The Phantom of the Opera

The novel by Gaston Leroux "The Phantom of the Opera" is a magnificent combination of Gothic, adventure, and detective elements. According to one version, Gaston Leroux heard the legend of a skeleton found in the cellars of the Paris Grand Opera. The skeleton had a strange, disproportionately wide skull, and a woman's ring sparkled on its finger. Thus, the novel about the cruel and unhappy Phantom, in love with the beautiful young singer Christine Daaé, came to light.

"The Phantom of the Opera" is published in a new, modern translation by Vera Gordienko, which preserves the mysterious atmosphere of the theatrical backstage, the dynamism of the action, and the author's subtle irony.