Gaston Leroux and His Gothic Book Phantom of the Opera

Gaston Leroux published many books, but his most well-known novel is Phantom of the Opera. Reading gothic fiction as much as I do, this was not one of my favorite gothic fiction books. Nonetheless, this is a very culturally influenced book. Gaston Leroux wrote Phantom of the Opera after reading about an incident in a Paris opera house. In Leroux ́s gothic fiction novel, he thickened the idea that everyone has something to hide, which has reinforced new generations to hide themselves behind a mask.

Gaston Leroux, born on May 6, 1868, was a French novelist who is most famous for Phantom of the Opera which later became a movie and musical. After finishing school, Leroux became a clerk in a law office and would write stories and essays on his free time. By the year 1890, Leroux became a full-time journalist. Many of his journal entries and stories had poor reviews and weren't very good. Phantom of the Opera had small-scaled sales and poor reviews as well. It was not until the musical was written that the book got more attention.

Leroux's purpose of Phantom of the Opera is to show that everyone has a reason to wear a mask. He shows the readers that having a mask is not just to hide and scare people. It is a wish made by the phantom so that society as a whole does not see what he does not want them to see. It is also a wish that society sees only what he wants them to see. The phantom hides behind the mask so the world does not see the other half of his face. The phantom has the world see what he wants them to see and what he does not want them to see. No more; no less.

Leroux uses feminism in this novel to give Christine more strength. Christine is able to direct two completely different emotions and it bewildered the men of the book. She did not follow Victorian expectations like every other female. She followed her own way and did not need any man to control what she did. She would also solve problems in a very feminist way. She would solve the problems as if she was a man. It was very encouraging and breathtaking.

Leroux also uses psychoanalysis in Phantom of the Opera. Phantom of the Opera gives you an Edgar Allan Poe vibe. Slightly creepy; slightly chaotic. Yet, Leroux also gives the book an Apollo appeal; beautiful and creative.

Many people had very detailed thoughts about Phantom of the Opera. Some hated the book and the only reason they even talked about it was because of the movie and musical. Others thought it was an amazing book and the movie and musical were complete garbage. I am in the middle of both. The book wasn’t that great but the movie and musical are not garbage. Phantom of the Opera is a very interesting book. Was not one of my favorites but I would recommend reading it. Especially if you love Edgar Allan Poe’s literature.

After writing Phantom of the Opera, Leroux became very ill. He was not able to contribute in the making of the movie. Leroux later died from a urinary tract infection. Before his final moments, Leroux continued to say that the Opera Ghost was real.

Before Leroux passed, he culturally impacted many people and that impact is still being passed on today. He very much thickened the idea that everyone has something to hide if they realize it or not. Many got that message from Phantom of the Opera and it has influenced them to hide behind an invisible mask. Children have learned this from their parents and it has been past down from generation to generation.

Gaston Leroux was an amazing writer but this was not one of his best. Definitely wasn’t his worst, but surely not the best. Phantom of the Opera has taught many lessons to the people of the world. Gaston clotted the idea that everyone wears a mask to hide the information that they do not want people to see.