The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux - A Short Summary & Review

 The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux - A Short Summary & Review

By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review

The haunting tale of a lovesick specter.

A short summary:

The Phantom of the Opera is a gothic tale set beneath the glittering grandeur of the Paris Opera House, where a mysterious and disfigured musical genius lives hidden in its shadows. When the young soprano Christine Daaé becomes the object of his obsessive devotion, love, jealousy, and manipulation collide. Blending romance, suspense, and psychological horror, the novel explores the thin line between genius and madness, and the human longing to be seen, known, and loved.

My favorite quote from the book:

"Our lives are one masked ball."

- Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera

Questions to ponder while reading:

Are theaters really that complex?

Would you pick the scorpion or the grasshopper?

My review of the book:

This is a classic thriller that still moves at a surprising pace, making it dangerously easy to finish in a single sitting. Leroux’s Phantom is both terrifying and tragic, an antagonist driven not by cruelty alone, but by loneliness and rejection. The story balances melodrama with genuine emotional depth, and its vivid setting makes the Paris Opera House feel like a character in its own right. After finishing the book, it’s impossible not to want to see the opera house in person, and to glance uneasily at any darkened stairwell along the way.

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller based in Tontitown, Arkansas.

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

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