This Came Out More Like Review Than An Essay Actually - Tumblr Posts
The Phantom of The Opera (100 Books, 100 Essays Challenge)
Book essay number one, The Phantom of The Opera by Gaston Leroux.
"You are crying! You are afraid of me! And yet I am not really wicked. Love me and you shall see!" -The Phantom
"Does he love you so much?"
"He would commit murder for me." -Raoul and Christine
I find this book especially interesting as it seems to be one of the (if not THE) first times a yandere appears in English literature. The romance thriller follows the young Viscount Raoul de Chagny as he unravels the mystery behind his childhood friend, the opera singer Christine Daae's*, strange behavior and her connections to the Opera Ghost.
It can be difficult to read at times, being an old book that uses old-fashioned dialogue and punctuation, and Raoul's interactions with Christine can be frustrating (to me) at times as he can come across as controlling; though deep down, I know he is really just concerned for her well-being (and maybe a little jealous).
Anyways, once I got into this book, I could hardly put it down. It has that sort of captivating writing style you often find in old books and seldom find in modern stories. I don't know how else to describe it, but H.G. Wells' books all have it, as well as The Lord of The Flies, and so if you're familiar with any of those, then perhaps you'll know what I'm talking about.
My favourite character is probably "The Persian", as he is called. He is mentioned several times before he finally makes appearance and serves as a guide to Raoul towards the end of the book. Basically, if it weren't for him, we wouldn't have our happy (bittersweet) ending. I also like Erik, himself as my second favourite character. For all his evil-ness, you can't help but pity him, and they say so in the book.
All-in-all, this was an enjoyable read which I was able to finish in the span of a few days (so it isn't time-consuming). I'd give 10/10 and recommend it to those of you who enjoy classic literature.