The Phantom of the Opera

novel by Leroux

Also known as: “Le Fantôme de l’opéra”

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July 2, 2026

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The Phantom of the Opera is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux, first published in 1910. The story is set in the Paris Opéra house and centers on a disfigured musical genius who haunts the building. He tutors a young singer, Christine Daaé, and becomes obsessed with her, manipulating events to make her a star while also threatening her rivals and her love interest, Raoul.123

The novel gained international fame through various adaptations, most notably the 1925 silent film starring Lon Chaney and Andrew Lloyd Webber's highly successful 1986 stage musical. The Paris Opéra itself is a historic institution, established in 1669 and known for its grand productions.1245

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Gaston Leroux
In 1910 The Phantom of the Opera appeared serially (before publication as a novel) and received only moderate sales and somewhat poor reviews. The melodrama of the hideous recluse abducting a beautiful young woman in a Paris opera house did not achieve international celebrity until the American…
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In 1910 The Phantom of the Opera appeared serially (before publication as a novel) and received only moderate sales and somewhat poor reviews. The melodrama of the hideous recluse abducting a beautiful young woman in a Paris opera house did not achieve international celebrity until the American…
Read More