Is the Phantom of the Opera a true story?

[ChristianKitsune]

I am reading The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. And he seems to have done quite a bit of research for this novel.

My question is this: Is he the narrator, or is there a fictious narrator? I mean did HE do the research (by talking to investegators) or did a fake narrator do it thus making the book a fictious account?

[Maledicte]

I think it's fictional, based off of strange events occuring at the Opera House at that time. Leroux uses real people in the novel, but then that happens in a lot of novels these days. The heightened appearance of reality adds to the novel's fright factor.

But personally I'd like to think it really happened...

[ChristianKitsune]

Hmm.. Interesting..so these strange events really happened?

[Ashley]

I think I read a book on this once; they said the story was fictional, but yes there WERE strange events in the opera house, it really is built on a lake, there are many trap doors and such....so it's *plausible* but not *true*

[Radical Dreamer]

Oh, yeah I'm reading that one now, too (along with 9056 other books I have yet to finish, haha)! I noticed that he was very well informed on the topic, and all of the footnotes that he has in the book really seem to show that there is reason to believe some of it. It's all so cool!

[Jasdero]

I think it was a legend...?

[Archan]

I read up lightly on this, the story itself isn't true, but the insparation is suppose to come from two sources. One is the Opera House, and another is an old Ghost story from and even older woman, or was it man? I forget, anyways he added both and wallah! Phantomas (What he was originally called) was born!

I really want to believe that this is more then just fiction, that would be uber groovey, but have yet to find anything to verify my wishes, oh well.

God bless,
Archan