Gaston Leroux

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, while today Gaston Leroux is best known for his creation "Phantom of the Opera", during his lifetime he received more critical acclaim for his crime novel, "Mystery of the Yellow Room" than for "Phantom of the Opera". The paper considers whether this was a manifestation of the general view of horror literature during the 1900's, or whether other factors should also be taken into account. The paper also discusses elements of Gaston Leroux's life and history for the purposes of examining the content of "The Phantom of the Opera" and looks at the many changes that have taken place in society during the last century. These factors are then discussed in terms of the wide acclaim that Leroux's creation enjoys today.

From the Paper:

"Gaston Leroux studied law primarily to please his father. However, he never gave up his real dream: being a writer. Thus he began his writing career as a poet, publishing his work in local newspapers. This led to his position as dramatic critic in L'Echo de Paris. He then became a courtroom reporter, where his background in law served him well, and eventually became a worldwide correspondent. Leroux was an excellent reporter and traveled the world visiting countries such as Sweden, Finland, Egypt and Korea to find stories. The talent he cultivated in this way is evident in Phantom of the Opera, which is written in the style of a report. Although some did not find this appealing, the style of the novel is one of its assets. The ongoing debate about the realness of Eric may be at least partly due to this. Leroux has so excellently fused fact with fiction that even today nobody is certain how the two can be separated."

More papers on Gaston Leroux:

• Analytical Essay # 67261 : "Phantom of the Opera"
• Analytical Essay # 9259 : "The "Phantom of the Opera"
• Analytical Essay # 57327 : "The Phantom of the Opera"

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