Required Reading: “The Phantom of the Opera” by Gaston Leroux

By Justin Wymer
St. Albans High School

Ghosts. An underground lake. Mysterious voices that permeate walls. These are the motifs of Gaston Leroux’s “Phantom of the Opera,” which was a tantalizing novel long before it was commissioned as a theater show.

The book begins with a death to introduce the mysterious villain whose identity unravels throughout the novel. Breathless and exasperated, a young dancer runs into the dressing room of one of her coworkers. “Joseph Buquet is dead!” she announces to the horror of many other dancers.

After some prodding, the dancer exclaims that “the Ghost” has killed the worker, Buquet. This response incites a shudder from her audience, who the reader comes to know has suffered like plagues before while working at the opera house.

The murder falls upon the celebratory initiation day of the opera’s two new managers. The previous mangers have retired because of mental barrages and financial difficulties from said Ghost, who demands 20,000 francs a month from the opera’s management in addition to a perpetually reserved balcony box.

The managers’ dismissal of the situation has dire consequences in later chapters.

Soon after this, we are introduced to a pivotal character, Christine Daaé. A dazzling actress/singer, she is overshadowed by the prima donna Carlotta.

She is also besieged by a baleful past that visibly haunts her face and mind during performances, which is apparent to the audience. This and falling chandeliers provide for an interesting atmosphere at her shows.

Christine’s childhood boyfriend, Chagny, finds that Christine’s past has followed her into the present. She is being pursued, threatened and courted by the Ghost. Ironically, she believes him to be a benevolent specter, “The Angel of Music,” whom her father has sent from heaven to tutor her in voice.

The ghost’s warped affection for Daaé creates a love triangle that’s fringed with murder and moments of tenderness. “Phantom” ends with a tragic tying up of loose ends and a “personal narrative” to add verisimilitude for the reader.

When I first decided to read “Phantom,” I thought it would become a cheap, feminist melodrama, bent on glorifying beauty without realizing its price. Leroux proved me wrong. In fact, I even felt embarrassed to be so captivated by a love story.

His passionate, melancholy succinctness makes the book an easy one to read, and easily engulfs the reader. Through simple but direct analyses of the human heart, Leroux succeeds in making us care for his characters — as if our passions can control their fate. Dual ideas of love vs. betrayal, light vs. gloom and hope vs. despair mesmerize us, making us hope that destiny could sway another way.

The only negative aspect of “Phantom” is its fragmented arrangement. It jumps from one day and scene to an entirely different theme and locale, almost like it was initially written as an abridged version. At times, it’s as choppy as if publishers have removed sections.

But regardless of this imperfection, “Phantom of the Opera” is a classic whose themes echo in theaters today, even if some patrons are ignorant that a book inspired their beloved show.