Opera in the Novel from Balzac to Proust

A new book has come out which contains an excellent 30-page chapter devoted to Leroux's novel, entitled 'The Phantom and the buried voices beneath the Paris Opéra'. It is IMHO easily one the best analyses to date of Leroux's novel, even if it does skirt around certain subjects and is inherently limited by the scope of the book that it's a part of. What I particularly liked was its concentration on Leroux's narrative technique and his use of different registers, something that may have bamboozled ALW but was/is actually something very innovative. Its best bit is its focus on Erik's Don Juan Triomphante and what this unheard opus signifies and how that relates to the construction of the novel. There is a fair bit on the real-life incidents that inspired the story too, but nothing new to those already well versed in these things. My only worry is that some of the comments hit a bit close to home and touch on things I've already explored but have yet to publish. I am going to have to get a move on before this guy gets there first!

The title of the book is Opera in the Novel from Balzac to Proust (unfortunately an expensive academic book, with prices comparable to those for Hogle's Undergrounds book) and the author is Cormac Newark.

Preview of the book (but not of the relevant chapter) here.

That sounds like something I would enjoy at least perusing. And, what do you know, you posted this on my birthday

Thanks for sharing the info!