Masque

by Bethany W. Pope

a richly gothic retelling of Gaston Leroux's phantom of the opera story by debut novelist Bethany W Pope. Centre stage is would-be opera singer Christine, who, despite being devoted to her art, attracts the attention of both the Phantom, and rich theatre owner Raoul. The resulting mix of love, rage, art and murderous intent, is explosive.

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2016

Reviews

[Joanne Harris]

This is a strange one: a relatively straight retelling of Gaston Leroux's stodgy, overrated original. It's stylistically far more interesting than the Gaston Leroux (though the three narrators do seem to have very similar voices), and it's filled with splendid details which, if not quite historically accurate, are awash with Gothic colour. If Angela Carter had written fan fiction, it might have turned out something like this. And Phantom fans will love it: it's vibrant, entertaining, well-paced and well-written, but for me, the sticking-point is that it's very much a retelling, rather than an original take. And given that The Phantom of the Opera is already in itself a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I can't help feeling that this tale has little new to offer...

[John Snelling · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating new perspective on a well known story.

Bethany Pope already has an established reputation as a good poet. This novel shows that she has what it takes to also excel in writing prose fiction. 'Masque' is written as three interweaving first-person narratives and the author does a good job in creating three distinct people and showing us in what ways they experience and understand the same events differently. This is one of the primary ways in which the readers' sympathies are engaged and directed. It is done very skilfully. The novel is overtly a fresh take on Gaston Leroux's 'The Phantom of the Opera' and a familiarity with at least the basic plot of Leroux's novel will add to ones appreciation of 'Masque'. However, I felt that another story was also important in this way and it is one that is mentioned several times by the character Erik. This is 'Beauty and the Beast'. Again, a familiarity with that story will enhance ones reading of 'Masque'.

[Mab Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful writer Pope is. I've enjoyed her poetry, and now I'm delighted to have read her prose, which is just as original and dazzling. Rich and vivid, this is story-making at its absolute best. I cannot recommend this fantastic, imaginative piece of fiction highly enough.

[Denni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really up on the source material for this book so can't comment on any changes/additions that the author might have made, but I can say what a wonderfully gothic, and a fast and enjoyable read this novel is (obvious by how quickly I read it, despite other claims on my time!). And despite the real nastiness of the main characters in so many ways, the author still somehow managed to make them sympathetic, their actions understandable. Great fun to read. I was going to say something nice about the ending, too, but that would be a spoiler so I won't!

[Peter Maughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms Pope has taken Leroux's legend to her breast and fed it the milk of her own unique, rich talent. It is born again in the name of Masque and is now as much hers as the original was his.

[Marieluise Niehus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gothic story retold in a contemporary style with a few twists. Bethany Pope's voice is very strong, sometimes very visceral. The characters come out clearly, the ending is unexpected, but fitting. I have yet to think about Jungian archetypes and Clarissa Pinkola Estes's approach to storytelling with regards to this book.

[Amy Skretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! It sucked me in, I cared about the characters, and I didn't want to put it down. You don't have to be familiar with The Phantom of the Opera in order to enjoy this book, either. I highly recommend.