Phantom

Attempting to rewrite or revisit a classic novel is tough. The writer must contend with readers existing ideas of the characters, and few characters are imprinted on cultural memory in the way that Gaston Leroux's Phantom has been, through various films and musical adaptations.

Kay approaches the challenge initially be removing us from the setting of the opera house, and beginning her story with the birth and childhood of a severely deformed boy named Erik. Hated by his mother and hidden from the world, Erik evokes any reader's sympathy. He is simply a lonely child desperate for affection. But we also see glimpses of the man who we know, will someday haunt the Paris Opera. Erik's first cries as a baby are hypnotic and the sound of his voice can almost evoke a tender response in his mother. He has an almost supernatural genius in the fields of music and design. He longs for his mother to kiss him,just once to show affection (something she cannot bring herself to do)

Gradually we follow Erik as he grows up and escapes his mother's household only to become an exhibit in a freakshow. Throughout his life Erik attempts to find a place for himself as a stonemason's apprentice (leading to tragedy that foreshadows what will happen later in his life) and in a Persian Court where he devises methods of torture for the queen and acquires a lifelong friend. Through it all Erik never sheds the one thing his mother gave him: a mask to hide his face.

Finally deciding to retire from a world he has no place in, Erik puts his architectural genius to use, designing a home for himself beneath the cellar of the Opera Garnier, where her plans to live the rest of his life in peace, while being close to his true passion: music. It is only at this point that we become immersed in the story we think we know. Erik falls in love with a beautiful young soprano, Christine Daae. Knowing that he can bring out her talent as no one else can, he takes her under his wing at the same time her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, attempts to do the same.

Ultimately this is an emotional story about a man rejected all his life, who has never known love, trying to find the strength to love someone else completely and selflessly. Yes, there are some of the fun booby traps that Leroux describes, the mysterious Persian, the sensationalism etc. But Kay adds what Leroux's novel lacks- and emotional center for his characters. For that reason I find it more satisfying.

"None of us can choose where we will love." - Erik

Susan Kay's bewitching novel, Phantom, is the story of the Phantom of the Opera, Erik, whose disfigurement frightens everyone around him and prevents him from being loved-even by his own mother. Phantom explains the darkness behind Erik's tortured soul better and more completely than the original novel by Gaston Leroux and the famous musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

This beautifully written novel tells Erik's story, from his birth to his death. It begins in the point of view of Erik's mother, Madeleine, and describes how she hates and fears him from the day he was born and forces him to wear a mask. After Erik runs away from home, the story changes into Erik's perspective as he performs in a traveling gypsy circus. After the circus, the point of view changes once again to that of Giovanni, an Italian architect who takes Erik in and teaches him architecture. Following this, Erik travels to Persia, where his story is told by Nadir. Finally, Erik returns to France to help build the Opéra Populaire, where he falls in love with a young singer, Christine...

Kay's writing style is almost lyrical in its exceptionally detailed descriptions. The utter sincerity with which Erik's personality is written is astounding. Phantom is truly touching. Erik is such a powerful character, and through this wonderful retelling readers are able to understand the obscure depths of who he is and why he becomes the Phantom.

Be prepared for angst, adventure, danger, romance, and self discovery when you pick up this remarkable book. Also, a note to parents: this book contains violence, drug use, and sexual content. While not explicit, this is definitely a young adult book at the least.

Being a mad bibliophile from the age of four, I can honestly say that I've never had a favorite book before. There were simply too many choose from, but now one shines above and beyond all the rest. "Phantom" made me laugh, cry and throw temper tantrums. Many times over for each. The term "tour de force" doesn't even begin to cover it, trust me.

Though I'd heard of the story for some time, I'd never gotten into the rampant "phandom" that surrounds it until I saw the ALW movie. Yes, yes... the one with Gerard Butler, so if you're one of those fanatic "canon" types who screams at the sacrilegious notion of "changing the story," you may as well stop here. I, for one, am all for interpretation and even write some of it myself (not PotO just yet, but other works of that infamous genre known as "fanfiction," along with things entirely of my own creation. Cringe in horror if you must, but there it is all the same). I'm quite aware that Ms. Kay's lovely novel technically falls in this catagory, but I have to wonder what the world would think if she wrote hers first. What if the sainted M. Leroux had come later? Would the world still be so enamored of his version?

While I give the man credit for the original genius of this idea, I wasn't terribly impressed with the book. A poet at heart, I found it really quite difficult to sit through his awkward style and petulant characters. Kay's deft and lyrical handling, on the other hand, left me in awe and praying for the day that I might be as talented as her.

Instead of a snippet at the end of my dear Erik's life, which would in no way explain his unique situation, we're treated to the whole of it. We're taken across the globe in his life-long search for a home, and brought into contact with some pretty incredible characters. Even the villians were vivid enough that there were times when I actually reached out to strangle them for their cruelty.

But for all the brilliantly crafted characters, Erik still reigns as my favorite. Never in all of my long history of book-mania have I run across someone quite so well-written. His dark, wry sense of humor and violent temper are the perfect balance for his kindness and desperate need for love. This man is an absolute study in dichotomy, and for that psychological draw alone he would fascinating. But that's not even the tip of the proverbial iceberg. You'd have to read the book to understand, but Humanity takes on a whole new level of meaning in this one. I really can't stress this enough.

@`~,~ READ @`~,~ THIS @`~,~ BOOK @`~,~ NOW @`~,~

ps: I should also mention that this will not be the first time I've bought this. I ordered the hardback from Amazon a few months ago and when it came, I carried it with me everywhere I went. Even if I didn't get a chance to read any of it on any particular day (which wasn't often, because I generally MADE time), I couldn't bear to part with it. You wouldn't believe the fit I had when I accidentally dropped it in a puddle as I got off the bus one day. Now I'm here again with the hope of buying the paperback. I'll buy this beloved novel as many times as it takes to ensure that I'm never without it, and considering my low supply of funds, that's the highest praise I can give. "Phantom" is more necessary to my health than food, and I'm not joking.

I adored this book. I came to it with some reservations as a Leroux fan, but those reservations were blown away after the first page and I was literally sucked in to this amazing story by the sheer power of the writing. What a magnificent writer Ms Kay is and how beautifully she carries off her daring project to give us the life story of such a famous fictional character. She must have known it had to be darned good or she would have been shot down in flames by such a huge fan base and yet she pulls it off. With it's lyrical prose, first class characterization and fast moving plot, it justly deserves all the praise that has been heaped on it over the years.

And as Leroux fan I have to say I raised my eyes in some horror when I read a couple of the recent reviews below. Mauling a well respected book like Kay's, in Leroux's name, simply makes us Leroux fans look as though we have an axe to grind. I was actually uncomfortable and embarrased to mention the fact that I was a Leroux fan in such company. Of course we want people to read and love Leroux's wonderful original, but this is not the way to achieve it.

I have become a huge fan of both the 2004 movie Phantom of the Opera and the stage production at Royal Albert Hall. Love the Phantom (especially Gerard Butler and Ramin Karimloo)!! Not believing I could be enraptured by a book, I nonetheless purchased this book because of the good reviews and am I glad I did!!! Susan Kay writes beautifully and I was caught up on the first page! She brought the story to life with such emotion and believability!! Super work, Ms. Kay....I will read it again, no doubt!!

This book changed my life. Before I read this I was a boring normie working at a bookstore; now I'm an extravagantly wealthy sociopath living in a sewer while singing at strangers I think are pretty. The only change I make now is drastic topographical changes to local opera houses through the use of heavy explosives. A+

I've seen the musical. I've seen the movie. I've read bits and pieces of the Lerox (sp?) play. I got this book from my school library because I am a dedicated Phantom fan. I started reading it and I couldn't put it down. I'm an avid book reader and by far this is the best I've ever read. It is a must read. The amazing story of Erik's life with his mother all the way to his death. You find out why he is the way you see him in the movie and musical. All of the hardships he had to go through. Also, the additional characters in this book add to the wonderful reading that Susan Kay provides. If you haven't read this book and you're considering. I think its safe to say that its well worth the money to spend on it, to read over and over again.

Being an avid, albeit new, obsessee of the story of Erik, Christine, Raoul, and the Paris Opera House(L'Opera Garnier), I was recommended this book by a good friend who stated clearly "You are not a fan until you read this book." So, taking her advice, I bought one of the original copies of the book, and have loved it ever since. I would even go as far as to say that it's the "Bible" of the Phantom world. The way Kay tells of Erik's childhood and adolescent life gives you an insight to what made him the way he was in Leroux's novel. The novel gives you a view of how Christine did indeed love Erik, and leads you to believe that she really would have stayed with him, had he not died. And it gives "I love you Erik. I love you in so many ways but my love is the love of a child afraid to grow up..." as the reason Christine chooses Raoul.

If you count yourself as even a partial phan, you MUST read this book.

I've been on a Gothic novel kick and after reading Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Portrait of Dorian Grey, I read the Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux and wow! I devoured that short book and my interest for more of the story was sparked. That is how I came across this book, Phantom, by Susan Kay. I thought a more expansive consideration of Erik’s past would be extremely intriguing. So, I bought the book and one thing became immediately clear-this book was NOT written by Leroux. This fact is a given, because no two people are ever going to write the same. However, my shock was from the disparity of differences between the two books in their grammar. Kay’s writing in the first few pages made me cringe from a grammatical standpoint (did I mention I’m teacher?!). There were incomplete sentences, poor sentence structure, and dangling participles. However, her writing greatly matures and starts to flow after about 30 pages into the book, which is really nothing because the entirety of the book is 455 pages!
Once I got over the grammar the story started to take over and truly grab my interest. I found the book hard to leave and the plot consuming. Those are the positives about the book-it’s interesting, intriguing, and I love all the history and art peppered into it. The book is well worth your time to read. However, the negatives concerning this book, at least for me, was the wanton way Kay kept circling around in a Freudian manner. I.e., the lust a son has for his mother/mother figure (and vice versa), the lust a daughter has for her a father/father figure, and the lust a sibling can feel for another sibling. I do not ascribe to this Freudian belief-as most of his work has been discounted and it’s icky-but it was something Kay focused on intensely. Indeed, as I sit here reflecting upon the novel at the end of its completion, I realize how heavily this theme was perpetuated through its entirety. Finally, my last scruple-hopefully without giving away too much-is poor Raoul! His story is miserable and I liken his fate to that of Mercedes in the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. However, I would still say read this book and judge for yourself. You may find the end tedious, but you will be entertained.
Yours truly, O.G. 😉

After easily reading several hundred books, I have to say that this is my favorite book of fiction! The story grips you from the first page and doesn't let go until the end-- which is sad, because I wish it had gone on forever. A true marvel.