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! 

I've watched the musical years back, so I thought I would know how the story would go but the more I read, the more I realised how different they were. The book is much, much better than the play (although the music score was also brilliant).

I was pleasantly surprised to learn how fast paced the book was, and it was captivating from the start. It only took me more or less 6 hours to read it, and by the last 100 pages or so, I had the musical soundtracks to accompany me. 

It was spooky, intoxicating, yet somehow humorous at times. Occasionally I would find myself to snicker or giggle at what the character said or did. I did not have a favourite character exactly, but I enjoyed reading the storyline; it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Love was a huge theme of the book. In the end, people just want to be loved.

I thought this book was pretty interesting! It was told in a cool way, with Leroux assuming the role of a historian or reporter. Some of Erik’s lines were truly spine-chilling, but the themes of nature vs. nurture and showing compassion to those whom most people would turn away from were definitely worthy of further thought. It’s a slow read at the start, but towards the middle the story starts to pick up.