“I have not come here... to talk about Count Philippe... but to tell you that... I am going... to die..." "Where are Raoul de Chagny and Christine Daaé?" "Of love... daroga... I am dying... of love... That is how it is... I loved her so!... And I love her still... daroga... and I am dying of love for her, I... I tell you!... If you knew how beautiful she was... when she let me kiss her... alive... It was the first... time, daroga, the first... time I ever kissed a woman... Yes, alive... I kissed her alive... and she looked as beautiful as if she had been dead!..." The Persian shook Erik by the arm: "Will you tell me if she is alive or dead?" "Why do you shake me like that?" asked Erik, making an effort to speak more connectedly. "I tell you that I am going to die... Yes, I kissed her alive..." "And now she is dead?" "I tell you I kissed her just like that, on her forehead... and she did not draw back her forehead from my lips!... Oh, she is a good girl!... As to her being dead, I don't think so; but it has nothing to do with me... No, no, she is not dead! And no one shall touch a hair of her head! She is a good, honest girl, and she saved your life, daroga, at a moment when I would not have given twopence for your Persian skin.”
Quote by Gaston Leroux
Work
This novel, originally published in 1910, tells the story of a disfigured musical genius who lives in the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with a young soprano, Christine Daaé, and becomes obsessed with her. The novel explores themes of love, obsession, and the human desire for beauty and perfection. more
Author
Gaston Leroux (1868–1927) was a French journalist, novelist, and playwright, best known for writing the gothic thriller "The Phantom of the Opera" published in 1910. Beginning his career as a court reporter and theater critic, he later devoted himself to fiction, producing over 40 novels. "The Phantom of the Opera" became his most enduring work, captivating readers with its mysterious atmosphere and romantic tension. In addition to this masterpiece, he authored "The Mystery of the Yellow Room," considered one of the first locked-room mysteries. Leroux's storytelling skill and vivid imagination significantly influenced the development of detective and horror fiction. His works have been adapted countless times for stage, film, and television, making him one of the most widely read French authors of the early 20th century. He died in Nice on April 15, 1927. more
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