted after Christine (he is described by Christine as looking at her in a strange way that made her fear he would rape her) and only wanted to marry her so he could be considered normal, he didn't actually LOVE her till the end when he is redeemed by her. Also about Leroux's Erik not killing women, this is also not true. In Leroux, it is never said, but implied that Christine isn't the first woman Erik has abducted, but she is the first to leave the unmasking alive. The only reason Erik lets her live is because she pretended to love him and he believed her. I thought this version was very good, it was action-packed and entertaining, a good read. I first read this book when I was 5, or 6(maybe 7), but I didn't understand it and so I looked it up when I was 17 and bought it for nostalgia's sake and read it.

The book is pretty much Leroux, but action packed, especially toward the end. This book keeps Erik a madman to the end and doesn't redeem him, although I did feel bad for him at the end, but I really don't mind that, if I did I wouldn't have liked the Chaney version. If your a phan of the Horror side of Phantom(because the original novel is a Horror/Mystery novel) and the early philms then you might enjoy this, but if you really only like the Lloyd Webber musical and only pretend to like Leroux than this book is probably not for you.

Well, this book was highly disapointing. I am a
HUGE Phantom Phan and I absolutely love Erik, lol
- but this book had a terrible portrayal of Erik.
I hated how they described Erik. Erik was described
as more evil and selfish rather than loving towards
Christine. He lusted after Christine, rather then loved her. This is definitely not Gaston Leroux's version!
I have many Phantom books - this one, I have to say, is my
least favorite!

A favorite from my childhood, this vivid retelling of Gaston Leroux's 1911 novel is exciting and spooky, but not too frightening for younger readers. While it deviates greatly from the original novel, the core of the story is essentially the same. It delves deeply into the Phantom's personal tragedy as he is mocked and hated by humanity because of his hideously deformed face. Full of great photos from the Lon Chaney, Claude Rains, and Herbert Lom film versions. Beautiful cover illustration of Lon Chaney as the Phantom. A great introduction to classic horror for younger readers...highly recommended!

Okay, I just had to write a review about this because it did not explain how much this book was truly a disgrace.

The author seemed to not even research or know anything about the story or the characters. He didn't even know when the construction of the Eiffel Tower began! The author seemed in such a hurry that he forgot certain and very important things in the original story that made people really love it. But he forgot all the great themes and everything. The Phantom of the Opera, originally, is a very dramatic, sensual, heartbreaking, and unbelievingly beautiful story. Not evil. David Bischoff made his version and Erik seem evil, which it orginally is not. And I know for a fact that it is not. David Bischoff made Erik seem so monstrous and rude to Christine. Christine had just barely met Erik when he demanded that he marry her. The author made Erik sound so barbaric and not at all like the gentlemen in the original novel. He changed Raoul and actually made him nice. He made Christine a little brat, which I hate to say because she is an awesome character and so is Erik. Christine was rather rude to Erik in this one. The authore also made it so that Erik rather lusted after Christine than loved her. I could not see Erik saying things like "My soul is on fire for you" and "I long for your touch" to Christine. The author also changes it so Raoul and Christine's bond was much stronger than Erik and Christine's. Phantom novels like these really p!$$ me off. Take my advice and only buy the book if you really need to have every single phantom novel that ever existed. I only bought it because I was curious to why everyone hated it so much. I almost set it on fire after I was done reading it.

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Ok, this ruined the story. Christine was kind of rude, Erik was insane and too hyper, and Raoul was corny. The stroy was changed too much to the point where all the themes of the story that make it a beautiful story weren't even in the story anymore. Christine didn't love Erik and Erik lusted after Christine instead of loving her. And I really couldn't see Erik saying things like " My soul is on fire for you" and calling Christine a little vixen, fickle, trollop, and a heartless creature. Erik was too weird. He acted like a child, running around and jumping up and down. And practically throughtout the entire book all he is doing is laughing. And, in this book, Erik falls after every pretty girl that he sees, which I find very unlikely and all he talked about was Christine's beauty and in all the other phan-phic novels and original story he was more in love with the person that she actually was. Christine had blonde hair in this one, which in all the other ones she has dark hair. Not very desciptive. In this one, it's lost all the mystery, sensuality and romance. I didn't like the ending. In the actual sotry, Erik loved Christine and Christine loved Erik. But in this one, Christine hates his guts and Erik lusts after her. Also, the first time that she meets him is when Erik is demanding that she marries him or he's going to blow up the Paris Opera House. Just the book went by too fast. The author made Erik sound a lot more monstrous and bitter than he actually was. In the actual sotry, Erik wanted to change and be good. He wanted what was better for Christine. He wanted her to be happy and he broke his ties with darkness. In this one, he doesn't want Christine to be happy and he only is thinking about himself. He never wanted to be good in this one and yeah.

It was sad in how it ended. In how Christine let Phillippe stab Erik and then Erik drowned himself. Some parts of the story I found rather enjoyable but other than that, the book was a waste of money and I was highly disappointed. I just thought that the characters were rude and unlikeable. It was just a weird book. Also, Erik killed a woman in this book. In the actaul story and other phan-phics, he doesn't kill women because he respects them and stuff.