The Phantom of the Opera - Hardcover

Neumeyer, Peter F.; Leroux, Gaston

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0879053305 ISBN 13: 9780879053307

Publisher: Gibbs Smith, 1989

Synopsis

Under the Paris Opera House lives a disfigured musical genius who uses music to win the love of a beautiful opera singer

About this title

Review:

This children's version of The Phantom of the Opera may be of special interest to those adults fortunate enough to have seen the Broadway smash hit of the same name. Those attending will be uniquely qualified to compare the picture book to the musical production. Both works are based on Gaston Leroux's novel of 1911, as were several earlier film adaptations. For the majority of readers, those who have not seen the stage production, the book must be judged on its own merit whether or not it succeeds as a children's story. Author Peter Neumeyer admits that distilling the essence of this 300-page novel into a fairy tale was not easy. He has concentrated on the more dramatic scenes: the falling chandelier; the descent of the Viscount and the Persian into the dismal cellars of the Paris Opera House with all their horrors; and the conclusion, in which the tears of the Phantom and the heroine, Christine, mingle. Some may say the story is too sophisticated for young children, but it is no more so than some versions of Beauty and the Beast. The language used is that of a classic fairy tale. Don Weller's wonderfully flamboyant color illustrations, falling somewhere between great art and cartoons, add immensely to the book. 'Me interplay between text and illustration makes for a perfect format and a visual treat. Recommended for children of all ages--~'and their parents." -- From Independent Publisher

From Publishers Weekly:

Gaston Leroux's famous gothic novel of intrigue and romance beneath the Paris Opera House has spawned a number of spinoffs; this storybook adaptation is not among the more felicitous. It tells, of course, of the beautiful opera singer Christine and the choice she must make between the disfigured Phantom, who taught her her craft, and the Viscount she has long loved. Leroux's is an intricate and complex story; here, it is given a summarized, reductive treatment. Characters and their motivations are scantily developed; the prose has a rushed, breathless quality that is overly melodramatic even for its subject; and, as presented, many specifics of the plot, as well as its eventual resolution and meaning, seem likely to leave children bewildered. The illustrations are stylized and garishly colored; they do not help to explicate the text nor do they make it inviting to the picture-book audience. No ages given.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Gibbs Smith
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0879053305
• ISBN 13: 9780879053307
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Weller Don