The Phantom of the Opera; Chapters 24-Epilogue

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We’re Done! Also there’s a conclusion!

Chapter, 24, Barrels! Barrels!

yet another recount for our newest bestest pal Daroga the Persian, I wish he had a name but what are you going to do about it. The bulk of this chapter explains the toture in the forest room or heat. Basic the room makes people go crazy with thrist till the kill them selves on iron tree a.k.a the gibbet. Raoul kind or moans around and complains will Daroga tries super hard to find a spring which is the way out. He does find a way out which leads them to a SHIT-ton (that is the counter word) of barrel all filled with gun powder. Which comes back to Erik’s Ultimatum for Christine; Marry me or die with everyone else in the building.

Gotta say I don’t know what to say on this chapter. It’s mostly the Persian looking for that spring while describing the room and then the method behind the Phantom’s threat. But also maybe it’s just in my copy of the book but the word Phantom is never used, they use the word Ghost. Just interesting.

Chapter, 25, The Scorpion or the Grasshopper: Which?

Christine pulls the Scorpion, which mean yes she’ll marry him and with the turing on Bronze Scorpion it floods the cellar with the barrels nearly drown Raoul and the Persian. Just want to add the Scorpion and Grasshopper piece seems like they would be really pretty.

The chapter is pretty short. There is some confusion over if the Scorpion really means yes to the marriage or if will kill everyone. But Erik was being honest even though very dramatic.

The chapter end the Persian recount.

Chapter 26, The End of the Ghost’s Love-Story

So Erik saves Raoul and the Persian because Christine asked him. She also displays aspects that she will be his wife and stay a live, or what Erik called his “living wife”. She also let Erik kiss her, albeit on the forehead and not that passionate kiss like in the musical but that was enough him. His own mother never let him kiss so her so it was a big deal for him. Erik let her go to be with Raoul. He was redeemed just like Grinch. But then he dies.

It’s a good ending, very heart-breaking and sad for teh crazy, dramatic, genius who just wanted love.

Epilogue

And we’re back to Mr Leroux still trying to make us believe that this story is 100% true. This chapter tries to sum up what happened to everyone, though Christine, Raoul and her guardian lady all just disappear. Leroux claims to have found Erik’s skeleton which has the gold ring he gave to Christine which she lost which he back to her only for her to put of his dead figure after he announced his death in a newspaper. The skeleton was found in that area behind Christine’s dressing room, the place where he first carried her off. Where or not it’s Erik’s skeleton, Leroux’s character of himself believes it.

This ending chunk also gives some vague background of Erik, which is the basis for Susan Kay’s Phantom, which I would recommend reading. It’s sort of a Prequel, Midquel, sequel. There is actually a lot of novels based on Phantom. Most people think Christine and Erik should have been together. Heck, even Andrew Lloyd Webber has musical sequel based on a shitting book.

It’s an ok ending even if does offer a clear ending for the many of the character. Heck even that whole Safety pin thing is never explained. I did like the imagery of the Northern railway Station in the world, the end of it just feels like a cold winter’s night.

Conclusion
Over-all The Phantom of the Opera is an entertaining read. It’s way easier to read that Fricken The Man who Laughs. It’s not the deepesy or thought provoking story but it’s has nice gothic bitter-sweet vibe. I could have left out the stuff with the mangers and money talk, that was just boring. Also I’m not really a fan of the story within a story thing the book did. It meant that while the Phantom the object of the story he never was the subject. Would it have been better if we ever got into the Phantom’s head or is less more? I think not knowing what makes Erik ticks make him more interesting and it the reason why there is all the Phantom retellings. But presenting the book this way really Erik is only in the action a few times. He alluded to and flashback more than actually being a part of a scene.

But yeah, it’s a fun book. On to the movie versions! And lastly, Safety-Pins!!

The Phantom of the Opera; Chapters 16-19

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I’m upping the pace because I realized that if I keep to three chapters a week I would have to go one week in January and that just seemed sloppy so I’m wrapping the book up before the New Year.

Chapter 16, Mme, Giry’s Revelations

So this chapter was boring! It’s just more how it was done by Giry and more yelling from our old pals the mangers who make all the scene they are in boring. Hey Leroux! It’s the Phantom of the Opera not boring Opera Mangers yell about money.

So instead of me rehashing the chapter to you because that is boring I will just tell you fine people what I found interesting. Two things, Mme. Giry has three teeth. Either she’s old or didn’t take care of her teeth. One thing that I have been told is that Teeth is in French lit, at least with regards to out old pal Victor Hugo, is that Good Teeth is a thing. It makes someone like hot! Also first season of Downton Abbey a girl commented on a guy she like-liked and noted that he had good teeth.

Second this is Mme. Giry’s motivation for helping the O.G. She did it for her daughter. The Phantom promise Giry that Little Meg would be an Empress and he did make her the ballet 1st row leader which I guess it good, I know shit about Ballet. I found this more interesting because the book at the beginning that Meg married well but in the sequel of the Webber musical Meg was like prostitute. I’m not sure what Meg was in the Phantom of Manhattan which the Webber musical was LOOSELY based around but that book was the ass-trash of a person with massive diarrhea so who the fuck cares.

Chapter 17, The Safety-Pin Again

God Damn that fucking safety-pin again. I didn’t find interesting the first time so why would it be good a second time?

The answers is no, it’s not good. The mangers get tricked for a billionest time by the O.G. These guys are boring to read about and are just asking to be pranked.

To improve this chapter place the book on a radiator so it warms up. It not only makes this chapter better but improves the reading experience for all books. Books that are toasty warm are scientifically better than cold books. It’s a true fact, It’s a fact rock!

Improve Books with heat Phantom of the Opera picture image silly

Improve Books with Heat

Chapter 18, The Commissary, the Viscount and the Persian

I really LOVE that the last two chapters have been about money tricks and not like the lady who disappeared on stage, these mangers know what’s what, Money>People. It’s the foundation of civilization and good business. If I can borrow a joke, if these managers could, they would throw strippers at money.

So we just get more about Erik being the Angel who might have took Christine and back and forth with Raoul and the commissary and what not. The Police think it was Raoul’s brother who took Christine. Then The Persian comes on the scene and he is like “Come with me if you want to live!” No does, but he block Raoul and accuses him of knowing Erik’s secrets and not letting Raoul speak of them. Raoul is such the whiner but that is what love will do to you.

Again not the great chapter though part about Erik are better then the money talk.

Chapter 19, The Viscount and the Persian

How come the Persian’s servant gets a name but he doesn’t? Must be a style thing.

Okay this chapter is more interesting than the last few, though I dare say that doesn’t take very much. Raoul and the Persian chat about Erik. The Persian has no doubt that Erik took Christine and he goes on to try and show Raoul the mirror trick which is operated on a counterbalance pivot spring thing that makes the wall turn. Of Course Erik being a card carrying genius dismantled the wall device so they couldn’t follow. Clever Girl erm boy erm Ghost, Clever Ghost! Actaully no, Phantom didn’t dismantle it, it opened at the end of the chapter, so not that clever ghost.

The Persian also give Raoul a gun because why the fuck right? The motives of the Persian aren’t clear but they are touched on. So yeah good chapter and makes sure you keep your book toast warm but DON’T put your kindles on radiator that is not a good idea.

 

Note – Also in January I will look at some movie and or play versions of Phantom so just leave a comment below if there is a particular movie veriosn you want too see reviewed. I want to do a minimum of four but I can do more if there is interest or I feel like it.

Here is a list, so please make suggestions ^^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptations_of_The_Phantom_of_the_Opera#Film

And if you have a book you would like the blog to look at after Phantom is done, just leave a  suggestion in the comments. Though I might take a break from these type of posts just as a warning if you don’t see posts on Mondays. We’ll see.

The Phantom of the Opera; Prologue- Chapter 3

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Prologue

The book opens with the author Gaston Leroux telling us that the book was based on real events. That the ghost was real and the story was the result of Leroux looking through inquiries and not made up. Of Course the inquiry is a fiction, it all made up. I suppose it sets a mood for mystery.

Chapter 1, Is it the Ghost?

The book starts with the management changing and the principle dancer, Sorelli is getting ready to make  a speech. The ballet girls then rush into Sorelli’s dressing room as the are scared of the Opera Ghost. The Ghost is describe as a death head in a dress suit, he’s fashionable. Towards the end of the chapter Joseph Buquet is found died hanging from a set. Some say suicide but the dancers know it was the ghost since Joseph saw him.

Just some points of differences from movies and the Webber version, Meg Giry is described as having black eyes and hair which is way off from blond she is the Webber show, also the prolouge said Meg married well so F.U Love never Dies.   Also Joseph Buquet is a quiet hard worker which is quiet different to the drunk he is the musical.

Also I don’t think Sorelli and the other little dancer, Jammes are ever in any movie versions, I could be wrong.

Chapter 2, The New Margarita

Enough built-up, I mean jeeze it took what two chapters for us to meet the main characters, I kid I’m still not over The Man who Laughs, that book took forever for anything to happen.

Anyway in this chapter we meet Raoul and his older brother. WE also get their back story like Raoul is  twenty years younger than his brother and they have sisters too. It’s nice getting the backstory from the get-go as it won’t hold things up later.

Christine is also introduced. We learn that six months ago she wasn’t that great as a singer but now she is a triumph. Raoul recognize Christine but she does know him.  Christine then asks to be alone and Raoul assumes it’s for him but it’s to talk to The Phantom. She tells him that she sings only for him and that she gave him her soul. At this point the Phantom is just as voice for Christine. Christine leaves her dressing room as Raoul watches her leave, he was eavesdropping. He looks into the dressing room and sees it’s empty, dun-dun-dun. Then more Buquet stuff.

Just for the record Margarita is the role Christine played in Faust which was her big moment. She also sang as Juliet but that seemed like it wasn’t the full opera.

 

Chapter 3, The Mysterious Reason 

This time we are introduced to the new mangers, Armand Moncharmin and Firmin Richard. They are given the ropes which involve the Opera Ghost, mainly concering Box five which is the Ghost’s box but they decide to sell it, Poor Fools.

A lot of this chapter is from their memoirs.

Aside from the Prologue it’s a good start, thing move along and happen.