Details

Title: Behind the Phantom’s Mask
Author: Roger Ebert
Where to get it: www.amazon.com
ISBN: 0836280210
Release Date: 1993
Pages: 244
Versions: Print, e-book

Contents

Film critic Ebert’s initial foray into fiction, which began as a syndicated newspaper serial, yields an entertaining if insubstantial farce. Mason Devereaux, a hard-drinking London stage actor of faded reputation, is given the chance to revitalize his career by assuming the title role in a West End production of The Phantom of the Opera.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the description at www.amazon.com:

Modeled on the work of Victorian novelist Wilkie Collins, this serial cliffhanger follows Mason Devereaux, a once-great, hard-drinking British actor, who becomes involved in the case of an on-stage murder. Original.

Josette’s Review:

It took me three times of starting this book before I could actually finish it.

I had purchased this book based on two things: Roger Ebert’s name and the reference to Phantom of the Opera in the title.  I should have left it on the shelf. As a follower of Mr. Ebert’s movie reviews, and usually agreeing with him, I picked up his book. What I found was a terribly disjointed story. There were too many small sub-plots going on at the same time. Occasionally, it was hard to keep them straight.  If there were half as many characters, the story would have been much better. It isn’t until the last thirty pages that things finally mesh together.

What pains me is it could have been a really good story. Also, the story has nothing to do with Phantom of the Opera. The Webber musical is only used as a plot back-drop. It could have easily been any other West End play. I think using it was a way to garner more readers, and a cheap marketing tool. Very disappointed, Roger, very disappointed…

Details

Title: Phantom of the Auditorium
Author: R.L. Stine
Where to get it: www.amazon.com
ISBN: 0590483544
Release Date: 1995
Pages: 160
Versions: Printed

Contents

Young teen take on The Phantom of the Opera set in a middle school

From the description at www.amazon.com:

Brooke’s best friend, Zeke, has been given the lead role in the school play, “The Phantom.” Zeke’s totally into it. He loves dressing up in the grotesque phantom costume. And scaring the other members of the cast. Brooke thinks Zeke’s getting a little too into it.

But then really scary things start happening. A message appears on a piece of scenery: “The Phantom Strikes!” A stage light comes crashing down.

Is someone trying to ruin the play?

Or is there really a phantom living under the stage?

Josette’s Review

This is a book from the children’s series ‘Goosebumps’. It is written for kids aged 8 to 12. I read this to, my then 8-year-old, daughter and enjoyed it very much. I recently re-read it and have picked up on more references to Leroux’ book. There are references to ‘notes’, a boy who disappeared on the night a play called “The Phantom” was to take place, a phantom with a scarred face, haunting the school. We even have mention of a falling backdrop and a cardboard chandelier. To a child reading this, it would be just part of the book; but to a Phantom fan, these are obvious details. I applaud R.L. Stine for putting them in here.

The plot is a simple one. It is about two friends, Brooke and Zeke, who get the lead in the first production of the ‘cursed’ play. Almost immediately, things start to happen. Is it the ghost or a student playing pranks? Brooke and Zeke try to find out with the help of a new boy, named Brian. Adventure and scares abound in their hunt for answers. A good read for any kid, even one as old as I am.

Details

Title: Letters to Erik: The Ghost’s Love Story
Author: An Wallace
Where to get it: www.amazon.com
ISBN 143271354X
Release Date: 2008
Pages: 476 pages
Versions: Printed

Contents

A continuation of The Phantom of the Opera, told from Christine’s perspective

From the description at www.amazon.com:

Christine de Chagny is still haunted.

When the Opera Ghost sent Christine away to marry his rival, the youthful and winsome Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, she promised the Ghost that she would return to bury him when he died. Unable to keep her word and tormented by grief and regret, she starts writing letters to the man she believes to be dead-only to discover that some Ghosts can never be laid to rest.

Picking up where Gaston Leroux’s novel ended, Letters to Erik is a story of forgiveness, redemption, and steadfast love.

Josette’s Review:

I just finished this book and thought I’d let you know that it is worth reading! The title is what grabbed me, since I have been known on occasion to write him letters myself.

This book is based off Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera, therefore Erik is taken from the description in that book. No Gerard Butler or Andrew Lloyd Webber Erik here, sorry!

The story picks up from when Christine leaves Paris to return to Sweden with Raoul, and in her grief over losing Erik, she writes letters to him as a way to deal with the loss. I will not give any spoilers here. But, since I read it in one sitting, let’s just say it was hard to put down!

Title: Phantom: The American Musical Sensation
Author: Maury Yeston, Arthur Kopit
Where to get it: www.amazon.com
ASIN: B000003FGT
Release Date: 1992
Pages: N/A
Versions: Audio CD, MP3 download, Audio Cassette

Contents

Original Cast Recording with Richard White and Glory Crampton

From the description at www.amazon.com:

No product description available

Josette’s Review

I purchased this CD after watching the 1990 mini-series based on it. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. After listening to it many, many times I have grown to love it. Before listening to this, I was only familiar with the musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber (see separate reviews of both the OCR and the movie soundtrack). I was quite taken with the differences in the story. I much prefer the Yeston/Kopit version of Erik. He seems more true to character.

Richard White is haunting as Erik. He conveys Erik’s emotions in song perfectly. I can only imagine seeing him perform such songs as ‘My Mother Bore Me’ and ‘You Are Music’. Glory Crampton is the voice behind Christine. She sings, with a purity of voice that is Christine. Her poignant rendition of ‘My True Love’ gets to me every time.

This much too short CD is a must have for any Phantom fan. Give it a listen and hear the musical that we all should see.

Title: The Complete Phantom of the Opera
Author:  George Perry
Where to get it: www.amazon.com
Release Date: July 1991
Pages: 176
Versions: printed
ISBN: 0805017224

Contents

Detailed behind the scenes look at Webber’s musical

From the description at www.amazon.com:

This is the lavishly illustrated, definitive account of The Phantom of the Opera, tracing the Phantom legend from its origins in historical fact through Gaston Leroux’s heartrending classic novel and other artistic incarnations to the present day and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s incredibly successful musical

Josette’s Review

I bought this book not knowing a thing about it. When it arrived, I was very pleased with all the information I found in it. There is background on the Palais Garnier, which is the factual basis for Webber’s Paris Opera House, with beautiful and rare images of the Académie Nationale de Musique. There is also a biography of the man who brought us Erik; Gaston Leroux, and his quest for information that ‘the Opera Ghost actually existed’.

Most of this book is dedicated to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical. It includes many never before seen sketches, paintings, and beautiful photographs of the sets and original cast; which included Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. At the end of the book is a copy of the stage libretto, with full stage direction.

A must for theatre aficionados, phans, and lovers of the art of stagecraft.

Details

Title: The Phantom of the Opera
Author: Anna Riner
Where to get it: www.lulu.com
Release Date: 2007
Pages: 149
Versions: printed, ebook

Contents

Strange things are happening in the Paris Opera and behind them there is a “Phantom”…. The contents of the book is the same as in Gaston Leroux’s “Phantom of the Opera”

From the description at www.lulu.com:

“Many are familiar with Gaston Leroux’s tragic novel “The Phantom of the Opera.” This script has been adapted solely from that fantastic tale of love, jealousy, obsession, and redemption. Let this play serve as the threshold into a world which will prove the undeniable reality of the Opera Ghost.”

Nadir’s Review

There are many versions of Leroux’s, “Phantom of the Opera”. Some are a retelling of the classic, others are just different translations of the original French text. This one is “simply” brought into another format. As radio plays and stage have demonstrated before: sometimes you need a script. And this is what Anna Riner has done; she has converted Leroux’s venerable opus into a script that can be used for stageplays without cutting the original story down or let it go into something trashy. In contrast to some stage versions, she left the the original characters as they were. The story is still the same and the dialogs are written over but not changed in meaning.

Anna Riner allows Leroux to speak with the reader. Sorelli interacts with the ballett rats, the Phantom bewitches Christine, Raoul calls deperately for his beloved and the Persian manages the problems.

It goes without saying that the nature of reading is to imagine the charachters, the places and the acting. This is what makes reading so intriguing. But what is also interesting is to get stage directions which aid in seeing the book like a movie in your mind.

As always, it is a matter of one’s taste that will determine if you like or dislike the book. The fact remains that this is yet another way to meet with the story. Anna Riner is giving the control to the reader and their imagination, with a little help from her directions, of course. In any case, it’s fun to read and a good basis for a live acting role play.

Thanks to a good friend for editing my review.

• Audio CD (28. September 2007)
• Anzahl Disks/Tonträger: 1
• Label: Import (Megaphon Importservice)
• ASIN: B0002NA6AY