The Phantom of the Opera

"The Phantom of the Opera" (in French, "Le Fantôme de l'Opéra") is a French novel by Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialization in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910. Initially, the novel sold very poorly and was even out of print several times during the twentieth century. Today, it is considered to be a classic of French literature, though it is overshadowed by its many subsequent adaptations.