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The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth
Reader Reviews 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: Nothing better than bad fan fiction., September 19, 2003 Reviewer: Elizabeth from Ontario, Canada I am a Phantom phan of the truest sense. I am also a writer. And, as difficult as it will be to ignore the basic canon errors that Forsyth made in writing The Phantom of Manhattan, it has been complained about enough times in previous customer reviews. However, I will say that it isn't even a sequel to the ALW musical--in Lloyd Webber's version, the Phantom is sterile ("that fate, which condemns me to wallow in blood, has also denied me the joys of the flesh" - Phantom, Down Once More). Instead I comment on the literature--if it could be called that. In truth, I am surprised that this book managed to make it to bookstores. Forsyth's grasp of style is lacking at best, and positively despicable at the worst. The characterisation of Erik, Raoul, Christine, and Giry is two-dimensional and weak, and none of them have a unique voice. Rather, each seems an exact replica of the next. They also act quite differently from the beloved characters that we all knew and loved in the book or the musical. The plot itself is poorly planned. Forsyth tries too hard; thus the story reads unnaturally. The narrative, also, is forced and jumpy. A good story can take the reader into its plot and make him forget, for some time, that he is merely reading a book; The Phantom of Manhattan certainly doesn't achieve this. If it is a good sequel to PotO that you're looking for, you're likely to have more luck on fanfiction.net. This book is a waste of money. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition
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