The Phantom of the Opera (Collins Classics)

Gaston Leroux

May 2012 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this ebook

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.

'Look! You want to see! See! Feast your eyes, glut your soul on my cursed ugliness! Look at Erik's face! Now you know the face of the voice!’

Living secretly beneath the Paris Opera House, 'The Phantom of the Opera', Erik has haunted those who work there with his demands and shrouded the opera house in fear with the legend of his disfigured face. When Christine joins the company, a young woman with a beautiful voice, Erik is instantly smitten and secretly teaches her to become a great singer. He soon develops an obsessive love for his beautiful protégé, even though she has fallen for her childhood friend, resulting in her disappearance during a performance and sparking a tragic and terrifying chain of events.

One of the most well-known and well-loved gothic horror stories, Leroux's suspenseful tale of unrequited love, passion and tragedy is both dark and moving in its portrayal of Erik, the anti-hero in his yearning for Christine.

Ratings and reviews

Best novel I've ever read; it made me laugh & cry, it made me angry and happy and sad and excited. I have definitely found my new favorite book!

The book was a great read and intriguing since I've seen the Broadway musical but can't remember it completely. The only issue I had was the minor frustration that the digital copy continued to indicate that I was on page 22 of 50 the entire time and on the same chapter despite my progress through the book. I haven't had this problem with other digital books so maybe it's some glitch with this one??

Brilliant book read it again the ending is so sad though but its an excellent book I'd reccomend it to anyone

About the author

Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux (6 May 1868 – 15 April 1927) was a French journalist and author of detective fiction. In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel The Phantom of the Opera (Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, 1910), which has been adapted several times, notably the 1925 film starring Lon Chaney and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 stage musical. His novel The Mystery of the Yellow Room introduced his amateur detective Joseph Rouletabille and has become one of the most famous locked-room mysteries ever.