Book Anatomy · The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera: Commercial facts
13 lenses on commercial facts for The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9 L10 L11 L12 L13
L1. Total word count. Count
1910, 83,400 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L2. Chapter count and average length. Count
1910, 83,400 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L3. Length against modern norms for the genre. Both
83,400 words. Modern gothic and horror often runs 70,000 to 90,000 words, so this is in the usual range today. These ranges are rough trade norms, not rules.
At 83,400 words, the book is longer than modern gothic romance but shorter than contemporary fantasy. It matches classic gothic novels like Dracula. For modern genre, it is substantial but not excessive.
L4. First published as a serial or a volume? Research
1910, 83,400 words. See the full lens on the book page.
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L5. Serial instalment breaks and how each ends. Both
The book was serialised in Le Gaulois from 1909 to 1910. Chapter breaks align with serial instalment logic: chapters 7, 13, 22, and 25 end with major cliffhangers suitable for weekly breaks.
Chapters: Ch 7, Ch 13, Ch 22, Ch 25
L6. Sales and reviews in its day. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L7. Adaptations: film, TV, stage, count and type. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L8. Sequels and series. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L9. Modern books in the same mould (comps). AI
Modern comps include Susan Kay's Phantom, which retells Erik's backstory, and Sylvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic, which shares gothic atmosphere and hidden secrets. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells shares the invisible antagonist trope.
L10. Who it would be shelved for today. AI
Today it would be shelved as gothic romance or paranormal romance. Readers of dark fantasy, gothic fiction, and classic literature would find it. It appeals to fans of mystery, psychological tension, and tragic villains.
L11. Content notes. AI
Content notes: obsessive love and stalking, murder, threats of violence, bomb plot, torture-chamber, deformity treated as justification for violence, death of minor characters.
L12. A modern pitch line and blurb. AI
A deformed musical genius holds a young opera singer captive beneath the Paris Opera House, forcing her to choose between love and survival. When her true love descends into the cellars to rescue her, all three must face the phantom's final, devastating choice.
L13. Title style against genre norms. AI
The title is simple and direct, naming the antagonist rather than the lead. It matches gothic convention: The Phantom, The Ghost, The Monster. Modern genre titles often name the lead or the romance; this older style emphasises the threat.
Ask The Phantom of the Opera a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
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