StoryPDF
StoryPDFThe Phantom of the OperaGaston Leroux

The Phantom of the Opera

Gaston Leroux

Complete text
NovelEnglish

Strange incidents at the Paris Opera encourage talk of a resident ghost whose demands unsettle its managers. The singer Christine Daae becomes central to a mystery involving music, concealed spaces, and powerful attachment. Investigation follows the distance between a brilliant public performance and the hidden pressures behind it.

29 sections84,494 wordsAbout 6 h 24 min
Read nowDownload PDF

About The Phantom of the Opera

The narrative presents its inquiry as an effort to establish what the opera’s legends conceal. A theater naturally divides visible spectacle from unseen labor, making its architecture part of the mystery. Compare claims of inspiration and protection with the control exercised in their name, and notice how Christine’s voice can be admired while her wishes remain contested.

Reading focus

Explore the opera’s division between spectacle and hidden space, especially where admiration for a singer becomes a demand for control.

This reading edition contains 84,494 words in 29 original sections. Read the text online with adjustable type and three colour themes, or keep a printable PDF.

Author: Gaston Leroux. Language: English. Reading edition: 28 October 2026.

Opening excerpt

Prologue

Read the complete opening section

Contents

All sections
  1. Prologue8 min
  2. Chapter I Is it the Ghost?14 min
  3. Chapter II The New Margarita15 min
  4. Chapter III The Mysterious Reason12 min
  5. Chapter IV Box Five19 min
  6. Chapter V The Enchanted Violin26 min
  7. Chapter VI A Visit to Box Five5 min
  8. Chapter VII Faust and What Followed19 min
  9. Chapter VIII The Mysterious Brougham12 min
  10. Chapter IX At the Masked Ball15 min
  11. Chapter X Forget the Name of the Man's Voice8 min
  12. Chapter XI Above the Trap-Doors12 min
  13. Chapter XII Apollo's Lyre33 min
  14. Chapter XIII A Master-Stroke of the Trap-Door Lover16 min
  15. Chapter XIV The Singular Attitude of a Safety-Pin9 min
  16. Chapter XV Christine! Christine!6 min
  17. Chapter XVI Mme. Giry's Astounding Revelations as to Her Personal Relations with the Opera Ghost16 min
  18. Chapter XVII The Safety-Pin Again9 min
  19. Chapter XVIII The Commissary, The Viscount and the Persian8 min
  20. Chapter XIX The Viscount and the Persian9 min
  21. Chapter XX In the Cellars of the Opera24 min
  22. Chapter XXI Interesting and Instructive Vicissitudes of a Persian in the Cellars of the Opera21 min
  23. Chapter XXII In the Torture Chamber10 min
  24. Chapter XXIII The Tortures Begin9 min
  25. Chapter XXIV "Barrels! ... Barrels! ... Any Barrels to Sell?"17 min
  26. Chapter XXV The Scorpion or the Grasshopper: Which?11 min
  27. Chapter XXVI The End of the Ghost's Love Story14 min
  28. Epilogue.15 min
  29. Epilogue. — The Paris Opera House8 min

Reading & download help

Is this the complete The Phantom of the Opera?

This edition contains the complete English literary text, with 29 sections and 84,494 words. This reading edition preserves the checked English text and its section order. No study notes have been added.

Which PDF should I choose?

A4 is designed for 210 × 297 mm paper; US Letter for 8.5 × 11 inch paper. Both contain the same complete text, selectable text and section bookmarks.

Can I read without signing up?

Yes. Online reading and both PDFs are free. Reading settings and progress stay on this device.

Edition details and corrections.