Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

40 reviews

grace_loves_lizards's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

The book wasn’t bad, but personally I prefer the musical/movie, probably because of my short attention span. In the book, Erik is like a mix between The Beast, Dracula, and Edward Cullen while Raoul is like Gaston, Harker, and Jacob. I wasn’t rooting for either of them. I really liked the descriptions of the opera and the gothic feel of the novel, but I found the first half of the book really boring and hard to get through. Things do start to pick up towards the middle, but Christine’s character is just really static and I really wish she had more personality. Overall, probably wouldn’t re-read, but I know of people who would really enjoy it. 
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cilabilla's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Having watched the musical multiple times before, I was surprised to find out that it was based on a novel! I enjoyed the mystery, intrigue, and hysteria, which seemed more pronounced in the novel than any adaptations I've watched. If you get a chance to listen to an audiobook version, I would highly recommend it - I found a narrator on YouTube and he amplified the obsessive and chaotic tone of the novel. I'm not usually into any form of creepy or horror (I'm sure this novel is minimal compared to most) but I did appreciate this one! 
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freddikb's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

 
My only real knowledge of this story has been from the movie version with Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum (2004). I fell in love with the costumes and the tragic love story of the phantom, Erik. I was so excited to read this. My final thoughts, after the last page has been read, are not what I expected them to be….

Going into this story I had, I’ll admit, already my own thoughts based on the 2004 movie. I eventually learned that the movie and the book have differing takes on the story, on the way the relationships are portrayed. Or perhaps my eyes have become clearer to red flags?

My initial thought about the book was- this story portrays a toxic relationship between an emotionally abused man and a very naive/immature girl. Yes, that is what I said. I know there will be haters. “The Phantom of the Opera” is such a popular ‘love story’ for the ages and I am pulling out all the red flags. A man who was unloved by his family and emotionally traumatized by everyone, and never received the support and help he needed to work through that, the result- Erik became fixated on a girl, stalked her, became jealous of her friends, kidnapped her and held her in confinement. He threatens her friends, and all of these actions in the name of “love”. And Christine, she plays both guys, using their emotions and playing them. No. Just, no. So, so many red flags in this story. It was such a disappointment, but also helped me see that the movie is also not the best for me to watch.

Girls, if a guy says he loves you but then threatens, stalks, kidnaps, it is not love. I repeat- that is not love.

*What I have expressed are entirely my own thoughts. I was not compensated in any monetary way.* 

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ijustreallyliketrees's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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bookwyrmknits's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I was more-or-less familiar with the plot before reading this book, since I've seen Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. However, comparing the musical to the original book is like comparing the movie adaptations of Dracula to their source material. You can see the similarities, but the adaptations better suit a modern audience. I'm glad I read this original book, since it is a classic and I'd been curious how closely the musical stuck to the original text, but I don't think I'll need to read it again.
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hjb_128's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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kemrick19's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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thesvnthsense's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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cursed10fold's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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kileyjojo's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

 This book is very dated. There are words used with negative connotations. Some of the phrasing is rather offensive.
Aside from that, the story is very dull. If you're interested in this novel because of the musical or the film adaptations, this is not the story you would expect. The characters are whiny and unlikeable. The pacing is odd. Any of the action and suspense is taken away by unbearable dialogue. 
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