Last night's meeting of the Notting Hill Napoleons was a particularly enjoyable one. The book under discussion was the haunting romance by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera. The novel seemed to have been enjoyed by every member of the club and the lively, well-informed conversation reflected that. Claire and I saw the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical based on the Leroux novel last spring in London and we really enjoyed it. In fact, that experience had led me to look up the novel and read it last summer. I was delighted with it then and perhaps even more so after reading it again for the Napoleon meeting.
I won't try to summarize our discussion but I will give you a "Top Ten" List of my personal favorites about the novel. So, here in no particular order...
10. There are individual scenes here that are quite unforgettable. Among my favorites is the discovery of blood after Raoul fires at the red eyes in his bedroom, the "slow chase" through the theater's hidden passages, the crash of the chandelier, and the final appearance of the rat-catcher.
9. It is a great romance...and especially emblematic of young lovers. Passion, innocence, jealousy, tenderness, naiveté, spiritual yearning -- it's all there and very sweetly described by the author.
8. Unlike the musical, Leroux's novel portrays the Phantom as a wicked man -- talented and pitiable, certainly, but Leroux does not let the Phantom's disfigurement and experience of unrequited love excuse his arrogance, selfishness and violence. With that said, however, let me stress that the Opera Ghost does demonstrate a repentance (of no small degree) and even commits a remarkable act of restitution by setting his captives free. It is a most important spiritual lesson -- evil cannot be excused or justified, period. Yet, evil can be repented and therein can be revealed the path to redemption. (Is it possible that Erik found such redemption? After all, there was his mother's copy of Thomas a Kempis' The Imitation of Christ back in his lair. Uh, I don’t think so.)
7. The way in which Leroux gives the history of the Angel of Music and why Christine is initially taken with him is quite good.
6. The comic relief is quite funny when it occurs. For example, the visualization of the managers walking backwards through the theater is superb as is Madam Giry's boxing the ear of the manager when he accuses her of theft. However, these moments are correctly rare and the reader's immersion into the mystery never ceases.
5. It was said of Hugo's Les Miserables' that one of the most fantastic of characters was the Paris sewer system. In like manner, Leroux makes the Paris Opera Theater a major star of this novel. Huge, mysterious, complex, both glamorous and hideous, peopled with eccentric folks -- the theater itself was a rich part of the story.
4. In a novel that emphasizes plot, mood and atmosphere, there were still plenty of excellent literary flourishes. Leroux is a talented writer and it is a shame we don't have more from him.
3. "The Persian" is a fantastic character. For being in the novel just a brief time, he almost steals the show.
2. As in all great books, there were points to ponder long after the reading itself is over. Here's one -- when questioned by the police, Raoul is asked, "Are you superstitious?" His reply? "No, sir; I am a practicing Catholic." Nice distinction. In modern literature, theater and film, being an observant Christian would be seen as proof of one being quite superstitious indeed. But the reality is just as Leroux had Raoul explain. "Practicing Christianity" frees one from being enslaved by any false (or defeated) spirits. It is just another case of how reading the works of times besides your own yield special insights.
1. I love a good ghost story. And although the reader knows from the beginning that the Opera Ghost will turn out to be a flesh and blood fellow, Leroux does a great job of keeping up the suspense, the atmosphere, and the eerie actions characteristic of the best ghost tales.
The Phantom of the Opera -- the recommendation, this time around, comes from the whole Notting Hill Napoleons Literary Society. And that's no small endorsement!
