[MuzikalThetrFreakXtrodina]

Is the book any good? Or is the stage musical/operetta better? Please post, the library at my school has it but I want to know if it's worth reading.

Thanks

[Salome]

first off its a musical . not an operetta.

2nd.. the novel is far superior. the only version that comes close to the novel is the original Lon Chaney film/

[Mungojerrie_rt]

I hated the novel. Far to much focus on trying to pretend it is a true story and leaves a poorly written piece of fiction.

Even ALW said that the book was lousy.

[sopranodespair]

I love both.

[Fantine]

They are hardly comparable.

[Phantom On A Budget]

[MuzikalThetrFreakXtrodina]

Thanks all. I think that as a Musical theatre fanatic I should try to read the book. I read a preview on Google Books and it looked alright. So I bought the book at Borders and I am reading it now.

Thanks again!

[Salome]

[operafantomet]

The fact that ALW and his pet Frederick Forsyth called the Gaston Leroux's book lousy and then came up with "Phantom of Manhattan"... well, that means I won't listen to their advice in this matter...

As others has said, the musical and the book two different animals. First time I read the novel I wasn't really all that intrigued, but I've grown very fond of it.

If you know the musical well, it will flesh out many of the details that are only briefly added into the musical ("Little Lotte", for example... or why there are so much violin in WYWSHA and "Wandering child"... the magical lasso, the Phantoms's background etc..). ALWs musical stays surprisingly close the the book in many aspects (moreso than the 2004 movie). The timeline has been changed, and all period opera pieces are replaced with ALWs own compositions. Some stuff are very recognizeable, some are much different. For better or worse? Read the novel and make up your mind.

But don't expect a written version of the stage musical or the 2004 movie...

[Orestes Fasting]

The translation nerd pops her head in briefly to recommend this edition if you can find it, because almost all the other English editions use the public-domain translation by de Mattos, and it's pretty awful.

As for the book itself, it's a mystery/horror novel. I find it much more coherent than the musical, but don't go in expecting an enduring work of classic literature--or high romance, for that matter. Just enjoy it for what it is.

[Phantom On A Budget]

Seconding the Bair translation!

[jcstar]

I'm mixed with the book. It has good moments. It has awful moments. I read the book for a Gr. 12 English class... mainly because I didn't care about any of the books the teacher was offering. If I wasn't interested by the end of the first chapter of those books, there was no way in Hell I'd turen in an essay based on it.

Anyway, I enjoyed the book... with the exception of Mme. Giry. She was very boring and I largely skipped over her parts.

Haven't read the book in years, I will though.

I love the show and the films. Chaney's Phantom is awesome.

Stay away from PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, though. Truly awful.

Andy.

[Fantine]

I read it whilst being on holiday in Perros Guirec, one of the book's locations. And it was incidental. Pretty cool huh?

[Vice]

BOOK > MUSICAL

Both the original book and Suzan Kay's "Phantom" are on my list.

[Mademoiselle Lanoire]

[Salome]

and he got it right with Evita and Aspects.

[DaddyDiesel]

Both have great moments and bad moments in my opinion. BUt they are two differant beasts. It is very fun to see the source material for phantom.

[theatre_grl]

[jcstar]

I didn't find her funny at all. Maybe I should read it again sometime.

Andy.

[Mungojerrie_rt]

She was certainly a less dominating figure in the book. She was only the house Mistress too.

[operadiva7]

As a harcore fan of the musical I can say the book id soooo differnt, and the character are virtually differnt people, but it's really worth reading. I just finished it.
Question-whats the differnce between a musical and an operaetta

[jcstar]