Rating: 
Summary: Incredibly Imaginative
Review: For some time I've been interested in the story of "The Phantom of the Opera." When Gaston Leroux's "Le Phantom De L'Opera" was published in 1911, I doubt he knew that it would grow to the phenomenon it has become. Susan Kay plays on this phenomenon in her novel "Phantom," which provides us with an extraordinary overview of the life of Erik, the phantom himself. Her writing style lends to the romantic image (and indeed, the story is a romance, not only between Erik and Christine, but Erik and his music, as well as between the reader and Erik himself...who could help falling in love with his tragic figure?), that coupled with the european landscape creates the stage for a modern day fairy tale. The book exhibits incredible imagination with scenes that don't act as filler, but work to drive the plot...indeed the "gun" we see in act one returns in act three. Though not an "intellectual" read, we can't help but be aware of the research that must have gone into it, and that coupled with the ever lasting story makes for a highly entertaining novel.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking... amazing...heartbreaking!
Review: I simply cannot imagine the story of the Phantom having happened any other way after reading this novel! Susan Kay is brilliant. Erik comes alive in her text, more human than ever before. The author's imagination is stunning; the re-creation of Erik's life prior to and through the main body of events at the Paris Opera is so believable you lose your heart to the Phantom at the first page. The portrayal of Erik's life in Persia is especially outstanding. Kay's imagery of the Persian makes him no longer a mystery. Given a name and life and true experiences that bond him as a friend to Erik, her Nadir is more than the shadowy sketch given by Leroux. Heartrending are the last two sections of the book, where Erik falls in love with Christine and their relationship is poignantly told-- and Raoul ends the narrations for good. Christine comes across beautifully, and Susan Kay shows the relationship between Erik and the young woman very intimately. Her ending is sure to leave the reader in tears; the twist she creates is perfection... what some of us wish could have been. Unforgettable; very literally read it and weep
Rating:
Summary: Why Did It Have to end?
Review: If you havn't read this book your really missing out on a great experiance!For those of you who have read Gaston Leroux's novel "The Phantom of the Opera" this book gives a reflectoin of Eriks sad childhood. When i read that his mother would not even give him a kiss I started to cry. It was his Birth day and all he wanted was a kiss! I thought this book got deeper into the emotions of Erik and the other characters. I was recomended by many people that I would Fully enjoy this book and what can I say?When it was over I was sad because its like one of those books that you never want it to end .The only thing that I did not like about this book was that it ended.I recomend this to any Phantom Phan!
Rating:
Summary: Let your darker side give in
Review: Without a doubt the most beautifully written adaption of "The Phantom of the Opera" ever! I'm a huge fan (or 'phan' as we admirers of him are nicknamed) of the story and of the phantom myself so when I went in search of other phantom products (I had already fallen in love with the entire musical and had bought the 2 disk full soundtrack) I found this. Unfortunatly it is out of print. After buying it off of eBay I devoured it in a day and a half. Never in my life have I read a more hauntingly beautiful love story~! It is the tale of Erik (a.k.a Phantom of the Opera), whom was deformed at birth, as he lived his life full of hardships beyond imagination. It gives you a new perception of beauty because Erik is by far the most beautiful literary character I have ever seen (despite his deformation and warped imagination, which can be both beautiful and terrible). It makes you wish he were real so that you might wipe away his tears when he cries and you can almost hear him sing when he does in the book. A tale of sorrow, beauty, deceit, friendship, horror, imagination, love, you name it and this book has it. Just sit down in a comfortable spot, have a box of tissues handy, and your imagination run wild. Just make sure you start early unless you plan on reading throughout the night because it is near impossible to put this book down once you begin it!
Rating:
Summary: One of the very best books I'v ever read!
Review: No review can capture the essence of this book.
Rating:
Summary: Phantastic.
Review: This book is a MUST READ for any phantom phan. It has been said that where Gaston Leroux's original novel gave Erik (the Phantom) like, Susan Kay give him his soul. I have yet to come across another phantom book that can move the reader to tears like this one, and I've never met anyone who hasn't liked it, women and men alike. Kleenex are a good item to have on hand while reading this book, as many people have been moved to tears during their first, and sometimes even their second or twentieth time reading it.While this book is hard to get hold of, it's worth it. The story is written from different points of view, beginning with Madeline (Erik's mother), followed by Erik himself, Giovanni (a master mason who takes Erik under his wing for a time), Nadir (known in Leroux's novel as Daroga or the Persian), and Erik again for a time. The book then splits into a counterpoint, told from Erik's point of view and also the point of view of Christine Daae, and finishes with the point of view of Raoul de Chagny. As confusing as it might sound, it makes for a wonderful and refreshing look at the story from Erik's birth to his death.
The humanity given to Erik is wonderful - he's sarcastic, humorous, truely a fallen angel of music. He has a heart, a soul, and a beauty that needs to be realized, and Kay's novel accomplishes these things to a near-perfection.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly Imaginative
Review: For some time I've been interested in the story of "The Phantom of the Opera." When Gaston Leroux's "Le Phantom De L'Opera" was published in 1911, I doubt he knew that it would grow to the phenomenon it has become. Susan Kay plays on this phenomenon in her novel "Phantom," which provides us with an extraordinary overview of the life of Erik, the phantom himself. Her writing style lends to the romantic image (and indeed, the story is a romance, not only between Erik and Christine, but Erik and his music, as well as between the reader and Erik himself...who could help falling in love with his tragic figure?), that coupled with the european landscape creates the stage for a modern day fairy tale. The book exhibits incredible imagination with scenes that don't act as filler, but work to drive the plot...indeed the "gun" we see in act one returns in act three. Though not an "intellectual" read, we can't help but be aware of the research that must have gone into it, and that coupled with the ever lasting story makes for a highly entertaining novel.
Rating:
Summary: so wonderful and PHANTASTIC!!
Review: Wow! I just finished the book for the second time in 4 days and it made me cry everytime. I checked out this book at the library and started crying in front of everone as I read a little of the first section! It takes alot for me to cry over a book in front of strangers, mind you. This book is now my favorite (more than lernox's PHANTOM or Les Miserables). I was on my way to appply for a job (im 14) and I was reading it in the car but when I was filling out a job applacation, I started crying!!! From his mother refusing him a single kiss to his morphine and opium addiction to his death, he (Erik) kept me under his spell and begged me to read onward. I know that sounds lame, but it felt like Erik was speaking through the pages and begging me to read onward. This is such a great PHANTASTIC book!!! Read it and cry, not for my review, but for our beloved Phantom, Erik.
Rating:
Summary: Angels Can Here You...
Review: Possibly one of the best rewrite's in the century, Kay picks up were Leroux leaves off, and talks about subjects that he never even mentioned in his novel.
First read Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera ( item number 0060809248, to really understand the story.)
Susan Kay's PHANTOM gives the story as much of a 'punch' that you could ever hope for.
Kay goes so far as to even giving the Persian a very interesting background, and of course Erik.
Her writing explains so much about his complexity and his distaste for humanity, and for himself.
Susan Kay even gives some more explanations to Christine's child like behavior, and Raoul''s antagonist obsession with her.
This could be called the "adult" version to a certain extent. Wonderfully written and the story never falls flat, or out of date.
Rating:
Summary: you WILL read this more than once!
Review: This is probably one of the best books I have read. I couldn't put it down and looked forward to the next time I would pick it up. You are captured from beginning to end. I always like "Phantom of the Opera", the book and broadway production but this book starts from the beginning, Erik, as a child. You don't see Erik as a monster but a tortured soul, needy of love. I love the book, you won't regret the money you spend on it. I have read it twice already.
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