Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Phantastic! A truly amazing achievement!, 4 May 2003
By A Customer
Susan Kay has created a masterpiece. She tells Erik's story with surprising originality yet retains all the integrity of Leroux's original novel. Though Leroux's novel is a masterpiece in itself, there is always the sense that he could have done so much more, a truly amazing lifestory lying there waiting to be told if only someone had the patience, skill and love to do it. Kay has taken on this task and created one of the best novels I have ever read. It is clear throughout that she is passionate about the Phantom, as many of us are, but she never lets her obvious love of the character stand in the way of the realism. We love the Phantom of our own accord, not under her instruction. Her historical insight is extraordinary and it is clear she has taken great care to preserve the integrity of every aspect of Erik's life.A truly great novel by all standards. Why it has not been reprinted I will never know.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, Solid Gothic, 13 Aug 2006
Having a weak spot for a good Gothic tale, I've had my eye on this for a while. However, I wasn't willing to pay the extortionate prices it tends to sell for - even, sadly, the reprint. I finally found a cheap-ish one a few weeks ago, deliberated (mainly due to the previous review!), finally bought it, and have just spent a very enjoyable few days reading it. I've decided to review it mainly because I don't quite agree with the prevailing 'It's the best book ever' assessment, nor with the criticism in the last review, particularly of it being 'sexed up'.
What this book is, is a solid novel in the old-school Gothic tradition. Given that, I didn't find Christine annoying - or no more so than your typical heroine of this genre (pretty, weak, and yes, occasionally insipid, but only where the plot demands it...) As for being sexed up, well, I suppose it is compared to the original novel, given the disparate times in which the two were written. But only one of the three characters who is still sexually attracted to Erik after seeing his face actually acts on it; meanwhile, all three have pretty solid - if not always socially acceptable - reasons for their attraction. And actually, for a romantic novel, there was remarkably little sex involved. Most of the book deals with the terrible hardships Erik endures due to his disfigurement, and I actually thought that Kay presents this, and his resulting conflicted personality, very well.
Why not five stars, then? A lot of little reasons it's not worth going into here, ending with personal bias...only a handful of books move me to the extent that I'd call them perfect. This isn't a perfect book; but it is a very, very good one. Look out for a copy that isn't £20, buy it, and enjoy it for exactly what it is.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Phantom is no ghost of a story, 12 Jun 1997
By A Customer
When I read this book for the first time, it was like all my prayers for the perfect Phantom of the Opera novel were being answered. In my opinion, this spectacular piece of fiction far surpasses the original by Gaston Leroux. It answered questions that original had left unanswered and it touched me very deeply. The depth and intensity of the characters was amazing and it's a wonder that Kay isn't a very well known author. From the very first page you will not be able to stop reading. A definate suggestion for all Phantom of the Opera fans.
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