The Phantom of Manhattan

Novel, Thriller by Frederick Forsyth

Blurb

The Phantom of Manhattan, a 1999 novel by Frederick Forsyth, is a sequel to the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical The Phantom of the Opera, itself based on the original book by Gaston Leroux.
Forsyth's literary concept is that Leroux had recorded factual events but, in review, had apparently not checked his facts or viewed his sources with a critical eye. Accordingly the novel can be read as both a tribute to the Lloyd Webber musical and a satire of period novels in the vein of George MacDonald Fraser's The Flashman Papers series.
The beginning of The Phantom of Manhattan is narrated by an ailing Madame Giry, and set in the early 1900s. Famous individuals of the time, such as Theodore Roosevelt, make appearances. According to the story, Christine has married Raoul, and the couple have a son named Pierre.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, opened in March 2010, and is based partly on The Phantom of Manhattan. However, it enjoyed a short-lived run and is now closed in London. It was reworked and has had a successful run in Melbourne and Sydney.

First Published

1999

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