Phantom by Susan Kay Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Phantom
Book Review: Beautifully crafted; absolutely captivating.
Summary: 5 Stars
From the moment I picked up this book, I was sucked right into Kay's beautifully presented world. It's obvious she's a fan of the original story and did her best to do it justice; she succeeded. Never before has Erik been portrayed in such a sympathetic light. It turns the dark, mysterious monster of Leroux's original into a real, tortured person. As you devour this book (because that's the only way to read it), your opinion of Erik will definitely be swayed and transmogrified as he grows from a poor, twisted, abused child to a strong yet suffering man. Her words are utterly captivating. Bravo! I have now read this book about four times in the past three years. If you are a fan of Leroux's story, this is a must-read. If you have never heard of Leroux but want a good book, this is still on the very top of the list.Book Review: Exactly as advertised.
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent product with very fast shipping. I am completely satisfied and would recommend the seller and the book to anyone.Book Review: Great book, but rather disturbing too
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved this book, however, it did take me a while to finish it (a month or so). Not because it was boring, but because a lot of the situations that happen to poor Erik are just very heavy. The beggining of the story involving his mother seems a little unbelievable for me, because one can't really fathom somebody emotionally torturing their child, but the emotions and interactions between all characters in this novel are really thought provoking, one reason I think this book has become so popular. The plot deals with a lot more heavy subject matter than I thought when buying the book. Rather than the 'classic' Phantom of the Opera plot I have always loved, it deals with much more; drug abuse, rape, psychological problems. I'd definatly recommend this book, but it's not a light sunday romp, and expect to be in an odd mood after finishing it.Book Review: Hmmmm
Summary: 3 Stars
Well... I did like it. It was well-written, and interesting. But Erik is way too sexual and not half as humble as he should be. The entire comparison between his mother and Christine is disturbing. And Christine is not half so admirable a character as in Leroux's version. She's more like a spineless love slave than the brave, naive, and curiously ambivalent Christine I came to admire in the original.
Another real problem with this book is that it comes dangerously close to condoning of Erik's violence because of his other redeeming qualities. In order to do that, the author made Erik a superman with unnatural talents in practically everything.
Also, a previous reviewer said that the book was too Catholic-- I didn't feel it was Catholic enough. Leroux's lonely and virginal Christine would have never had sex out of wedlock ("Only my husband can tell me what to do!"). The entire last part of the book was just ridiculous. So... yeah. Read the original.
Book Review: It's okay
Summary: 3 Stars
I won't argue with anybody who says that this piece of fan fiction is "overwrought," "full of purple prose," and "nothing but a romance novel." They're legitimate allegations, except for the last, and it's certainly not quality literature. However, the romantic teenager in me enjoyed Kay's interpretation of a magnetic, well-assured Erik.
Of course, that's where the problem begins. Leroux's Erik is not sensual or self-confident... he's more than a bit mad, a genius, yes, but with a feverish, child-like quality to him. Kay's Erik was every inch of him a man--a man who knew what he wanted, and went after it.
What I mean to say is, that Kay's novel is enjoyable. It's a guilty pleasure, it's a comfort book that you go back to whenever reality bites. But for Leroux purists, Kay doesn't seem to truly understand what Leroux's Erik was really about. Sadly, very few seem to (and no, Andrew Lloyd Webber is not one of them).