The Phantom of The Opera
Gaston Leroux's Famous Ghost Story
Gaston Leroux’s most famous work of fiction, Le Fantome de l'Opera, was published in 1910. Leroux was himself a great lover of the theatre, and it is said that it was during a visit to the Paris Opera House that he was introduced to the legend of the ghost, who was believed to haunt the lower levels of the Opera House.
Charles Garnier’s Paris Opera House is one of the largest theatres in the world, with vast underground caverns and an actual lake around which the foundations for the theatre were laid. In addition, there is a labyrinth of corridors and staircases. It is little wonder that this magnificent building and its ghostly legend triggered something in Leroux’s imagination.
Book Sales Were Disappointing.
The book, however, was not a success. It could be the mixed genre of the book which confused its readers. On one hand it seems like a mystery novel, and on the other it is a soaring gothic romance. Leroux had up until then been known for his detective fiction and had written several novels of a Sherlock Holmes-like nature. He was an extremely prolific writer and did not dwell on the disappointment of The Phantom of The Opera.
However, in 1925, the book was offered a revival. The Phantom of The Opera was transformed for the big screen when Universal Pictures made a silent film version of the novel. The film was directed by Robert Julian and starred Lon Chaney as the disfigured genius. It was a huge hit and the story now exists in several incarnations. Most recently the musical version of Andrew Lloyd-Webber, which was a global phenomenon and in 2004 was also turned into a film.
Horror at The Opera.
The Phantom of The Opera tells the story of a skeletal figure in a dress coat, which haunts the Paris Opera House. Naturally, the employees believe that it is a ghost and they live in fear of the phantom. When the dead body of Joseph Bouquet is found, strangled, the ghost’s terror is heightened.
Suddenly, the opera’s prima donna, Carlotta, is taken ill and is replaced by a girl from the chorus. Christine Daae, the chorus girl in question, has a fabulous voice and she tells her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, that it is ‘The Angel of Music’ who has been visiting her daily and coaching her.
A mixture of jealousy and shock at Christine’s revelation leads him to follow her to a graveyard, where he sees the shadowy figure of a man. When Raoul hears Christine lamenting over “poor Erik” he soon realises that it is a much more earthly force that it is at work. And when Christine disappears, whilst on stage in front of a packed auditorium, he determines to discover the phantom’s hideout and bring an end to his reign of terror.
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