The Phantom of the Opera

By: Gastón Leroux

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham

Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

The story begins with an investigation into some strange reports of an "opera ghost", legendary for making the great Paris opera performers ill-at-ease when they sit alone in their dressing rooms. Some allege to have seen the ghost in evening clothes moving about in the shadows. Nothing is done, however, until the disappearance of Christine during her triumphant performance. With an increasing pattern of fear and violence, The Phantom of the Opera begins to strike, but always with a beautiful young performer at the center of his deadly desires.

(P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

• 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Classic

2005 Audie Award Nominee, Classic

Take the time to listen to this 5 star book

What did you love best about The Phantom of the Opera?

I loved the torture chamber and the mechanical trap doors and hidden passages inf this book. This book reminded me of a Sherlock Holmes story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Persian and Raul, because of there quest to find Christine and the many obstetrical s they had to figure out how to get past

Have you listened to any of Ralph Cosham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

this is the fist book. He did a great job

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I loved the ending. I will listen to a book in bed with ear buds, not to bother my wife. Usually I start to fall asleep after 10 minutes and will start over in the morning.The last hour and a half of this book was very exciting, I listened till the end at 1:00 pm in the morning.

Any additional comments?

Read this book it is different then the musical or movie worth the time.

One of my favorite classics

Where does The Phantom of the Opera rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would rank this audiobook among the top three I've listened to. It's a great audiobook for a great classic.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was the Persian. He was the most level-headed of the characters. He took pity on Erik but wasn't dumb about it.

What about Ralph Cosham’s performance did you like?

Everything about Ralph Cosham's performance was great. He nailed the tones of the characters and the overall feel of the novel.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

*Spoilers*

My favorite moment is right at the end where Erik sets Christine free to be with Raoul. It really shows he wasn't a bad person, he just wanted to know what it was like to not be feared for once. He really loved her even if he didn't know how to express it at first.

Magical!

The Phantom of the Opera is here... inside your mind!! Simply wonderful. One of my favorite all time stories.

This was a great read.

I enjoyed listening to this book. It was very interesting. Definitely worth listening too.

kind of struggled to finish

well, I'm glad I listened to it, but I definitely enjoyed the movie a lot more. I found the story to be pretty weird towards the end, and that made it difficult to finish. the build up to who Eric is was enjoyable, but I felt like the story was a little sporadic and dragged at certain spots. Not my favorite, but not the worst.

spellbindingly beautiful & memorable

This was an absolutely enthralling audiobook! I have listened to it more than once just to be swept away to the lower depths of the opera. I would recommend this to anyone who loves mystery, romance, redemption, and most of all emotive responses to love. Give it a try- you will not be disappointed!

Outstanding

What did you love best about The Phantom of the Opera?

I loved hearing a more complete story than I could get from the play or the movie.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Phantom of the Opera?

Christina's opera performance.

What does Ralph Cosham bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His expressive reading.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

No

Timeless

If you could sum up The Phantom of the Opera in three words, what would they be?

I LOVE IT!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Phantom: always has been.

What about Ralph Cosham’s performance did you like?

Well done.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes

Any additional comments?

If you really want to understand ALW musical you should read or listen to this book.

Interesting

Very interesting story. Of course it is told as a story of that time and the language usage is quite different to today's speech.
But the story itself was quite intriguing.
The Phantom was the villain and a very sad, sad person suffering from an unrequited love. Then of course we have an heroine and an hero and they were assisted by 'The Persian' in their survival.
I loved the little bits of 'magic' all over the place and the descriptions of the pomp and ceremony of the Opera House and all the people who made it come alive.
I received this audiobook as a free download from Audible and this is my. Unbiased review.

Interesting listen, more for die hard fans

As far as the story goes it is interesting but it is very good if you are a fan of the musical. The characters are a little stall but overall good. The voice acting seemed a little lacking but still well done. If you love the musical I highly recommend.