The Phantom of the Opera is a novel by
French writer Gaston Leroux. It
was first published as a serialisation in Le
Gaulois from September 23, 1909,
to January 8, 1910. It was published in volume form in April 1910 by Pierre
Lafitte. The novel is partly
inspired by historical events at the Paris
Opera during the nineteenth
century and an apocryphal tale concerning the use of a former ballet pupil's
skeleton in Carl Maria von Weber's
1841 production of Der Freischütz.
Christine is kidnapped by the phantom and is taken to his home in the cellars of the Opera where he identifies himself as Erik. He plans to keep her there for a few days, hoping she will come to love him. But she causes Erik to change his plans when she unmasks him and, to the horror of both, beholds his nose less, lipless, sunken-eyed face which resembles a skull dried up by the centuries, covered in yellowed dead flesh.. On the roof of the opera house, Christine tells Raoul that Erik abducted her. Raoul promises to take Christine away to a place where Erik can never find her. Raoul tells Christine he shall act on his promise the next day, to which Christine agrees.
Erik allows them to escape, though not before making Christine promise that she will visit him once on his death day, and return the gold ring he gave her. He also makes her promise that afterwards she will go to the newspaper and report his death. Indeed, some time later Christine returns to Erik's lair, buries him and returns the gold ring. Afterwards, a local newspaper runs the simple note: Erik is dead.



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