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The Phantom of the Opera Audiobook
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(3.71) - 28 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A shadow of unease, a quickening pulse, an unnamed fear breathing on the collar of those who sit alone in their dressing rooms at the great Paris Opera.
An unbearable compulsion to glance quickly over a shoulder in the dark corridors to the stage would sometimes reveal a figure in evening clothes moving softly in the shadows—a figure no one could name. Nothing is done, however, until the disappearance of the young singer Christine Daaé during her triumphant performance. With an increasing pattern of fear and violence, the Phantom of the Opera begins to strike, but always with a beautiful young performer at the center of his deadly desires.
Throughout the twentieth-century and beyond, this haunting tale has gripped audiences the world over—on screen, on stage, and on paper. Blackstone’s thrilling narration of this classic mystery was nominated for a 2006 Audie Award.
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"An entertaining novel high on melodrama as was customary for some books of this time period and of this genre. The book is in part, a romance, a mystery, a horror story. The physical descriptions of the Phantom's eyes and face is great, as are some of the other physical descriptions of a few unique characters. It helps to put yourself in the mindset of those who would've read this book nearly a hundred years ago. Many of the chapters have something of a cliffhanger to keep you reading on, wondering what is going to happen next."
— Shane (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The wildest and most fantastic of tales.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Mixes horror and romance in equal measure.”
— The Guardian (London) -
“A venerable, much-adapted story of grand, delicate feelings and gothic creepiness.”
— New York Times -
“Ingenious…breathless suspense.”
— The Nation -
“A gothic novel of romance, honor, and tragedy with a creepy, obsessive underbelly.”
— Daily Telegraph (London) -
“A superb suspense story and dark tale of obsession.”
— Ingram -
“[Cosham] shines at moving the story briskly, effortlessly keeping it involving.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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An Audie Award Finalist
The Phantom of the Opera Listener Reviews
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" it was a wonderful book. i was in love with the movie but absolutely loved the book! "
— Emma, 2/17/2014 -
" Plain and simply love this tragic story. "
— Doreen, 2/12/2014 -
" The story itself, and the musical that was based off of the book, were fantastic. However, the actual written work, including all the letters it contained between Christine and Raoul, was enough to turn me off of ever finishing the book once I started it. "
— Nina, 2/6/2014 -
" I love this! its such a beautiful story :D "
— Silje, 1/26/2014 -
" just not my kind of read. "
— Michael, 1/19/2014 -
" Even though this is the original novel, it is not my favorite "Phantom" book. I love the story but Leroux's version asks more questions than it answers. But I enjoyed reading this novel. "
— Stephanie, 12/29/2013 -
" One of my favorite books, musicals and movies of all time!!! "
— Laura, 12/26/2013 -
" an enchanting, terrible, lovely story "
— Courtney, 12/23/2013 -
" I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I didn't feel anything for any of the characters. "
— Haley, 12/17/2013 -
" This was a classic that, as usual, surpassed all of the versions in other media (Broadway, musicals, etc.) with its complexity and more than anything else, atmosphere. Much better than anything the others can offer. "
— Dennis, 11/6/2013 -
" a deep and dark romance and horror that hooks you in from the very start. "
— Tyler, 8/1/2013 -
" I must say that I prefer the movie. The book does have its place, however. It wasn't really easy to get into, but it is a wonderful example of gothic literature. "
— Madeline, 4/27/2013 -
" reading the book isn't completed without watching the Movie ,, that's when the char. come to life "
— Omnia, 3/10/2013 -
" A classic of early 20th century Gothic literature. "
— Ian, 9/21/2012 -
" So much detail great to read before you see the play. "
— Dawn, 2/27/2012 -
" The book was ok. It didn't exceed my expatations, bu it was alright. The movie was amazing, and the musical was great, but the book was just ok. And Steph, stop yelling at me if you don't like how I rate a book! I have oppions, too! "
— Rayna, 10/13/2011 -
" I liked this one! It's a little different from the movie/musical. But I do like that the Phantom has a name in the book; it makes him more human I think. "
— Rebecca, 5/22/2011 -
" Very interesting, I love the play and movie, but the book is very different. "
— Danielle, 5/22/2011 -
" I grew up listening to the musical, but reading Leroux's original work adds a depth to Erik(the Phantom). Wonderfully written. "
— Mel, 5/20/2011 -
" Phenomenal! This book was so amazing! It was so packed with emotion, it made me cry. You have to pity the Phantom... he just wants to be loved. This book actually deserves to be a classic unlike a lot of the others... "
— Cami, 5/18/2011 -
" I was surprised by the similarities and differences between this book and the musical, which is how I was introduced to the story. I think that, if you liked the musical you should read the book but don't be surprised when the story is very different "
— Dan, 5/18/2011 -
" That was fun. On a whim, I picked up the book at the library and…well…it was enjoyable. "
— Jblackwell, 5/17/2011 -
" I am loving this book so far. "
— Missy, 5/7/2011 -
" very different from the movie/musical adaptation- but a classic, tragic love story. "
— Leigh, 5/4/2011 -
" It's a wonderful show, with beautiful music. It was very strange, knowing the musical so well, to read this story and have no music involved. I had a hard time separating the book from the musical. While a good read, be prepared to not be immersed in Andrew Lloyd Webber's melody and lyrics. "
— Jessica, 5/3/2011 -
" «Ci sono molti imbecilli in questa vicenda!» [testuali parole di Moncharmin]. <br/>Di una noia estenuante. "
— Simona, 4/24/2011 -
" If you love the musical/movies, you'll love this novel! Captivating, mysterious, definitely one those books that when you read it, you just can't put it down. "
— Ashley, 4/21/2011
About Gaston Leroux
Gaston Leroux (1868–1927), French novelist, was born in Paris. He earned a law degree in 1889 but turned to journalism in his mid twenties and later sailed the world as a correspondent, reporting on the Russian Revolution of 1905. In the early 1900s, he began writing novels and became best known for The Phantom of the Opera (1910). His novel The Mystery in the Yellow Room sparked the development of detective fiction as a genre.
About Geoffrey Howard
Geoffrey Howard (a.k.a. Ralph Cosham) was a stage actor and an award-winning narrator. He recorded more than 100 audiobooks in his lifetime and won the prestigious Audio Award for Best Narration and several AudioFile Earphones Awards.