THE PHANTOM OF MANHATTEN BY FREDRICK FORSYTHE

I didn't like this book for many reasons. Forsythe tries to mimic
Leroux by doing what Susan Kay did, every chapter was from the point of view of a different character. Very confusing, especially since we see Darius, the Persian's servant making a pact with the devil. Now what was that about?

Then we find that in the lair after the Don Juan Triumphant scene and before the mob invades, Erik and Christine have some intimate time, which results in a son named Charles, I think.

Raoul thinks Charles is his son. No surprise there.

I didn't like the Phantom running the funhouse on Coney Island and the ending which leaves Christine dead, Raoul crippled and Erik to raise his son. Everyone was out of character, and it read like a soap.

All the mystery and love is gone from this book.

Anyone else read this book? What did you think?

Fortunately I have poor short term memory, so by the time I get the book, I'll have forgotten the comments above. I had heard somewhere that Erik ran this funhouse, which was the first to strike me as odd...if you're parents gave you/sold you to gypsies, would you really want to go back to that same world? There are other things but I don't want to speculate here. I'm curious of others opinion. Just don't tell me the ending! Lol

Blarg. That book was disgusting. I hated it. I lost it, which made me really happy, but then my friend bought it for me for Christmas!!

I hate how Erik and Christine have a son, even though Christine is scared to death of him in Leroux's novel.

Like I said, I only have bits and pieces of knowledge of this book. I believe I have to read it, being an obsessed Phan. I've heard some people mention that Forsythe actually made fun of Leroux's original novel. That just doesn't seem right. Different opinions, sure, but to put down the original author? Don't know.

Like Fay said, something that really bugs me is him running the funhouse. To me that's just too closely related to him growing up in the travelling fair. It just doesn't make sense to me. This is why, even though most Phans agree the book is horrible, I still need to read it, so I can see for myself what this guy did to the Phantom!

LOL the only bit I like is how he writes the ending. The rest is like blah blah blah

Yep. It was one of the first group of phantom books that I read when I became hooked. It seems to have taken the darkest portions of each character's life and played them up as though each were a haunting tease. Nothing appears a feasible fit especially since Leroux's characters evolved forward. I agree with Fay. It is a sensational soap where all is possible due to a script twist. Bleh :<_<:

I say again... this book was very disjointed with far too many points of view, even if divided into chapters. Kay achieved this with the division in her books, yet Forsythe failed.

Mav

But see Raoul knew Pierre wasn't his son because Raoul was in essence a eunuch because of his accident. Which makes you wonder what kind of push over Raoul was that he just shrugged and accepted it. In Phantom of Manhattan Erik had sex with Christine while she was unconscious and could not consent. Erik raped Christine. I could live with all the other flaws in this story except that one.

Whoa!  I don't recall Erik raping Christine.  I recall Madam Giry saying Christine found him after he left his lair through the mirror and they had a night of passion, but it was consensual.  Keep in mind that "rape" is not an act of passion, but an act of violence and crime. There is nothing sexy about rape.

Did I miss something or is my memory going?  I should read that thing again.  Yikes!

Nope, she was passed out and he went for it. They changed it in Love Never Dies to consensual but in the book he straight up does it while she's out of it.

I'm going to look for my copy of the book and reread that part.  Somehow, I don't recall that.  Eeww! I can't believe Erik would do that.

According to wiki answers.com Erik did not rape Christine. See following link http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Did_the_phantom_rape_Christine_daae